Hi! My name is Ren, I’m a third year Psychology student and recently completed a semester abroad at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). This experience was an incredible insight into a completely different culture and opportunity to try new things and will definitely stick with me for a long time!
Hong Kong has diverse scenery for any mood – from complex mazes of crowded skyscrapers to hike-able mountains and relaxing beaches, all one subway ride apart. It was super cool and convenient to be able to have access to both city and nature depending on what I wanted that day, without having to travel far for hours and hours. This meant that finding new things to do was never difficult and it was hard to ever be bored! Because the university is on an island, it meant that there were a lot of beautiful waterfronts and beaches nearby which I loved to visit.
Hong Kong had an amazingly vibrant social scene, all the exchange students I’d met whilst studying abroad were super friendly and always down to try something new. This made exploring and experiencing new things really natural, and it made it incredibly easy to find and meet friends!
Although I studied Psychology, HKU allows you to choose modules that are outside of your main degree – this meant I could explore my interests further by taking a Music module. I only took one non-Psychology module, but some friends I knew took almost all non-degree related subjects whilst abroad, which I think is so cool as it allows you to learn new topics and try modules unrelated to what you’ve been studying for so long!
Most halls have High Table Dinners at least once a semester. This involved dressing up, hiring a university gown and attending a dinner where there is a speaker, and lots of yummy food!
The food scene in Hong Kong is insane, there is a huge range of cuisines to choose from, but the local food is delicious. I tried a lot of variations of noodles whilst studying, and new desserts, such as sesame soup and double-skin milk (even the McDonald’s there is better!) and SO MUCH dim sum. I really enjoyed the food from the university canteens, and I think they were quite affordable for the portion you get.
Due to the location of Hong Kong, many of the friends I met (and myself!) went travelling to other nearby countries in the reading week and weekends! The convenient placement of the city makes it easy to get to other countries in Asia, such as Japan or Korea, which is very exciting and gives you so much more opportunity to visit other countries!
Although the primary language is Cantonese, most people in Hong Kong, especially around the university, speak English (and Mandarin!), so you won’t have to worry about a strong language barrier whilst there.
I really loved my time abroad and would 100% recommend it if you are thinking about doing it too! My semester abroad was really eye-opening and incredible, and I will forever appreciate the experiences and people I met there!
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