New home in Hong Kong
Boya Song shares how studying at City University of Hong Kong turned a semester abroad into a life‑shaping experience.
Boya Song
Why I chose my host uni:
I knew I wanted to go on an exchange to somewhere in Asia and I thought that Hong Kong would be the best option as English is widely used there, so there would be less of a language barrier. Another thing is, Hong Kong is a very international place with many people from all over the world, which further intrigued me. Hong Kong is also located close to many other Asian countries and that made travelling much easier.
How I found applying to my host uni:
It was a pretty straightforward process when applying to City University of Hong Kong. The university will provide a checklist of all the things you need to have and submit, so as long as you read that carefully, you’re good to go. A student visa is needed but the host university will also help you with that. It was required that you send the necessary documents through the post to the university before a specific date for the student visa, so keep that in mind and make sure to get it delivered to them on time.
How I found learning in a different academic system:
I found that schedule‑wise there were actually many similarities between AUT and City University of Hong Kong. Overall, it didn’t feel too difficult to adjust to the academic system while I was there. I just made sure to thoroughly read through all the course outlines and know what was expected from me. One thing I did notice was that group assignments and projects were very much present in all the courses I took.
What I gained from this experience:
I really feel this experience helped me grow a lot as a person. Living independently in a foreign country really pushed me to go out of my comfort zone and learn to rely on myself more. I definitely gained more confidence over time. I’ll also be forever thankful for all the people I met and the friends I made there. I learned so much simply from all the conversations we had, the experiences we shared and learning how different people approached life.
Top tips for other students
- Attend as many uni events and club events as possible! I found this was the best way to make new friends and meet new people
- Join the exchange students group chat on WhatsApp. There was a sub‑group chat specifically for arranging plans and it was a great way to see what other students were getting up to, and everyone was welcome to join in on the plans too
- Get to know the people living in the same dorm as you. I would often buy groceries, cook and eat together with my roommate and others living on our floor, which made it a lot less lonely. We would also often all help each other out and share things when needed, which was nice
- The uni canteen has really cheap and good food, so if you’re wanting a more affordable meal option, I’d suggest checking out the canteen. City University of Hong Kong has three canteens and many food options to choose from, so finding something you want to eat is not hard
- The Hong Kong transportation card is called an Octopus card and you can also use it to pay in convenience stores and most restaurants. If you have the physical card, you can only top it up with cash but there is also the Octopus app where you can have a digital Octopus card
- It’s always good to carry around a bit of cash as some places don’t accept credit or Visa cards
About Boya and her student exchange
AUT degree:
Bachelor of Business
Host uni:
City University of Hong Kong
Host country:
Hong Kong
5 favourite things
Favourite place in my host city:
I loved exploring Causeway Bay on my days off, going to all the cute cafés, and shopping at all the trendiest places
Best dish/food I tried:
There were so many good foods I tried, but I think the most memorable would be the alarming amount of egg tarts I had while in Hong Kong
Most useful thing I packed to take with me:
Portable charger and electronic hand-held fan! It can get quite hot in Hong Kong
Favourite thing about my host uni:
The Exchange Students’ Club organised so many fun events for us such as street food tours and exploring other islands around Hong Kong
Best trip I took outside of my host city:
All the trips I went on were really fun so it’s hard to choose a favourite but if I had to, then maybe Jeju Island