Hong Kong University of Science and T echnology

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
MATT RUSSELL
Hong Kong
Official Languages: Chinese/English
Drives on the left
Currency: Hong Kong Dollar
Population
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2009
7,000,000
Exchange
Orientation and Support
There is no exchange association on campus;
however, the school provides plenty of support for
incoming students. You will be provided with a
buddy who will contact you before your arrival date.
They will offer to pick you up at the airport and help
you find the school. They will also be your date on
orientation day.
LEAVING ON
EXCHANGE
On Orientation day, representatives from the school
will hand out your schedule and explain how to
function as a student at HKUST. They will show you
how to add and drop classes, use e-mail, etc.
Everything you need to know about studying at
HKUST will be explained on this day. The rest of the
afternoon and the next day is dedicated to doing
tours with your buddy and touring the city.
There are two school
supplies stores on campus
(one at the entrance and
the other at LG5) so you
don’t need to worry too
much about binders,
paper, pencil/pens, etc.
The only item I could not
find was an organizer/
agenda (which wasn’t
covered in “hello kitty”).
Within the first week there are a number of themed
tours around Hong Kong. Whether or not you are
interested in the subject matter, it is a good idea to
go on all of the tours because it is a good chance to
meet a lot of exchange students. This orientation
helps you register at the university, and register with
the city as a resident. Other important aspects of the
university are covered, including how transfer credit
works, where to look for courses online, what courses
you are eligible to take, etc.
Who speaks English?
English is widely spoken in Hong Kong, so much that
there was no pressure to learn any Cantonese (huge
mistake). Once upon a time Hong Kong was a British
colony and as a result almost all the street signs are
in English as well.
COSTS
FLIGHT
~2,000 CAD
STUDENT HALL
$700 CAD
BOOKS
$100 CAD
MEALS
$3-6 CAD
TRAVEL
$200-500/ TRIP
What should you
bring with you?
Bedroom Supplies
School Supplies
As mentioned earlier, it is
best to try to bring bed
linen, a pillow, and pillow
case since these are not
provided. Other items
which will save you some
grief if you can bring are:
Coat hangers
Laundry basket/bag
Toiletry bag
Loads of medication
The University
HKUST
uni-erlangen.de
UNIVERSITY
Courses & Credits
When studying at HKUST, you will have
the choice to pick up to 5 courses (or
equivalent to 17-18 credits at HKUST).
With the exception of some language
courses, all classes are taught in
English and are scheduled on two or
three days out of the week. Some
courses have a “tutorial” (i.e. seminar
to go over or hand out assignments,
course material) on top of the lecture
and virtually every course has a group
project component. Although you
won’t know what your time table is
like until school begins, it’s a good
idea to try and build a schedule that
leaves you with no class on Monday/
Friday, and thus enabling you to travel
without missing too many classes.
Also, despite all my professors were
able to speak English, a few were
difficult to understand due to their
native accent.
Course Expectations
I heard that the Accounting and
Finance courses were very good, as
well as specific classes (e.g.
“Negotiation” course). Keep in mind
though that most Accounting,
Finance, and Economics classes are
much harder and tend to have a
higher curve. Some professors even
ban International students from
registering in their classes (e.g.
International Finance) due to their
“substandard” performance in the
past. HKUST is a world class University
and it is incredibly competitive.
One class I would highly recommend
you take is BMGB 201. It was a
business course specifically aimed at
talking about all things not business. It
was mostly discussion based, however,
you are in a class with the gifted
students at HKUST (read: future
investment bankers). It was cool to
work with such intelligent students and
work on your presentation skills. It was
a fascinating class.
Register Early
Make sure that you have your first
choice courses picked and submitted
well in advance or else you will find
yourself having to queue for days on
the online course registration! Be
prepared to not get your “first
choices” too – a cap is set on the
amount of international students in
each class
CLIMATE/WEATHER
Hong Kong experienc
es four
distinct seasons, with
the climate
influenced in winter
by the northnortheast monsoon
and in summer
by the south-southw
est monsoon.
Summers are very ho
t, with the
rainy season running
from June to
August. Spring and au
tumn are
warm with occasiona
l rain and
cooler evenings. The
best months
to visit are during Ma
rch to April
and October to Nove
mber, when
humidity is low, the ski
es are clear
and the temperature
is warm. Winter can
be cold, but
most days are mild.
