-
Reflecting on my year in Hong Kong
By Gemma Dignam, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Having been back in the UK for about a month now, I think I’m able to really look back and reflect on my time abroad. What I loved the most, what I’ll miss, what I learnt, what I would do if I had to do it all over again- and I really wish I could! For me, the cliché came true, my year abroad really did become the best year of my life. Going back to how I felt a year ago, I was so excited. I had been looking forward to my year abroad throughout my whole degree and had…
-
Small ways to make moving home from your year abroad more environmentally friendly
By Gemma Dignam, University of Hong Kong I left Hong Kong earlier than planned, in March, as Covid restrictions became strict and University moved online for Semester 2. Therefore, I had to pack up my things at quite a short notice and significantly reduce my belongings as I am travelling for a few months before returning to the UK. Here are some tips to reduce your waste when moving back home or if you decide to travel before returning back to the UK:
-
Everything you should do on your exchange in Hong Kong
By Gemma Dignam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) Now I have finished my exchange in Hong Kong, I’ve put together a list of everything I recommend an exchange student to do whilst you’re there- from climbing the tallest peak in Hong Kong, to the best rooftop bars to watch the incredible skyline.
-
Goodbye Hong Kong…
My time in Hong Kong ended prematurely, as Covid restrictions became stricter from January onwards and our teaching moved online from Semester 2, I decided it was safest to move out and continue my studies remotely. Whilst I was sad to leave Hong Kong, as I loved spending my exchange there, I was excited for where I would go next. I planned to go travelling with the friends I met at HKU for the rest of the semester and study remotely.
-
First things to do in Hong Kong
By Gemma Dignam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) Hong Kong surprised me with its endless list of things to do. Even though I expected it to be a small, dense city, it also has beaches, hikes and islands to visit to keep you entertained for the whole year. When you first arrive, you’ll probably want to spend time settling into your accommodation, meeting new people and walking around the city which might be a bit overwhelming. Here are some places I recommend visiting in your first weeks, to get started!
-
Sustainability at HKU
By Gemma Dignam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) When I arrived at HKU, I was interested to find out if it was a sustainable campus and what I could get involved in regarding the environment. Here’s what I’ve learnt this year and what you can expect if you decide to go on exchange at HKU.
-
Sustainable Eating in Hong Kong
By Gemma Dignam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) One of my favourite parts of living in Hong Kong was the food, but I quickly realised that the food and eating culture here was not very sustainable. It was quite different to my experience in the UK, where I would cook at home and eat out very little. However, in Hong Kong it’s the opposite! Grocery shopping is quite expensive and the kitchen space is quite small in any accommodation, and this along with a busy schedule would mean that most meals you tend to eat out, as this is quite cheap. However, I did notice it came with some…
-
Travelling sustainably in Hong Kong
By Gemma Dignam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) One of the highlights of going on exchange is getting to travel in your spare time, whether that be in your host country, or visiting neighbouring countries or cities. Due to Covid restrictions still being in place in Hong Kong, we are not able to travel abroad without hotel quarantining on our return- which is not an option on our student budget and schedule! Although this was disappointing to most of us exchanges who wished to travel to surrounding countries, we quickly realised the extent of travel options within Hong Kong itself- and most of them can be done in a…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
