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2017-2018 Advices from returned exchange students by countries and host institutions Below advices from returned exchange students are their individual opinions and do not represent the views of the Department of Public Policy and City University of Hong Kong. Australia, Griffith University, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. When you buy a go card, remember to apply for the concession. 2. Remember to update your Australia address on myGriffith once you arrive there. 3. You can visit websites like ‘flatmate’ to look for apartment or visit student guild in the campus. 4. Keep an eye on the ‘Student Guild’ facebook page to look for some activities. 5. Push yourself to be more vocal and active as early as possible. Australia, Murdoch University, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Be active and passionate to discover new things in the host country. 2. Try to make new friends, don’t be too shy. 3. Raise questions whenever you have problem in the class. 4. Mutual sharing of ideas in class can enhance a good discussion. 5. Try to join more activities to broaden your horizon. Australia, Murdoch University, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Keep eye on the unit-registration. It is because the unit arrangement will also change, like the time and the date of the unit. 2. Learn the slang from the local people. In Australia, they have many slangs that have different meanings. 3. Start up the function of international roaming. You may use such kinds of function in some situation, such as credit card transaction, phone validation and emergency phone call. 4. Check the import limitation of Australia before departure. Somethings and products cannot be imported to Australia. 5. Keep contacting the staff in host university. Some uncertainties will occur after arriving at host country and university. If necessary, you need to seek the helps from staff of host university. Belgium, Ghent University, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. The price of having a meal in restaurant is really expensive, therefore student should know how to cook before they depart. 2. Please try to avoid choosing master courses as they’re more complicated and they have more work to do compared with bachelor courses. 3. There are lots of things that need to be studied in a course. Therefore, student should start to prepare their exam at least one month before the exam

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starts in order to avoid dissatisfactory results. 4. Try to get in touch with international students actively. They are passionate and will become your friends. You can learn a lot more than you think from them through your daily conversation during the whole semester. 5. There are lots of bars and clubs in Ghent. You definitely will enjoy in there if you go there with your friends and have a joyful and fun night together. 6. Travel during the exchange period is highly encouraged. Belgium is almost located in the central part of Europe. It will be easy for you to go to different countries by a short flight or even by bus and train! The traveling cost is really cheap especially if you buy your ticket and plan your journey earlier, like at least 1.5 months ago. 7. Chocolate is the most famous thing in Belgium. There are lots of chocolate shops in the whole country and you should try them and bring them back to Hong Kong as a gift to your family and friends. Belgium, Ghent University, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Do participate the ESN buddy programme and the buddy programme provided by the university as soon as possible when you arrived. They are super friendly and it helps a lot!!!! 2. Do apply for a dorm from Ugent if possible because living in a dorm do expand your social circle during the exchange programme. 3. In my own experience, bicycle rental is not a must if your campus are not too far from the city centre. (Please be aware of the location since Ugent campus is all over the city.) 4. Join the trips organized by the university society, you can use affordable price to travel to Paris or Germany etc. It really helps you to adapt to the new environment, so don’t be shy and open your mindset for anything new. 5. Debit card is a must when you living in European countries, do try to open a student bank account with a debit card for daily use. Belgium, Ghent University, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Please study hard and attend all the lectures because the exams there are not easy! 2. You must join the Light Festival there, it is so beautiful. 3. Do take the Comparative and Public Administration and Management course because you will learn so much about the European politics. 4. Do revise and study the context of the EU and the European integration because it will help you understand the courses and learn the materials easier. 5. Do rent a bike with gear as soon as possible because they are rented out so fast. If you don’t have one, it will be harsh for you because the campuses are quite far away. Belgium, Ghent University, PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Transport (bicycle): People in Gent heavily rely on a bicycle. Roughly counted, there is over 80% of students use a bicycle in the university. So

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there are a lot of bicycle parking insides the campus. Please be cautious when you across the bicycle tracks. You should let the bicycle go first when passing the track. Please DO NOT walk on the bicycle tracks and it is very dangerous for both the bicycle users and pedestrians. When you are riding a bike, just be careful when you across the track of the tram. As The wheels of the bike are easily trapped into the tracks, so just ride away from the tracks and try to ride aside of the roads. Most of the roads are welcomed to use, not only the bicycle tracks. Beware of the pedestrians when riding, just ring a bell will help. 99% of vehicles, trams will let the bicycles users pass first, so it is not necessary to stop when you see a coming vehicle (of course, it depends on the situation). 2. Transport (Public Transport): If you do not how to use a bicycle or not familiar with a bicycle. It is better to use public transport instead of a bicycle. As Hong Kong is not a bicycle-friendly city, it is normal to be not familiar with bike especially for those who are not living in New Territories. You can take the tram or bus in Gent. The campus is all over the city town. Most of the campus can be accessible by tram and bus. You can buy three-month-pass (77 euro) for unlimited times to take the tram and bus (The transport company: De Lijn) or a Lijnkaart for 10 times with 1.5 euro per each journey. For the train to another city, you can take the train at Sint-Pieterstation. Or take the overnight bus in Gent-Dampoort. For the train, it is better to buy a go pass (under 26 years old, 52 euro for 10 times) so that you can travel around within the country for 5.2 euro each journey. Please remember to write down the date, destination and departure station before you get on the train. If not, 75 euro will be charged when you are caught. One last small remind, an app “City Mapper” (same function with google map) is a good app to navigate yourself. Sometimes it is more useful than Google Map. Please have it in your phone. 3. Accommodation: It would be great if you can stay in the university hall. But it is hard to find a place in the university hall. For people who are unable to get a place in the hall like me, I recommend you to get a list from the student residence department. There are some studios near the campus and rented by the professors in the Ghent University. Please be careful with the terms of the contract when you sign it, or double check anything. If you are staying out of the hall, please be reminded that Gent has a very strict rule about garbage classification. You have to buy yellow and blue plastic bag with IVAGO logo (IVAGO is the garbage-taking company; around 8 euro/10 bags I cannot remember exactly) for household waste and recyclable waste (e.g. carton, can, plastic bottle). They are available in the supermarket. The household garbage is taken once a week and the recyclable is taken twice a week. So please do well in the classification and reduction in waste as best as you can so that you do not need to spend much time with much garbage. For people who wish to stay in the university halls, you can choose the halls in the student residence on the website of Ghent University. Most of them are single rooms with private bathroom. Only kitchens are shared with the flatmates. You have to buy your own wifi router and it is available in Fnac (an electrical produces’ shop) in the Korenmarkt ( the center of Gent). Please be alerted when you go back to hall late, there are a lot of drunk people. Just try to avoid talking with them or making eye contact. 4. Spending: Belgium is a relatively high-income region among Europe. Living cost here is definitely higher than in Hong Kong. Especially for food, eating out is expensive. The best way to solve your hunger is cooking by yourself. It is a good chance for you to practice your cooking skills. But

