Where did you study?
I studied at City University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong.
When did you study there?
I studied here during my third year as a bachelor student. I stayed here for four months, during the first semester of 2018-2019.
Was the university you studied at your first choice?
Yes, it was my first choice.
Why did you want to go there?
I wanted to go to a warm country outside of Europe, as I wanted to go out of my comfort zone and experience another culture. Furthermore, I wanted to go to a country where you can feel safe as a woman. Based on these requirements, I already excluded some countries. A girl, who works at a gas station, started talking about her exchange in Hong Kong and made me enthusiastic. Hong Kong just has so many great things!
Which courses did you follow? Were these courses harder or easier than your courses at Tilburg University? How was your knowledge tested?
I joined the courses Digital Photojournalism, Fundamentals of Advertising, The World through Languages and Program Planning & Evaluation. The level was way lower than the level of the courses in the Netherlands. Therefore, I was able to make a lot of trips and still have a GPA of 9 out of 10. I chose courses without final exams. I only had quizzes and group assignments, and therefore had to attend all lectures.
Did you get some sort of grant to finance your time abroad?
The University offered me a grant of 750 euros. This is of course not enough for the entire exchange, but never say no to extra money.
When did you start preparing for your trip?
I started one year in advance with preparing my trip.
How much money did you spend each month abroad? Where there a lot of unexpected costs?
I spent about 2000 euros per month. Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places on the world to live. Apart from just the housing costs, I visited eight countries in the timespan of four months, which made the costs go up more. However, food is cheap in Asia, and accommodation outside of Hong Kong as well.
Did you have a hard time meeting people there? Did you make friends you still talk to?
Making friends is not hard at all. Everyone is in the same situation as you are in, and therefore wants to make a lot of new friends. From day one, I was with a group of 40 other exchange students, and we did a lot of things together until the last day. I was even more close to three others; I will definitely visit them in the future again, since they live in The Netherlands, Germany and France.
How was your housing arranged?
I had to look for housing myself, since I was rejected at random selection for the housing at my university. I lived in a kind of hotel/hostel named ‘Commune’ in Tsuen Wan. Living here was relatively cheap; I only payed 600 euros per month. However, I had to share my room with three others (a girl from America and two Chinese girls) and it was 45 minutes away from my university. All students in the building were a family and we constantly organized fun activities together. Therefore, it wasn’t all too bad to live there.
Do you feel like your exchange has added something to your study, finding a job, personal growth etcetera?
Yes, I certainly think so. This might sound cliché, but you learn a lot and gain a lot of self-confidence. It’s pretty awesome to live in a country far away from home. You will appreciate your own country and environment more as well after being in touch with such different cultures.
Would you advise others to study abroad? Do you have any tips?
Yes, I would definitely recommend this! In the beginning, I was scared as well, and I wouldn’t even have believed I would do this years ago. The weeks leading up to my departure, I secretly cried a lot as well, but I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. I think the choice for a particular country might be the most important and most difficult choice. Make sure to put a lot of time in this and choose a country where you feel comfortable with, but also try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Once you’re there, make sure to enjoy as much as possible, it will be over before you know it!
