Real life student in Hong Kong

How do students really live in Hong Kong? Perhaps no one can tell about this better than the students themselves!

In order to learn as much as possible about the realities of Hong Kong life, we interviewed Irina from Kiev, who has been living in Hong Kong for two and a half years and is studying at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with a degree in marketing.

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HC. What were your first impressions of Hong Kong? Did Hong Kong live up to your expectations or were you disappointed?

The impressions were the most positive, the city immediately really liked and impressed with its rhythm and the number of contrasts. During the adaptation period, of course, you feel a little lost, but senior students have a tradition of conducting new ones in all the main, popular and simply interesting places that they won’t talk about in the “introduction talk”.

HC. Tell us about the main pros and cons in the life of young foreign students in Hong Kong?

Of the advantages, of course, there are a huge number of opportunities, a mixture of different cultures, the opportunity to get in touch with Asian culture and worldview, as well as the ease of networking (networking) and, of course, the magnificent nature.

Of the minuses, I would note the high cost, hot and humid climate, as well as a huge number of people.

HC. Describe your "typical student day." How much time does it take to study?

At the university, you yourself draw up your curriculum, you choose courses and sections yourself, so the workload on each day depends only on you. Some go to university two days a week, but from 9 am to 6-8 pm, others go every day, but only have 1-2 lectures per day.

In total, you take 5-6 courses per semester, and how much time you will need to invest in home classes depends on the specialty, the course itself and the teacher.

Many students spend a lot of time in the classroom, but as a result, you understand that you just need to learn how to use the time as efficiently as possible to keep up with and walk and study well.

HC. How do you and your friends usually spend their free time?

Free time is generally a separate issue. Hong Kong has an incredibly good nightlife, lots of rooftop bars and good restaurants. The city is very compact, because everything is nearby.

On weekends, it is popular to go hiking (hiking), there are a lot of different “hiking trails” - you can walk to the deserted beach and stay there to spend the night with a bonfire or jump from the cliffs (cliff jumping).

In the season, almost every weekend we rent a boat for the so-called “boat party”. It takes a whole day, you can go water skiing, jump into the water and just sunbathe.

HC. Are there many foreign students in Hong Kong, in particular Russians? What is their place in society and attitude towards them?

There are a lot of foreigners here, but a small number of Russians. I don’t know exactly how many Russian students are in Hong Kong, but certainly not very many, mostly adults.

The attitude towards us is absolutely normal, the maximum that can happen is someone from the older generation will be curious to look at you, simply because they were born and raised when there were not so many foreigners, and for them you are exotic.

And they can wave a pen or ask to be photographed together. Hong Kong is generally very safe, crime is almost absent.

HC. Do foreign students have difficulty finding housing in Hong Kong? How much, on average, do students pay for rental housing?

Basically, all students live on campuses, in dormitories. Depending on the type of room, this can cost from 11,000 to 26,000 HKD per semester.

If you rent a house yourself, then a small studio near the center will cost about 8500 HKD per month. You can also rent a house with friends, then it will be cheaper, but in general renting here is very expensive.

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HC. Can you name Hong Kong a place to stay expensive? For example, where do students usually eat and how much do they spend on food?

Hong Kong, like any metropolis, is expensive, but you can eat here very cheaply. If you like rice and noodles, then here is just paradise for you. A huge amount of cheap and safe street food will not leave you hungry! If you are more choosy or do not like Chinese cuisine, then, of course, food will cost you more.

In general, you can find food for every taste and budget, on campuses there are also student institutions with very cheap food, the university specifically subsidizes such canteens. On average, it costs 100 HKD per day if you don’t go to restaurants.

HC. Hong Kong can be called an "Asian business center," does this business atmosphere affect student lives?

Yes, reflected. The business atmosphere is manifested in the incredibly fast pace of life, enormous competition and ambitiousness, as well as a large number of opportunities to start a career here.