Living
Living and Residences
HKUST Campus
As soon as you arrive at HKUST, you will quickly
realize that this is one of the most amazing
campuses ever. Whether it be the two soccer
pitches (one professional full size length, one mini
pitch), two swimming pools (one indoor, one
outdoor), four basketball courts, outdoor running
track, sand volleyball court, or suntan bathing
area, it is apparent that this school is no shortage
of amenities. As can be seen in the above
photos as well, the campus has a tremendous
view.
Geography
However, being positioned on a hillside means
getting around HKUST involves a series of
elevators, escalators, and stairs. For me, this was
much different compared to many of the “flat”
campuses in Canada. As for accommodation,
there are a couple different options available. In
terms of living arrangements, you have the
choice of living in either a resident apartment,
off campus apartment, or student dormitory
(didn’t find out about the first two options until
after my exchange was over).
Dorm Halls
For the time I was at HKUST,I was very happy to
live in a dorm hall because they are reasonably
clean, extremely cheap, and enable you to
meet a lot of the other exchange students. If you
choose to do the same, I heavily recommend
trying to get a hold of one of the “New Hall” (Hall
VI) dorms. Each room has a sink and is generally
nicer than other dorms (albeit the furthest from
the entrance). It would be a good idea to try to
find out if there is a “newer” hall though, as Hall
VII was being built during my semester abroad
(Fall 2008).
Local/International
You will also have the choice of living with either
an international or local student. Whomever you
choose to live with depends entirely upon your
living style. However, I suggest living with an
international student because you are likely to
have similar sleeping patterns and may even
end up traveling together. This is not to say to
ignore the local students though! Be sure to try to
reach out and meet as many of local students
as you can. In a few of my classes, I noticed that
the local and international students didn’t
mingle or sit together; so meeting them in your
dorm/floor is a great way to add to the whole
“exchange” experience.
ARRIVING AT HKUST
First Things to Do
Within the first few days of settling in, it’s a good idea to get all the
tedious
tasks out of the way:
Have photo taken and pick up Student ID Card from “International
and Students and Programs Office”. You will need your Student ID
card at all times, especially when you want to do laundry and
add “air conditioning” minutes to your room.
Pick up rent payment form from Undergraduate Accommodation
Office (may have another name), located on second floor of Hall 2
above the multi purpose room. Bring form and pay rent fee at
Hang Seng Bank, located at entrance. Afterwards, bring proof of
payment form back to UG Accommodation Office.
Purchase an Octopus Card and pick up Student Octopus Card
Form from nearest MTR station. Bring the Student Octopus Card
Form to the HKUST Office in charge of handling these along with
a photo (can’t remember where) to have it stamped, and then
bring back to MTR station. You will be able to convert your normal
Octopus Card to a Student version within 3-4 weeks.
***NOTE: The Octopus Card is a really useful plastic card which
essentially works as a credit card. It can be used in a variety of
stores but primarily on the subway/metro. You can add value to
your card at any subway station or any store/vendor which
accepts Octopus Card payments. With the Student Octopus
Card, you receive 50% on all MTR rides so for the time you are
in HK, it will save you a ton of money! Make sure you do this early
on as there is a fixed fee at the beginning and will not be worth it if
you do not do this early.
Purchase SIM card for your cell phone or cell phones. Go to either 7-11
of anywhere listed in the below “Shopping” section.
Living
HKUST
Restaurants/Food
Another greatest aspect
about HKUST is the wide
range of food available. No
matter what your preference
is, you will not have a
problem eating!
Western Café
Located near entrance, ground
level of Faculty of Business
All day (6am – 9pm)
Breakfast food, sandwiches, soup,
salads, etc.
More expensive ($25 - $35 HKD /
meal)
Ground level Chinese Restaurant
Located opposite of Library
Never ate here personally, but
heard it was expensive, subpar
Chinese food
Clothing
Transportation
This depends on which semester you will
be studying in, but there are a few pieces
of clothing which you need to bring:
Hong Kong has an incredible public
transportation system. There is an
abundance of options from buses, to
the MTR, to mini buses, taxis and ferries.
The subway (MTR) is very straightforward
to use and is a great way of getting
around the city. The two stations closest
to HKUST are Choi Hung on the green
line and Po Lam on the purple line.
Suit, with shirt, tie, and dress shoes: all
presentations are very formal and
although the professors make exceptions
for exchange students, there is usually a
grade given for “presentation
appearance”.
Jacket, long sleeve shirts: HK doesn’t
experience the brutal winter that
Canadians have to endure, but you will
find that the air conditioned classrooms
and temperature (around DecemberFebruary) can feel pretty cold!