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there are some supermarkets do not take “Master/Visa” credit card, they only accept “Bankcontact mister cash” or “maestro”. These type of credit cards can be issued by the local banks in Belgium. However, applying these cards requires a lot of documents and takes time. Besides credit cards or debit cards, you can also pay cash. Please be noticed that not all the ATM cards can be used in Belgium. The only card you can apply in Hong Kong is an ATM card with “PLUS” logo. Other like “UnionPay”, “Visa” or “Circus” etc. are very uncommon in Gent. Unless you will travel to Brussels, otherwise it is hard to take cash from ATM by using the cards you used to use in Hong Kong. “PLUS” card can be applied in Citibank. It is not advisable to bring all the cash with you for the exchange period. 5. Others: It is important to join the welcome day of your own faculty. You can get all the information you need for the exchange program. A handout will be given in that day. Many booths will be set up during the welcome day. It is possible to get a part-time job during your exchange period. More information can be found that day. Also, you should look around a booth called “ENS” and join it, some discounts will be given in particular shops. ENS also organizes a lot of activities for international students. Besides, you can also get all the bicycle information from the bike booth. The most important thing is, you can make new friends during the welcome day. Good friends are just like your family when you are in the foreign country. Belgium, Ghent University, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Try to register the courses which include group project rather than only assessed by examination. 2. Try to register bachelor courses rather than master course. 3. Remember to engage in buddy program. 4. Can borrow all the books you need in the library. 5. Learn how to cycling. Belgium, University of Antwerp, PP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Do not be afraid to ask questions and answer the questions during lessons. 2. Bicycle is the best transportation in Antwerp. 3. Be open-minded for everything, cultural shocks are common, but we have to learn how to respect each other’s cultures. 4. Study hard for the exams, they are way more difficult than those in CityU. 5. Learn some basic Dutch phrases in order to meet new friends. Belgium, University of Antwerp, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Learn some basic Dutch to communicate. 2. Use bicycle as means of transport. 3. Don’t be afraid to ask. 4. Apply a local bank card. 5. Beware of the campus location.

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Canada, McGill University, PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Do preparation before class. Jot notes frequently during class. 2. Try to learn some French phrases. 3. Plan your schedule wisely. 4. Join activities organized for exchange students by the host university. 5. Be prepared for the cold weather. Canada, Simon Fraser University, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Don’t be scared to talk to others in English. You can speak fluent English if you always talk to others. 2. Canadian Political Parties is a very good course for us to understand the Canadian’s political situations 3. Canada is a very good place for exchange students of Hong Kong. It is easy to adapt to the culture because there are many Asian foods for you to choose. Moreover, it has a safe environment and an inclusive culture. You will not feel being excluded. 4. Don’t be scared to answer the questions in class. The ability of Hong Kong students is very good even when compared with other students from different countries. 5. Enjoy the nature in Vancouver, it is very beautiful. If you have time, you can also spend some time in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. You can go to the parliament of the British Columbia and experience the British style of debate. Canada, Simon Fraser University, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Good time management on your work because the average workload for each course in SFU is heavier than CityUHK. 2. Be well-prepared before each class because the content for the lectures in each class is the discussion based on the reading. 3. Find the course reading online before you buy the textbook because SFU provides multi ways for students to find the reading online. Buying the textbook is expensive as exchange students. 4. Don’t take the course that related to local perspectives. It is because the course leader supposed students who chose to take the course are familiar with Canada. 5. Have more research about Canada once you would like to choose the course that related to Canada local perspectives. 6. Be careful about the place for having the lesson on each course. Some courses are not taken in Main campus (Burnaby Mountain) but in Vancouver Downtown or Surrey. It is inconvenient for students who lived in SFU residence that costs about more than one hour. 7. Be careful about the weather. In winter, the main campus of SFU is colder than Vancouver downtown because it is in Burnaby Mountain. Canada, Western University, ENP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Definitely go to watch the football and ice hockey games of the home team (when they give out free tickets for important games), you can feel the spirit of Canadian towards sports events

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2. Do not wait until the end if you want to travel around nearby cities, the workload will be much heavier after reading week that you have to pay more time on schoolwork. 3. Prepare yourself to be more attentive and focus in lectures since they cover a lot of contents and it is hard to catch up right the way in the beginning of the semester. 4. Do go to the “Global Cafe” or other events organized by IESC of the host institution, it’s the chance to make friends who are also exchange students. 5. There is actually not much entertainment in the city where the school is located, most exchange students from European countries and locals would just hold drinking parties. If you are not very comfortable with these activities, you should do more travel plans ahead. Czech Republic, Charles University, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Register the courses carefully (be careful about the course required level). 2. Join the events organized by ESN Prague. 3. Keep in touch with the Department of Exchange, Charles University. 4. ISIC Card and ESN Card are necessary to take. 5. Before you leave, finish the visa application as soon as possible. Czech Republic, Charles University, PP4-POSC student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Join as many orientation programme and welcoming parties as you can as it’d be difficult to meet new friends during classes. 2. Take local language course to better your understanding of host country. 3. Explore outside Prague centre to feel like a real local person. 4. Plan an exam schedule with your lecturers to ensure you have enough time to travel during breaks. 5. Be open-minded and hold a casual attitude toward any cultural difference and misunderstandings. Czech Republic, Charles University, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. I lived in the University hall of residence called Kolej Otava, the experience in there was not nice because the management in Otava’s office was really bad! First, please do check the dorm and declare everything damage before moving in. My friend moved in a dorm for only 7 days because of room changing, he had to paid CZK 200 for the reason of putting a mirror on the wall when he checked out, even that damage was not made by him. For me, I cannot get all of my deposit when I checked out… So do keep the receipts of accommodation fee and count it clearly. 2. Do take the course Political Economy of Communication, you will get a rich knowledge in this course. 3. If you want to take the best picture in Prague, the best place is inside the Starbucks near by the Castle, you will get the whole view of Prague without obstacle. 4. The best shopping mall is Chodov, don’t miss it.

