Student Testimonials
Name: Jonathan STRAUS
Home Institution: HAN University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
Term of Exchange: Term 1, 2021-22
Hong Kong is, in my opinion, the perfect destination for any student’s study abroad! I personally love being in nature, which Hong Kong has plenty to offer off. I also really appreciated that (almost) everybody speaks English. This makes it a lot easier to go exploring by yourself, or in a smaller international group!
I love the location of Lingnan. Some people might view being an hour away from Kowloon and Central as a downside, I on the other hand do not. I came to Hong Kong to experience a different culture then the one I am used to (Western-European).
In New Territories , where Lingnan is located, everything is very authentic. Not just the people, or the food but also the transport, the temples and even the nature does not seem influenced by any external factors. This is in my opinion amazing!
One of the happiest moments with one of my local friends was when we went hiking. After a long 6- hour hike, we were sitting on the edge of a cliff, which had a view over the entire Kowloon. We just sat there flabbergast, eating our lunch. It was amazing to just sit there for a second, and realize how beautiful the city actually is from a distance.
I also met some amazing local friends. They took me hiking over the dragon’s back, showed me local food, bought me mooncake, and even invited me to their house for the mid-autumn festival to have dinner with his family!
The moment when I got out of my quarantine hotel was one of my most memorable experiences. After sitting in the air conditioning for 14 days I could (finally) leave my room. Once I walked outside I was flabbergasted. The heat, the people, the busy Hong Kong life, the animals, and the public transportation. Everything just hit me, I was finally at the place, I dreamed of being for such a long time.
Everything ever since has been amazing, it might sound cliché but I honestly do not know what was my most memorable experience so far. There have been so many smaller and bigger moments where I was just blown away by Hong Kong, my experience so far has been better than I could have ever imagined. I would highly recommend you to do your study abroad over here!