Running/Sport shoes: with HKUST having so
many sports facilities on campus, you may
or may not want to bring along an extra
pair of shoes.
Swimming shorts, goggles: I forgot to bring
this myself and found buying swimming
trunks much more expensive in HK than I
would have thought.
Dressier (lack of a better word) clothes:
Some bars/clubs have a dress code and
it’s likely that there will be a lot of social
events on campus during your exchange.
The MTR does not go directly to the
school; you need to transfer on to a
minibus to get to the school. As such, for
first timers I would recommend having
your pre-assigned local buddy to meet
you at the airport and help you find the
school or simply take the MTR to Choi
Hung or Po Lam and take a cab the rest
of the way.
Be cognizant of when you arrive. If it is
on a Saturday afternoon, the MTR will
be what you think an Asian subway line
would be like – absolutely shit packed. If
you are not a light packer and will be
lugging multiple huge suitcases around,
you might need to get some help or go
during a less busy time
LG1
Located one level down from the
ground floor, opposite of library
“Grab and Go” area for
sandwiches, Chinese baked goods,
and coffee
Cheap dim sum from 11am – 2pm
(go with friends)
More western style Chinese food
Closes at 9pm
LG5
Located three floors down from LG1
McDonalds, with large cafeteria on
other side
Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Western
cuisine
Really cheap, huge portions
Park N’ Shop
Also located on LG5, just around the
corner from McDonalds
Great for groceries, toiletries, beer,
etc
Cheap!
LG7
Another level below, connected to
McDonalds and large cafeteria
More Asian, Western fast food
vendors
“Seafront Café”
Located at very bottom of campus,
underneath “New Hall” (Hall 6)
Similar to LG5; make your own
noodle soup
Open late: until 2 or 3 am
Unibar
Located between top of Hall I and
LG7, near “Visitor Centre”
Bar food, drinks; most expensive on
campus ($40 - $60 HKD / meal)
Traveling Around
Favourite Destinations
Philippines
Easy to reach from Hong Kong
Macao
Lots of gambling – Venetian, Lisboa, etc
A few historic sites – St. Paul Ruins, Coloane Village
Check out Macao Tower for bungee jumping
Time needed: 1 – 2 days
Thailand – Bangkok, Krabi
Bangkok – Muay Thai Kick Boxing, The Grand
Palace, Reclining Buddha, nightlife
Krabi – amazing beaches (Railey, Ko Phi Phi),
elephant trekking, lots of outdoor activities
Thai massages, food – so cheap and good!
Time needed: at least 4 days
Japan – Tokyo
Akihabara – electronic market
Harajuku St – go on Sunday afternoon to see
Harajuku Girls
Tsukiji – fish market, go early to see fish auction
Ryogoku – sumo district, go early to see sumo’s
train
Missed out on Kyoto and Osaka
Not as expensive as people think
Time needed: 3 – 7 days
Singapore
Extremely clean and humid; diverse culture
Similar to HK - can be expensive, easy to get
around
Orchard Road and Bugis Market – shopping
Boat and Clarke Quay – great restaurants/bars
Pagoda Street, Little India, China Town – more
cultural sites
Singapore Zoo – awesome, but only if you have
time
Time needed: 3 – 4 days
Philippines – Manila, Boracay
Avoid going in December (peak season)
Friendly people, but watch your pockets!
Manila – Intramuros, Rizal Park
Boracay – beautiful “white” beach, book early
Also look into other remote areas
Time needed: 3 – 4 days
China – Shenzhen, Guangzhou
Shenzhen – 30 mins KCR ride, mainly cheap
shopping, some good bars (C:Union, In-Club)
Guangzhou – 2 hour train ride from Hung Hom
station, best dim sum, nice scenery (along Pearl
Delta River)
Previously visited cities which are a “must” –
Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, and Xian (if time
permitting)
Time needed: SZ – 1 day; anywhere else – 3 – 5
days
Traveling
If you are able to, it’s definitely worthwhile to travel and see as much of
Asia while living in HK. Not only are flights/packages very reasonable and
affordable, but you won’t have to waste much time in commute since
there are many flights in and out of HK.
Don’t forget!
Keep in mind, you need a Visa to get into China. I would recommend
getting a multiple entry Visa. Most travel agencies offer them. Most will
only be double entry Visas. There are ways to get multiple entry Visas, you
just have to ask around to find out how.
Pretty much anywhere in Asia is great. Just do your research and be
smart. Look out for good travel agents early on.
Singapore - Merlion