Janice Kwan Wai Leung

Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
Exchange to University of South Australia, Australia

Exchange to Australia through the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme has enabled me to experience a lot. Studying for 6 months at the University of South Australia was a really worthwhile exchange opportunity. It was a truly wonderful, enjoyable and memorable piece of my life.

Studying at the University of South Australia, I learnt the differences between the education policies of Australia and Hong Kong. Students in Australia study in a much more relaxed way, not like the stressful way in Hong Kong, with heavy workloads and a strong focus on examinations. I worked as part of a team with other students for group projects and found Australians to be very friendly. As Australia is a country with people from many different parts of the world, I had the chance to work with Swiss and Sinhalese. It was amusing to get along with different people. I learnt about the cultures of their countries and trained my ears to different accents as well.

Besides the people I worked with, I made many friends of different nationalities. They were kind and took care of me a lot. Some of them even prayed for me. They made me feel warm and never lonely. I remember the first week that I arrived in Adelaide, I stayed in a backpacker and was anxious about renting accommodation. I got help from my friends in finding a rental house. They also gave me free transportation whenever I needed it.

During the Easter holiday, I spent 2 weeks backpacking to Queensland with 3 other exchange students that I met in Australia. Australia is really a nice country with very beautiful landscapes. Moving from one destination to another by train, I got to see all the beautiful and ravishing scenes with my own eyes. The fascinating Great Barrier Reef, amazing rainforests, nimble kangaroos, lovely koalas, wallabies and other animals were all impressive. Traveling along the coastline of Queensland, I enjoyed the fantastic experiences of diving and snorkeling to see the splendid coral reef at a close distance. It was the most amazing trip I have ever had.

My trip to Sydney after the semester made me feel like I was back in Hong Kong, my home city. In Sydney, the whole CBD has shops and malls everywhere. It is crowded and busy, but less polluted than Hong Kong. With the comprehensive network of trains and buses, as well as shops, malls and restaurants, people there live in a convenient way. The low pollution allows people to live comfortably. I can now understand why Sydney had been elected as one of the most livable cities in the world.

Life in South Australia was enjoyable. South Australia is not as busy as Sydney or Queensland. My life there was quite relaxed – I revised with friends at university and hung out. My friends took me to several attractions in the state. I saw the penguins in Victor Harbour, did wine tasting in Barossa Valley, had a glass of famous German beer in Hahndorf, and enjoyed the glorious sunset from the top of the Adelaide Hills. I loved the marvelous sunshine and beautiful beaches with smooth white sand.

Had I not been given the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship, I would never have had the opportunity to go on exchange to Australia. Thus I would like to thank the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme for giving me the chance to fulfill my dream of studying abroad. My exchange was truly a worthwhile and unforgettable experience.

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