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5. Don’t miss trying the Kozlovna U Paukerta restaurant near by Hollar campus. Czech Republic, Charles University, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Reach out to other circles so that you make friends with people from different places. 2. English is not common among the local people. 3. Be patient with the unorganized system, especially of the dormitory. 4. Process the VISA as soon as possible. 5. Remember to activate the overseas ATM service beforehand. Czech Republic, Charles University, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do enough research on the local culture before you go like where the supermarket is to buy all the daily necessities, how the transportation works, way to seek help once there is an emergency wtc. 2. Personal safety is always the priority. Take care of your personal belongings and never go out and back to the dorm so late since you will never know what is going to happen next therefore, you need to minimize the risks. 3. Be brave enough to step out of the comfort zone. You need to deal with the differences and loneliness. But its okay, because it is worthwhile to do so and you will know everything will be fine at the end. 4. Be self-disciplined. There are lots of temptation during exchange like drug taking, smoking etc. So you need to be self-disciplined and decide what you should do and what you shouldn't do. 5. Keep contact with your family members. They must be so worried when they cannot see you for several months so you need to keep contact with your family and let them know how you are going on. Finland, University of Helsinki, PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Do take Finnish beginners’ course. Learning Finnish is not a must, but why bother when you can meet other international students and apply simple Finnish in daily settings such as shopping and dining that might save the day though. Besides, the Finnish teacher is hilarious. 2. Do relax and slow down your pace to experience, enjoy and explore the European lifestyle, nothing to hurry and rush though. 3. Do learn cooking for your own sake. You probably don’t hope ending up with bankruptcy by eating out every day. 4. Do not shop during black Friday. Do expect an epic sale in Christmas which blows you up. 5. Do not expect efficiency in European countries. All you have to do is to be patient. Finland, University of Helsinki, PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Go to Christmas market and ice-skating next to the Central Railway Station. It is probably the most fun and exciting festival of the year, Helsinki is used to be a boring city and this is a festival that you can finally see crowds and people on the street. most importantly, outdoor ice-skating and visiting the Christmas market are good things to do in December, which you can enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.

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2. Do seize the chance to join a ESN trip to Lapland! The trip to Lapland was the most remarkable memories in my exchange. I would say nothing is better than this trip, which you can have some crazy experiences with other exchange students. A trip that you can try the Finish style of sauna, see the northern lights, ride reindeer and husky sledges, and stay in a wooden cottage, in other words, it is a trip that you can try to live in a traditional Finish style. 3. Take ‘Nordic Societies and Cultures’. It is an interesting course which enhances my knowledge on the Nordic countries, I knew more about why and how these 5 Nordic countries stand out and are different from other EU countries, besides, you may find something interesting that the Nordic administration impacts the societies. 4. Take Finish course! Finish is difficult to learn as it is a language that does not based on any other language, unlike German or Swedish. You can immediately apply your knowledge in Finland as they don’t have English description in any shops or signs, However, it is definitely a fun course to take as you can practice and interact with other exchange students during the lesson. 5. Do not expect your planned learning agreement can 100% work, and expect to take all courses in master level for credit transfer. You can take a look for the course catalogue in advance before departure. You have no choice but to take all master level courses (because bachelor level only contains 5 credits each) but do not expect it will be your final version as you are not eligible to be enrolled in many of the master level courses (and this status can only be known once you have your user ID on the orientation day and registered the course online. Don’t panic if you have such situation, try to register other courses or wait for the second teaching period. France, Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), PPP4-POLS student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. For accommodation, you can contact the logement office of SciencesPo, they will give early bird discount. Living in Paris is ridiculously expensive, please try to find someone who stayed there before and ask for their opinions. Sometimes, the online advertisements are spams! 2. Bear in mind that the course registration and banking management in France could be terrible sometime, unless you are so well-prepared. What you can do is plan ahead for everything! If you do not need a bank account in France, it is not necessary to open one. It can take couples of weeks to deal with the closure of your account (I used BNP but personally I do not recommend you open one with them). After all, you will feel frustrated to deal with the staff. Perhaps, you can use UnionPay to get money. It is easy and convenient. Given that CAF (government rent subsidies for students) are not applicable to a semester-long stay student (Type D Visa). 3. Do study French in SciencesPo. Life will be easier if you speak French. Honestly, people in France are not very comfortable in speaking English. But, no worries if you do not speak any French. Paris is a metropolitan and capital city of France, it is not hard to find someone who speak English with you. More importantly, SciencesPo is a really really great institution, in which they receive a lot of international students and professionals. You can ask seek help from them. 4. Please join the welcoming programme if you can! It is really expensive (around HKD$2500) but worth it. You will meet a lot of new friends every day and they could be your life-long friend and potential project-mates. Also, the French students will act as your group leader and show you all

