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Comments about the Hong Kong University of Science and Techology from Past Participants
for more complete comments, please check out the binders in the student lounge, 215b DKH
Useful Advice
" I had an absolute blast. What I want future study abroad students to know: If I knew about Hong Kong University of Science and Technology when I was in High School, I would have applied there.
HKUST has a very large exchange student body, I think there were over 250, from all different parts of the world. Meeting and learning about their cultures as well as China's culture was very enlightening and is something that is unique to the Hong Kong study abroad program." - Brock Buttrick, Fall 07
“The Chinese language, both Cantonese and Mandarin, are very difficult and nearly impossible to just pick up. Everyone does speak English. In fact, even during our travels to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia, we could always find people to speak English if need be. However, that is all part of what makes the experience so great. If you go over with very little preparation or plans, it allows you to be flexible and try many new things. We met a great deal of awesome exchange students over in Hong Kong, and you end up making trip plans and whatnot with them as time passes. If you have a set agenda, you will miss out on a lot of great experiences.” – Ed Cerulo, Fall 07
Location
"The location has great weather. The school is located on the coast with unbelievable scenery. It is a short distance to downtown. Hong Kong was also a great location to travel from in Asia
There are very few negative sides to the location. You get all of the advantages of a large city and the feel of a tropical paradise." - Brock Buttrick, Fall 07
"I would 100% recommend this study abroad experience to future students. Not only do the campus and city have a great deal to offer, but you’ll learn a ton outside of the classroom as well. Too many people want to go to Europe or not study abroad at all. However, Asia, and China to be more specific, is the largest growing area in the world. Seeing this growth with your own eyes is quite incredible; however, there will come a time when the area is much more developed and less appealing for a cultural experience. While you might think it’s great to be in a society similar to the US, as Europe is, nothing compares to the experience you’ll gain from being in a society so drastically different. If I could have stayed for the full year, I most definitely would have. I am more than pleased with my selection and overall experience, and I hope all prospective study abroad students not only consider, but embark, on this excellent program.
You won’t find a more beautiful campus in the entire world; at least I haven’t. The campus itself is situated right on the water with stunning views of completely isolated islands/beaches. In addition, the campus boasts a very nice track and soccer field right on the water, as well as multiple tennis courts, basketball courts, a mini soccer pitch, and an indoor and outdoor pool. Also, the location is very private, which makes it a nice place to relax at. On the contrary, if you’re looking for the city excitement, buses roll in nearly every second at the campus front atrium to take you to the MTR stations or commercial areas. The MTR subway system is by far the most efficient system I’ve run across. No eating or drinking in the MTR stations has allowed for them to remain perfectly clean, both in the stations and on the subways. While the campus allows you to live a relaxed life, the location also puts you just a 45 minute trip from the great nightlife Hong Kong has to offer." - Ed Cerulo, Fall 07
Courses
"The courses that I was enrolled in were challenging and interesting. They also exposed me to a different perspective on scholastic subjects and styles of teaching. Many of the classes I took were not attendance based. There was a different style of teaching and learning that took some getting used to." - Brock Buttrick, Fall 07
"There are some very good professors and good topics at the school. Professors have studies all over the world and renowned Universities, such as the University of Chicago, Stanford, UCLA, etc. The workload, in comparison to that of back home, is also a little less, but more demanding when you do get work. Local students from HKUST who have come over to the states to study also agree. They tend to feel the work they have to put into US-based classes is much more consistent. At HKUST, the workload typically comes in bunches, but typically not a great amount of work.
I would recommend taking all of your courses credit/no-credit while at HKUST to reap the full benefits of the city and surrounding countries. In order to achieve a high grade in classes, you really have to put a great deal of effort in. All classes are curved under a strict University-wide policy. Therefore, you do have the potential of getting curved down, and the local students emphasize their studies over everything else. After all, this education is their key to success in life. It is their way out of China if they want out. Courses can definitely be interesting; however, use them as a learning experience and not simply as a class to try to achieve a good grade in. Your chances of gaining a great deal from the classes are very high, but your chances of achieving a good grade aren’t so much. I had absolutely no problem passing the classes, but wouldn’t have been too happy if I was taking everything to transfer back as a grade. For example, I took a history of overseas Chinese course while in Hong Kong. As you might infer, I was already at a severe disadvantage in comparison to the local students considering their previous knowledge of the topic." - Ed Cerulo, Fall 07
Housing
"The housing was very inexpensive and had adequate space. It offers a good opportunity to interact with local Chinese students. There was less assimilation with the students in the housing than what I would have liked." - Brock Buttrick, Fall 07
"You can’t beat the housing price at HKUST. The dorms are very suitable, and some even come with ocean-views. For under $600 for the entire semester, this has to be the best housing bargain I have come across. You’re there for the experience anyways, so the housing really shouldn’t matter too much anyways. The only downside to the housing would be having shared floor bathrooms and sinks; only New Hall has sinks in the rooms. " - Ed Cerulo, Fall 07
Costs
"I spent about $90 a week, you can eat for much less or for much more. I spent about $50 on books."- Brock Buttrick, Fall 07
"I was on a budget which consisted of me simply making sure I had enough money in my bank account. Therefore, I insisted that I never check my account to see how much I had spent, since the memories and experiences were priceless. In regards to food, there is a vast difference in prices throughout Hong Kong. Campus food can be as cheap as $1-5 for a meal, and meals outside of campus can be in the $20-40 range or in the low end range. There is a small grocery store on campus and several large ones in more metropolitan areas too. If you want to budget, it is very plausible to buy supplies for meals at the grocery store and keep your food costs low. Also, eating on campus all the time will keep meals cheap too, but might not always be the best. If I had to guess, I’d assume I spent around $150/week on food. However, I definitely splurged for some great meals.
We only had to get one textbook while we were there, and it was extremely cheap (around $20 US). Most of the courses just keep textbooks on reserve at the library. Therefore, some might not even recommend you to buy the book, but rather to just use the library reserve books instead. Textbooks at the school are undoubtedly much cheaper than back home." - Ed Cerulo, Fall 07
