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Elizabeth FULLER
Student of the University of Sydney, Australia
Exchange to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
During my third year of university, I was fortunate enough to undertake a semester exchange in Hong Kong through the Endeavour Scholarship. I chose Hong Kong in particular as I was always fascinated with its blend of Eastern and Western culture, being at the centre of entrepreneurial success, art and music scene, Hong Kong is truly a metropolitan city, not to mention the plethora of dim sum the city can offer!
Perhaps the most unique aspect about studying abroad in Hong Kong was its diversity of students. Though diversified, we shared the same fascination towards this entrepreneurial city. Our shared interests pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zone to take part in business hackathons, organise TEDx Programme Hong Kong, attend Art Basel and take adventure throughout Southeast Asia together. Moreover, I was impressed by the friendly attitude of the students in Hong Kong. That amiable atmosphere accelerated our collaboration in learning and project organisation.
In the classroom, I undertook classes that enriched my understanding of economics, China's socio-political climate and the transformation brought about by social media to consumer behaviour. Looking back, the experience of university life in Hong Kong and Sydney is totally different. While my experience at Sydney University had been phenomenal and introduced me to so many inspiring young people, to some degree, the comfort of home has always felt like a safety net that prevented me from pushing myself out of my comfort zone. In contrast, every day in Hong Kong felt like a new adventure because all the safety pillars in my life had been removed and it was an opportunity to start completely afresh outside the safety realm of family, friends, university and support network.
The resilience I have developed through exchange has also influenced me to "say yes" more often than before to new and challenging experiences back at home – whether this be embarking on a new career path at Microsoft, learning how to code, and pushing myself to work on projects that I have never considered before. It truly is an experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to enrich their understanding of different people, places and culture.
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