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around the beautiful Paris. 5. SciencesPo is an internationally reputable institution, so a lot of talk shows or sharing session spoken by the world elites are organized. If you are fascinated in world politics and international relation, please do not miss it! France, Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), PPP4-POLS student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. It would be great if the host university provide a longer online add/drop course period. 2. The lodgment suggestion: “comforts of home” is a very good choice. Reasonable price and safe. 3. SciencesPo provides different kind of political courses, however, the quota available is limited. There are only 30-50 seats available for a seminar. 4. Learn French A1 before exchange would be helpful. 5. Mentally prepared is important, studying in SciencesPo can be stressful. France, Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Be patient to the bureaucratic efficiency within European countries. 2. Take advantage of the cities’ free tour to enhance the understanding of a city. 3. Be immersed in the local culture through communicating with the local students. 4. Be available to cook a few Hong Kong style cuisine to exchange with other students. 5. Enjoy the museum student offers by the host country. France, Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Read all the related academic writings suggested by the professors. 2. Great student society to join (e.g. ESN). 3. Prepare well for the in-class discussions and debates. 4. Cultural activities in Paris should never be missed. 5. French professors are strict in student academic performance that they have high expectations in students’ works and exams. Germany, Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. (Do’s) take the language course in the host university (e.g. German). 2. (Do’s) join exchange buddy program to meet local buddy. 3. (Do’s) travel around by train with student discount in Europe. 4. (Don’t) discriminate others who are from different cultural background. 5. (Don’t) neglect any activities for exchange student in University. Germany, Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Take courses in different forms, including lecture, seminar, block courses, so as to have different learning experience.

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2. Talk to classmates and dorm-mates to meet new friends. 3. Join the orientation activities to meet new friends. 4. Ask students who went to the same host university in the past semesters questions for advice, can be about courses, dormitory etc. 5. Stay alert of safety and pickpocketing when travelling. Germany, Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. If you would like to receive the grade earlier (esp. final-year-final-semester student), please alert the teacher in advance. Otherwise, they would be most likely in holiday and you will not be able to reach the teacher by email. 2. It is important to take the “advisory course” organized by local students before the start of the semester. You will receive many useful information. 3. Never purchase an insurance in any German insurance company. They are much more expensive. 4. Visit the “China Centrum” if you suffer from homesick. You will find lots of friends (potential travel buddies) there. 5. Please be aware of the office hours of the school departments. The “office hours” change every week so don’t believe even if there’s an announcement of the office hours. 6. In Tuebingen, holiday is supreme. Don’t assume the teacher or staff to reply emails during their holidays. They will be very dissatisfied if you cause disturbance in their holidays. 7. Try not to wave your hand to alert the waiter/waitress in the restaurant. Do so only in urgent situation. Be patient and they will come to you for your order of food. Germany, Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen, PP2-POSC student,2017-2018 Sem B 1. Start the travel visa application three months before departure. 2. Supermarkets in Germany are closed on Sunday and public holiday. 3. Do not use block account in Deutsche Bank. 4. Meet more friends from different nationality. 5. Enjoy every moment in the exchange program. Germany, Humboldt University of Berlin, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Apply N26 for the German bank account. 2. Keep the plastic and glass bottles. You can bring it to the supermarket for recycling it in the machine. Each of the bottles worth 0.15 - 0.25 euro. 3. Don’t miss the orientation day and event where you can get to know your schoolmates and classmates. 4. There are lots of amazing events and festivals every month. You should check it out in the Internet. Definitely, you should join those events and festivals. 5. Try not to stay at home and go out more to meet with different people and explore the city.

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Germany, University of Mannheim, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Don't always group with the Chinese, especially the Hong Kong peers. But try to participate in those International Student events separately from your buddies, and try to communicate with the foreigners individually. This could increase the opportunity of making friends with other nationalities. 2. You shouldn't miss the Welcoming Party and Farewell Party held by the International Student Organization, Visum. Also, there would be party for students every Thursday at the beginning of the semester which you should go to. It is a valuable chance for you to meet other exchange students. 3. Remember to buy the ESN Card from Visum and pay attention to the selling date. You will get discount for purchasing flight ticket from Ryan Air with this card which is a low fare airline serving around Europe. You may take it frequently during your exchange. 4. Do your grocery shopping in the supermarket “Lidi” located at Marktplatz in Mannheim. You will find everything you want over there with a very reasonable price, comparing to other supermarkets. They should get the largest variety of daily necessities and foods and beverages. 5. Remember to keep those plastic bottles and beer bottles after use, because you could refund them with a cash voucher and keep it for your next purchase. Every bottle values for 0.25 Euro in Germany! Hungary, Eötvös Loránd University, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Register more courses and attend them at the first week. Some courses will be cancelled or not match with the syllabus in the official website. So you have to attend the course and get the most updated information in the class. You can ask your incoming coordinator to help you add or drop class when it is full and after add/drop period. 2. Stay in touch with your mentor and incoming coordinator in advance. They can help you a lot. 3. Join the event in the orientation week. There is an Erasmus Club for international students, which is a great platform for meeting friends there. 4. Spend more time staying in Budapest as well as Hungary. Budapest is an amazing city and you can find a lot of interesting events and festivals there. Also, night life in Budapest cannot be missed because it was surprisingly cheap. And remember to explore the countryside of Hungary, such as Tihany and Balaton Lake. You may find another beautiful side of Hungary. 5. About accommodation: apply dormitory as soon as possible, if you decide to live there. Right after you receive your exchange offer, do pay attention to the importation date of dormitory application. The price is really cheap for living in a dormitory. However, the facilities are old and dirty, and most of the dormitory are far from city center. It is quite inconvenient when you have to go out. Next, the places for dormitory is limited and the application result is close to the beginning of semester. So I will say renting a flat outside is a more wise choice. It is also good value for money and you can decide to live in city center. If you are night owls, strongly recommend you to live near stations passed by tram no.6 as there is a 24/7 tram. Also, find the flat in advance and do not hesitate to ask more questions about the flat before you decide to live there. Japan, Meiji University, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. To decide whether to work or not in Japan during your exchange period, and inform the immigration officer immediately when you enter Japan. 2. There are thousands of clubs in Meiji University. Different from CityU’s, most of them are non-academic (non-subject bounded) clubs, such as

