Student residence in Hong Kong

By Ellen Smith, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

One of the biggest struggles in studying abroad is ensuring you have accommodation and knowing where to live. At HKU, student accommodation is not guaranteed for exchange students however it is VERY likely so don’t stress about not having anywhere to live. Offers for accommodation tend to be released very late, I only heard around two weeks before I moved the details of my offer, so remember to be patient: no news is good news!

There at many different residences at HKU that can be split into two categories: halls of residence and residential colleges. When applying for accommodation, you can rank preferences although it is not a guarantee. You are also asked to complete a survey detailing some hobbies and general lifestyle indications such as social habits and sleeping habits. The university will attempt to place you with someone likeminded, and while this worked out very well for me, it isn’t the same for everyone.

One thing to be aware of is the rules for student accommodation, which tend to be very similar for each dorm. Typically guests are only allowed between 9am and 11pm and must be checked in and out at reception. Guests overstaying or attempting to sneak people in is not an option and is monitored very closely; breaking these rules will result in warnings and potential expulsion. Alcohol is also not really permitted in dorms and excessive intoxication will not be looked favourably upon by staff. There is a 24 hour reception/security team to ensure everyone abides these rules and make sure students are safe.

Halls of residence

At HKU there are 13 different halls of residence, typically located very close to or on the university campus. Some are mixed gender and others are single sex, with each emphasising particular characteristics they look for and aim to develop in students. Here is a link to a comparison of the halls provided by the university: https://www.cedars.hku.hk/halls-comparison

I would not overly recommend students to apply to live in these halls; there tends to be few international or exchange students in them. Although you can definitely still find some friends there, some local students have reservations about living and sharing rooms with international students so you may not receive the warmest welcome.

Residential colleges

Instead, the residential colleges tend to be an exchange student hub. These colleges are split into two: Jockey Club Student Village III and Jockey Club Student Village IV.

I have spent this year living in JCSVIII; there are 4 main buildings made of 26 floors each: Shun Hing College, Chi Sun College, Lap-Chee College, and New College. There really isn’t much difference between each college, each have priorities and special features but it doesn’t make a fundamental difference, especially as we are not full time students.

JCSVIII has a smaller exchange population that JCSVIV, however local students here tend to be more friendly and open to integration than those found in halls of residence so it isn’t an issue. Nonetheless, you will still find lots of other exchange students; I had two roommates over the year, one from Switzerland and one from Canada. Not all the rooms in JCSVIII are double, however as exchange students we are not given priority for single rooms so expect a roommate if you live here. There are around 20 people per floor, with each floor being single sex, and a kitchen/common area on each floor. You share a bathroom with 4 showers and 4 toilets with your floor, and although that sounds incredibly busy its really not! The bathroom and common areas are cleaned every morning so it is very tidy as well. On the top floor of each building there is a laundry room open 24/7, which is very convenient. JCSVIII is located in Kennedy Town on HK island, which I argue is one of the best locations to live. It is one MTR stop from HKU or around a 15 min walk, there are lots of restaurants in Kennedy Town, a lovely view down the harbour, and Mt Davis right behind giving you incredible views of the forest from the kitchen window. Kennedy Town MTR is the end of the island line which can take you all across the island, and is also connected by buses and trams meaning it is so easy to get around from there.

JCSVIV is the most popular accommodation for exchange students with 4 student residences distributed into 2 17-floor towers. All of these rooms are single rooms, with 10 rooms per apartment unit with shared bathrooms. There are 2 apartment units per floor and each floor is again divided by gender. This tends to be the most modern accommodation and is the only place that includes a gym on site. There are also laundry facilities and function rooms, so plenty of space to socialise and study. JCSVIV is notably more expensive than JCSVIII due to single rooms and modern facilities, however the student rent in HK is significantly cheaper than the UK regardless. It is located in Wong Chuck Hang which is centred bottom of HK island. It is not as well connected requiring students to be more reliant on buses or taxis, taking approximately 40 mins to get to HKU each day. Nevertheless, the location is beautiful, much closer to the nature part of HK, especially the beaches.

Final Comments

I would absolutely recommend living in student accommodation in HK, simply because it is so much cheaper than renting privately and makes it much easier to meet other students. It is very different compared to halls in the UK, due to the rules and expectations for you however it is possible to adjust as long as you attempt to follow the rules and remain friendly and respectful to the staff. Aim to live in JCSVIII or V, however if you don’t get an offer for here it isn’t the end of the world, there is always an option to move accommodation after one semester. The easiest way I found to pay for accommodation was setting up a local bank account, however it can also be done through wire transfer. Accommodation is paid in 2 instalments; don’t worry the university will give you lots of notice and are fairly lenient on deadlines if you are having payment issues.