Tracy Lau

The University of Queensland, Australia
Exchange to The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

I thought I knew what to expect when I applied for an exchange to the University of Hong Kong (HKU), having been born and lived there until I was 7. However, I was completely and pleasantly surprised by my semester of exchange in Hong Kong. As clichéd as it may sound, these 4 months have changed my personality and broadened my views. I am in no doubt that this unforgettable experience will have a lasting effect on my life.

Hong Kong is not a completely foreign place for me as I have many relatives living there. However, I have never really studied there. The closest I have been in touch with education in Hong Kong is to hear about the stressful nature of it from my friends who study there. During my university degree, I have looked into career opportunities in Hong Kong, so what could be better than actually living in Hong Kong for a semester to see what life is all about in the Pearl of Asia?

When I arrived in Hong Kong in August, it was hot and humid, just as I was forewarned by my friends. It took some time to get use to the climate change as summer in Australia is usually a lot drier. I was fortunate enough to be offered an internship in Hong Kong at a shares company. I remained there until the university semester began in September. When I moved into my residential hall at Pokfulam, I was hit with another novel experience – hall culture. I participated in the hall events, through which I became very close to the girls on my floor. The hall events were diverse, ranging from sporting events, music concerts to general social gatherings such as barbeques and orientation. In the process, I got to know many other hallmates. (May I add, the hall does not sleep! We can have meetings from as early as 9 in the morning to as late as 3 am!)

Besides hall activities where I socialized with local students, exchange student groups also regularly organized events and parties. My social calendar was very colourfully filled with diverse events and functions – this was something very different from my time in Queensland. I met many people and became very close friends with a handful of them. I believe that it is because of living in the hall that I got to form such close bonds with my friends and this is an experience that I will never forget. The friends I have made during this exchange experience have changed my personality and perspective immensely and I have learnt a lot about myself at the same time.

I learnt the practical aspects of looking after myself from living at the hall. I learnt about the difference in teaching styles and approach in Hong Kong from the university. I have become particularly familiar with company laws in the common law system, as well as the PRC system, from my selection of courses at HKU. This is also something that is invaluable to me and likely to be very useful for my future.

On top of the various gains from social and academic experiences, I also traveled to some parts of China during my reading week. In particular, I went to the northern part of China and stayed in Qingdao. It was an eye-widening experience for me to visit this beautiful place. The scenery there was absolutely breathtaking. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there and it served as a great opportunity to polish my Mandarin!

This exchange experience has given me more than I could ever ask for. I did not come with the foresight to be greeted with so many precious, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I am truly grateful for every part of it and I know that it would not have been made possible without my Cheung Kong grant. Without this financial support, I would not have been able to travel and to enjoy the luxury of participating in so many social events.

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