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fishing, katana and etc. Think carefully to join or not. They might spend you a lot of time. 3. Most of the subjects are taught in Japanese. If you are confident in your Japanese, you can choose not to study Japanese in Meiji University which allows you to register more subjects for credit transfer. In contrast, studying Japanese in Meiji requires you to study 3 Japanese courses. It is known that their workloads and tests are quite heavy. (If you have a N1 certificate, it is ok to choose not to study Japanese there.) 4. Hence, even though you are confident in your Japanese, some subjects are still extremely difficult to study there. Some advices have been submitted to their offices before I left. Please ask the officers there carefully about the subjects, to see whether they welcome and are achievable to exchange students. 5. Plan your time/schedule decently. I highly suggest you to travel around Japan in order to experience more there. Japan, Meiji University, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Join the Hanami held by different groups. It is a good chance for you to meet friends 2. Decide to do part time job or not before arriving at Japan. It could be a chance for you to have work experience in Japan. 3. If you decide to find some part time job, make sure you send notice to the immigration officer during arrival at Japan. The residence card would not allow you to work in Japan if you don’t give notice to the officer. 4. Prepare the data card before arriving at Japan. Registering for the phone card need to prepare different kinds of document and you must register your accommodation before registering a phone card. 5. Remember to check the notice board in the university. There would be information of some events or seminars for you to participate. I noticed some of the seminars held by the university in notice board that were never heard from another channel. Japan, Sophia University, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. If you are interested in the dynamics of cultural politics and international security in East Asia, or interested in learning in other words, do take the Popular Culture Studies and Japan's Foreign and Security Policy course. 2. You can survive with English, maybe even Mandarin, but you do need a bit of Japanese to enjoy your time. 3. Mobile apps are essential in daily life, especially the railway and bus guide (google map is not as reliable). 4. Be aware of the cultural differences in social and communicational sense, especially toward local Japanese. 5. Reach out proactively, join circles, clubs, cultural exchange activities, excursion, NGO and university seminar, career talk, you will get what you want if you really look for it. 6. Be prepared to drink (maybe but not too much) as one of the essential social activity in Japan. Japan, Tohoku U, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Remember to check the timetable before travelling by bus and train because the frequency is very low (around 1 to 2 hours of waiting after the bus/train departs).

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2. Remember to practice your Japanese before going to Japan as Japanese don’t speak very good English (even university students). 3. If your Japanese is not good enough to take courses taught in Japanese, think twice whether you would like to choose Tohoku University as they only offer a very limited amount of courses taught in English (which also make credit transfer quite difficult). 4. There are few Hong Kong people (actually I don’t know any Hong Kong people) in Sendai, so if you cannot live without Hongkongers, think twice whether you would like to choose Tohoku University (it’s a nice opportunity to meet new friends from other countries if you could get used to that). 5. Knowing how to ride a bike would make your life much easier in Sendai, so practice how to ride a bike before departure. Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan University, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Better learn some Japanese before going to Japan. 2. Try to go out with Japanese, they will give you experience that you have never had before. 3. Better join different clubs or societies at the university. 4. Do not feel shy to initiate conversation with local students and other exchange students. 5. Be prepared to drink a lot of different alcohol. Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan University, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Learning basic Japanese before coming here so that you can improve more efficiently. 2. If you are interested in learning Japanese, Tokyo Metropolitan University is a good choice because you can have quite a lot of chances speaking to Japanese here. 3. Remember to apply for JASSO if you come to Japan, it can help relieve your financial burden if you can successfully get it. 4. Do not only focus on study, you should also travel to different places so that you can learn things outside of school. 5. During class registration period, try to go to different classes, so that you can find courses that are more suitable for you. For Japanese language classes, there are many different levels and themes that you can choose. Korea, Korea University, PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Learn a little bit Korean before you get there. 2. Take your initiative to talk to people there. 3. Embrace the cultural differences between two nationalities. 4. Bring enough clothes before your departure. 5. Do not miss the Go-Yon Game when you get there. Korea, Korea University, PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. It will be better for the students to learn a little Korean before going to Korea, as almost everyone in Korea will speak Korean with you even they know you don’t know Korean at all, they will keep repeating their conversation in Korean slowly.

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2. The Ko-Yon-Jeon on September cannot be missed, as it is a traditional and big annual competition between Korea University and Yonsei University. 3. If you have any questions, you can ask the professors freely, as most of them will reply you within an hour. 4. Bring the antiskid shoes to Korea in winter, as I saw many people slip in Korea. 5. Try to accept some strange habits of the Koreans, such as many Koreans do not apologize for colliding with others and they are used to spit everywhere, as those are the special cultures for them, even the educated youth are having these habits. Korea, Yonsei University, ENP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Apply dormitory. 2. Take the intensive Korean Language course since it is really useful. 3. Join the school society. 4. Go to Akaraka (school festival). 5. Take course from your major as to know more Korean friends. Lithuania, Kaunas University of Technology, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Seek the latest course catalogue from the host institution. 2. Find more courses for pre-approvals in case some courses are in time-clash or cancelled. 3. Bring some Hong Kong local food to Kaunas as there are only 2 Chinese restaurants. 4. Beware of the deadlines or contact the officials as soon as possible as they do not work fast. 5. Bring sufficient thick coats and warming wears as the weather remains cold, even in May and June. Poland, Warsaw School of Economics, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Warsaw is a very safe city compare to most of the Europe cities. Walking on the street at night time is still relatively safe. However, do take extra attention at weekend, as Poles often got drunk on the street and they loves to do silly thing. I do prefer calling Uber when you are getting back to dorm at midnight, it is like half price from Hong Kong. (Don’t try to take a taxi! Taxi are all scams!) 2. Almost no one speaks English in Warsaw, try to learn basic polish words such as “yes” and “no”, “this” etc. Speaking broken polish to Poles is also a way to make new friends! 3. Try to explore Warsaw, there are lots of interesting place to go. It is not that boring as most of the blogger claims. You can spend time in museum (I think there are over 20 museum in Warsaw area which most of them are really worth to visit), or visit flea market during weekend. DON’T spend your weekend inside the dormitory doing nothing, you will regret! 4. Don’t trust the course outline, do attend lesson. Often the course rundown and the grading method changes, it depends on the lecturer mood and students’ attendance. Some courses allow students not to attend exam when you have certain attendance and participation in lesson, or some simply

