I chose to do my study abroad exchange at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. I will start by saying that the travel to get here is definitely a grind. It was a fifteen-hour flight from LA to get here, but it was amazing. I arrived Thursday evening and am writing this on Sunday. I have already experienced many great things. Hong Kong is very hot and humid, which makes it easy to transition from the Houston summer. HKUST makes it very easy to make friends upon arrival with the WhatsApp group chat and so many different students being in the same boat. Apart from Cornell, who sent over 20 students, every other student has just one or two from the same university. This allows for friendships with many students from all over. My roommate is from mainland China; two close friends are from England, and another is from Illinois. It is amazing to make friends with such different perspectives.
The city is amazing. There are rural and metropolitan areas that are not far from each other. Public transport makes getting around easy. The most important thing to have is the Octopus Card. It is used for most food, retail, and transportation. Cash is important for taxis and street markets. Credit cards can be used at a lot of places as well. The university is on a hill and can be a little confusing. I am starting to get the hang of it, but it is a long walk to get to the business building from where they put most of the exchange students, Undergraduate Hall IX.
I do not feel I have been here long enough to adequately compare the cultures, but I can comment on a few things. The people have been really nice so far. Anyone I have interacted with has been helpful. I think once I get more into class and the city, I will have a better understanding of the culture.
I am excited to continue my experience and thankful to both A&M and HKUST for setting it up.
