Riva Japaul/CUHK/Hong Kong

Before applying to Hong Kong, I was definitely put off by the thought of having a roommate, so much so that I almost didn’t apply. However, I’m glad I did!

I actually have two roommates instead of just one, but for me this actually works way better for me because it takes the pressure of being in a room with just one person 24/7. I’m lucky in that my roommates are really nice and have become my good friends here, but even if you ended up with someone you weren’t close with it wouldn’t matter. Having roommates you get along with is kind of like having a year long sleepover with some uni work thrown in.
A positive of having a roommate is that the rent is unbelievably cheap, my rent here for 5 months is the same as what I’d pay for only 2 months in Manchester!

 The downside of rooms in Hong Kong is that they’re absolutely tiny, I only have space for a bed, a desk and one small wardrobe. You can decorate and make it cosy but it’s definitely not ideal, but since you’re mostly busy doing uni or exploring it’s not too bad. The kitchens are also ridiculous, you only got one hot plate and a kettle if you’re living in International House, but the canteens are really cheap (about £3 for a meal) and most people in Hong Kong like to eat out for dinner rather than cook because of the lack of space.

The campus at CUHK has most things you’d need: multiple gyms, an outdoor pool, a campus supermarket, about 15 canteens. It also has a shuttle bus that drives around campus because it’s so big (although this stops at 11:30pm so expect to get cabs back from a night out).
CUHK halls are the furthest uni halls from central HK, which is definitely annoying if you’re going on a night out/want to explore central. However our campus is really pretty and green, which makes it a bit better!