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grades student by the impression of the lecturer. Therefore, please attend the classes. 5. Do request for a buddy before the semester begins! They really could help a lot throughout your exchange. The “AIMS” of SGH is completely user-unfriendly, even locals doesn’t really know how it works; and most of the guidelines are in Polish. Do remember that, the existence of everything in Poland is to make you confuse. Good luck and enjoy your journey! Russia, Saint-Petersburg State U, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do join the buddy program. The buddy is really helpful and nice. She/he will help you a lot in this unfamiliar city. 2. Do join the orientation week. You could meet many exchange students from all over the world. They will be your good friends and support you through the whole semester. 3. Do research on the subject and courses you are going to take since they might change suddenly. 4. Do keep in touch with your course coordinator since she is the person who is in charge of your visa and academic issues. 5. Do learn Russian before you go. Please make sure that you have A1 or A2 level of Russian. Of course you can go as a real beginner like me but the truth is your life is going to be very tough as most of the Russian do not speak English. 6. Don’t live in the dormitory in Peterhof if you are a management student. It is 2 hours away from the city center. Also, if you have a high expectation towards dormitory like you think the dormitory in Russia is like the one in Hong Kong or in other European countries, you better rent a flat outside. It is not expensive, around 3000 HKD per month. I have stayed in Primoskaya dormitory for four months. The rent is really cheap, only 650 HKD per month, but it is an old building while you can only find wifi in the study room on the ground floor. Also, the staff in dormitory do not speak English as well. 7. Don’t take the course “History of Russia” or any other course taught by Professor Alimof. The workload is too heavy while he even announced that we would have an exam in the last two study weeks. He is an irrational person who gave grade depending on his own feeling. He also harassed one of our classmates. Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Be tough when you face difficulties in communication. 2. Remember who you are when you are in a new environment. 3. Respect always when facing something different with your own standards. 4. Be independent when you are alone in host institution. 5. Try to find other exchange students from other cities for assistance. Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, PPP4-POLS student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Do communicate with the locals, don’t play with Hong Kong students. 2. Learn the local Singapore culture, e.g. Singlish.

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3. Singapore students are really hard working so don’t be too lazy to study. 4. Join the activities provided by the school and hall to meet new friends. 5. Do some short travel to the south-east Asia as the air ticket is cheap. Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, PP2-POSC student,2017-2018 Sem B 1. Join the buddy program. 2. Do some exercises when you are free. 3. Explore the nature in Singapore. 4. Go some other countries nearby Singapore, like Malaysia and Indonesia. 5. Download some apps from NTU, i.e. shuttle service apps. Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do more homework about the country before departure. 2. Do actively participate in the activities organized by Global Office of your host university. 3. Do keep record of your spending to avoid over spending. 4. Don’t travel to other countries by only yourself as it is really boring. 5. Don’t be shy to know new friends. Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Be open minded to different cultures. 2. Be proactive to meet people. 3. Join the diversified sport teams in school. 4. Travel around the whole island, both tourist regions and local people’s community. 5. Travel along the Southeast Asia regions and discover the contextual politics of ASEAN countries. Spain, Autonomous University of Madrid, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. I suggest future participants to make sure that they have a clear plan of classes they wish to register as it may be problem when they need to register in UAM. 2. It is important that students going to UAM have a basic foundation of Spanish language as people at the residence reception and administrative office have limited English ability. 3. I would like to suggest the “Human Rights” course to students going to UAM in the coming semesters. This course covers a wide range of human rights aspects. The professor conducting the course is very knowledgeable and brings everyone in the class discussions. It has to be one of the best classes I ever took.

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4. I strongly recommend students going to UAM in future to attend all the activities organized by the Erasmus Student Network. The ESN organizes activities like pub crawls, melting pot and integration weekends where students from different parts of the world can meet. That was how I got to know 90% of the people I made friends with. 5. The university will also offer a Spanish course to incoming exchange students as a part of their cultural program. I highly suggest people to take that up as it can be the difference between a good and bad exchange experience. The Spanish you learn from the program can greatly benefit you and make you communicate easily with people around you. Also, do not be afraid to practice your Spanish with people around you, even if you are wrong. The people at UAM are really nice and will correct you. Sweden, Umea University, ENP2 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Personal safety is the first priority. 2. Aware of cultural difference and taboo. 3. Financial management and planning is important to use money wisely. 4. Participating in orientation programmes helps to adapt in changing environment. 5. Learning local language to better understand the local culture. Sweden, Umea University, PP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Learn how to cook, the food there is expensive and probably doesn’t fit the taste of most Hong Kong people. 2. Don’t think studying in Sweden is easier than in Hong Kong, it’s the opposite. 3. In November and December, day time can be very short (around 5 hours), it’s so easy to get depressed so eat as much chocolate as possible. 4. Fika as much as you can, you are going to miss it after you came back to Hong Kong. 5. It’s one of the few host institutions where you can see the Aurora without travelling to other places. Sweden, University of Gothenburg, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Try you best to learn some elementary Swedish! The university offers free Swedish courses to all international students. 2. Try your best to register for the accommodation in central area [e.g. Olofshöjd (I personally recommend this one) or Helmutsrogatan]. 3. You may only have a few hours of lectures or seminars each week so you may have lots of spare time. Do find something to do, such as joining the activities held by ESN Göteborg. 4. Remember to register the seat for the examination if your courses that you are going to study include examination. 5. Pay a visit to the Gothenburg archipelago. It is incredibly awesome. Sweden, University of Gothenburg, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. The city is not that international and over-crowded, it is worth to enjoy the Northern European lifestyle there. 2. As there are four study periods in a semester, you can focus more on each course, which enhances the quality of study and may allow you to put

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more effort on the course. 3. The good location of Gothenburg allows you to go to visit Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm very easily. 4. The quality of lifestyle there is very good but the price is reasonable there, when comparing to others Nordic areas. 5. The student hall is extremely good (one room with shared kitchen and solo toilet) with reasonable housing fees. Taiwan, National Cheng Kung University, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. You should take the course which is taught by Prof Leung man-to, he is a Hong Kong people, he is a great scholar who graduated from University of Oxford. 2. You can try some post-graduate courses, it will be a special experience. Exchange students have the right to register post-graduate courses. 3. You should live in Prince dorm rather than normal school student residence, the living condition is much better. 4. Buying a second-hand bicycle for transportation will be better. 5. Remember to join the buddy-buddy programme from NCKU. Taiwan, National Chengchi University, ENP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Join student society to experience more local student life. 2. Visit historical places of Taiwan. 3. Explore more cultural and humanity activities like seminars. 4. Do not use the eyes of tourists to gaze the others. 5. Try not to compare Hong Kong with Taiwan but to figure out the reason of the differences. Taiwan, National Taiwan University, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Check the weather before you go to a place. During my exchange, Taiwan has a rainy weather and heavy rain will cause big trouble if you go to travel. 2. You must join the orientation for exchange student as NTU has a big campus and you will get lost easily if you do not listen to the instruction of the student helper. 3. NTU will assign an exchange buddy to you and they are very helpful. You should keep contact with them and you can ask for help if you have any trouble with your study plan. 4. I feel regret that I did not join any society or student club during the exchange study. NTU has much more student clubs than CityU and you can definitely find something suitable for you. 5. There is a festival for exchange student to share their food and culture to Taiwan schoolmates but I will not recommend students to join. It is really troublesome and not many local students come to our booth so it is kind of meaningless to me. Taiwan, National Taiwan University, ENP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem B

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1. Don’t expect sitting and listening to lecture without giving response and doing discussion in class. 2. Take the course: Food, Agriculture and Society, there will be mid-night visit at the Taipei First Vegetable and Fruit Auction Market which will be a precious experience to understand the local culture. 3. Take the course: Culture, Society and Nature, there will be site seeing and visiting another side of the city – Slum, providing you chances to investigate the poverty problem of local society. 4. Buy a second-hand bike there, it won’t cost too much but will be very convenient for going to school since the road inside campus and distance from dorm to campus is quite far, approximately take 20 mins walk to classroom. 5. Join the Facebook page “台大面交” to obtain second hand household appliances so as to release financial burden during exchange journey. The Netherlands, NHL University of Applied Sciences, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Research before departure. 2. Prepare some information about Hong Kong to share with the students from other countries. 3. Willing to make some new friends. 4. Willing to know more about the culture of the host country. 5. Ask for help actively. The Netherlands, Radboud University Nijmegen, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do learn Dutch. 2. Do join class discussions. 3. Do take courses about the host country . 4. Don’t be shy to meet new friends. 5. Don’t travel too much. The Netherlands, Radboud University Nijmegen, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Play hard. 2. Go every party. This is the quickest way to consolidate the relationship. 3. Keep talking but not dominate. 4. Study hard. 5. Open minded. The Netherlands, University of Amsterdam, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Accommodation in Amsterdam is slightly expensive. Don’t forget to choose one near the city centre, for if you do not, commuting from suburban area could be very inconvenient by bike or expensive by metro. It is also better to live near all the attractions.

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2. Do try to make some foreign friends on your journey. There usually have some orientation programmes in UvA designed for exchange students to meet people around. Students there come from diverse backgrounds, and they are all nice enough to be friends with, though it would be best if you can find someone sharing with you some common interests. So do be active to participate in activities you like (music, sports, etc.). 3. There are a handful of things to do in Amsterdam. If you are a football fan, I do advise you to get tickets earlier to enjoy some Ajax action in their beautiful home stadium. And try to get a Museumcard, it definitely helps when you are looking for something meaningful to do in spare time. 4. Look for a bike on fb groups and try to get lock as secure as possible (mine was stolen). And be careful riding on the road, always stick to the right hand side of the road and giving hand signal before making a turn. Try to observe how others behave and it would be fine and safe for everyone. 5. The campus is always dense and has little affordable catering facilities, which is really a downside and a reason for me not to stay in school. Many courses have required readings and students are responsible to get those themselves. Given the fact that the UvA library isn’t the best I’ve seen in terms of circulation and thus sometimes textbooks are hard to locate, do look for the books you need earlier in Cityu to avoid spending money on it. Besides, try not to register any course in Block 3 or Block 6, as for my experiences, you usually want to spend those periods travelling around, and I had the busiest time in the end of the semester given the last block runs on a tight schedule (a course about environment). The Netherlands, University of Amsterdam, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Choose and book your residence hall once you received the email. (Otherwise, you can’t choose the cheapest one and the one near city central.) 2. Buying a second hand bike on Facebook is cheaper than renting one from UvA. (Advantage: you can resell your bike. Disadvantage: no insurance for repairing your bike.) 3. You can open a bank account in Amsterdam (safer than keeping cash). 4. Ask the AH staff for the Bonus card (save lots of money). The Netherlands, University of Amsterdam, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Be open-minded. 2. Choose some subjects with familiar background. 3. Jot your own notes without computer. 4. Keep consult your lecturer about your essay. 5. Amsterdam is a small city, but it brings lots of surprise. The Netherlands, University of Amsterdam, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Its ok to not apply the International Student Identity Card (ISIC), its not really useful. 2. Try to talk with the local people or the strangers. 3. Good to join the free walking tour to know more about the history of the city, even in your host country. 4. If your study destination is in Europe, try to take the course about European Union, to know more about EU from the European’s view.

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5. Its important to create a local bank account. The Netherlands, University of Groningen, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do meet more locals. 2. Do bring more money. 3. Do ask for what you want, you’ll gain more than you can imagine. 4. Don’t be surprised by the low efficiency of the Europeans. 5. Don’t be surprised by the delay of buses/trains in Europe. UK, Swansea University, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Do more research before going to your exchange university. 2. Don’t be afraid to talk with others. 3. Do more planning for the holiday during exchange (where to go or what to do). 4. Don’t skip the orientation activities. 5. Visit more places and countries. UK, Swansea University, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Extra free English courses like writing and reading should be taken for improving proficiency of language. 2. CityU may discuss the matter of credit maximum application with SwanseaU since I can only apply three courses in the host university. 3. Try to approach more people at first, like one new person per day. 4. Try to travel any places or countries alone for the practice of independence and problem-solving skills. 5. Try to attend activities and events that related to your subjects to enrich knowledge and insights. UK, University of Birmingham, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. You can buy almost everything in the city center of Birmingham, don’t have to bring too much stuff with you. 2. Library of University of Birmingham is very new and modern, can make the best use of it. 3. “16-25 Rail card” is a “must” for railway transportation. 4. Pay attention to websites of several different low budget airlines, may be able to get very cheap plane tickets. 5. Weather in UK is very unstable, bring more water-proof clothes in case of rain. UK, University of Bristol, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Take part in the orientation activities as many as possible. You will know more friends. There are also many activities held by the SU. They have a Facebook page telling you what is on schedule. 2. British students are really shy, so it is important to be proactive.

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3. Ask the lecturer if you did not understand his or her English. 4. Only staying with friends from CityU/HK/Asia may not be a good idea. Great reward for friendship among people from diverse cultural background. 5. Bristol has stories at every corner of the town and many interesting local shops. It would be a great regret to miss it. UK, University of Bristol, PPP4-PUM student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Try to live in a student accommodation (possibly near the city centre), as you can make friends easily with the local or exchange students. 2. Do not say no to opportunities to hang out, or even to go on a trip with your flatmates or classmates as you never know what you will gain. 3. Take the course Health Policy in a Global Context as it trains your critical thinking skills and equip you with policy analytical tools. 4. Do not be afraid of asking the professors or your classmates for anything ranging from course content to the latest news, their insights are really useful. 5. Go to the Global Opportunities Office for anything; the staff are really helpful and will try their best to help you with the unit registration. UK, University of Bristol, ENP4 student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do spend some time to choose your favorite accommodation and say all concerns to the UoB. 2. Do join the Hiking Club and Hot Balloon Club. 3. Do make some local friends. 4. Do respect and learn the cultural difference. 5. Do contact the UoB for any helps. UK, University of Bristol, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Try your best to make friends with local students and not to always stick with Hong Kong or Asian students. 2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, people won’t care much as long as they know what you mean. 3. Learn how to cook. It is the best way to save money. 4. Remember to bring along your student ID when you travel, since it gives you many special offers. 5. A well-planned budget for your money to spend is always great before you travel. UK, University of Essex, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Accommodation on campus is on serious shortage, and on my year of exchange, the university do not provide university hall for exchange students who stay less than a year. That means single term exchange students have to search for their own private housing. However, there are rarely short term contract in the housing market, the agents usually would ignore or reject the short let enquiries, and that makes extreme difficulty in searching accommodation. Many students had complaint the issue on the exchange student Facebook page, and all the university did was telling the students continue to search on the internet. My room was only confirmed a week before departure, it was from “Spareroom.co.uk”, leased by a University

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student who is leaving the town for her placement. I had to make the decision fast and send her the first month rent, as there are many asking for the room (probably other exchange students). Frankly, I think it is quite dangerous to send money to a stranger, without any agent nor protection by contract, but on that point I really had no choice. That was awfully stressful to wait for replies from landlords when the departure date comes close, and all you received were rejections if not no reply. Colchester is a very small town and lack of affordable youth hostel, and I have heard some students were staying in hotel for the whole term, which is expensive and cost about $500 a night. Therefore accommodation is the first thing to consider when exchanging in Essex University. If the university say they are not providing accommodation, it is better to give up the idea of renting a whole house for living with friends, and search yourself a room as soon as possible. Moreover, I found some students are letting their room on the Facebook Essex fresher group, as they may leave before the lease end, you can try your luck in the group. Also, I suggest checking if the landlord identity is real before sending money to them. The good news is that private housing could be a lot cheaper than the University hall. 2. If possible, live close to the campus. Most of the student activities, even the orientation activities, are held at the mid-night in the SU pubs. However, the buses stop early. The SU would run a night bus to send the students home in the mid-night, but the area it covers is limited. I have tried to ask how far would it reach, and seems the SU receptionist was not very clear about that. But as I know, it only goes half way to the town. Therefore, only if you live close to the campus, you can enjoy the full range of university life. 3. Bonfire festival, which the SU would organize a firework night on campus, with fire performance and game booths. It is the greatest event in autumn term, even greater than Halloween and Christmas. There would be countless fireworks around in town and residential area too. 4. As mentioned before, clubbing is the most common University activity. I think it is the major part of the UK university culture. Go at least once to experience. 5. There are market on campus every Thursday. It is nice to but fresh vegetables, cheese, meat, seafood, bakery there. Not only the goods are nice and cheap, it also saves our time traveling to town for food. UK, University of Hull, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Be well-prepared before going to exchange. 2. Do not panic when you encounter challenges, it is the chance for you to enhance your ability. 3. Must join the exchange program, study aboard is a rare opportunity that lets you expand your vision. 4. Please dare to talk with the local or other exchange students. 5. Should join the orientation events held by the host university, since it is a great chance for you to meet friends from the very beginning. UK, University of Hull, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do step out of your comfort zone and meet friends with other exchange fellows. 2. Bring along with some pills and medicines for emergency use. 3. Don’t call Scots/Welsh/Irish an English in the UK.

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4. Learn how to cook before your departure, at least some basic simple dishes. 5. Don’t underestimate the workloads of the university that you will go to. UK, University of Hull, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Remember to tap the student card in class every time, it records student attendance. 2. Consider carefully before choosing to live in hall or rent other houses because the hall environment is not desirable. Same amount of money could find a better house in Hull. 3. The course “Media, Politics, and Ethics” is recommended to take as it enables me to learn more about ethics in terms of media. 4. It is always good to meet and stay connect with other exchange students as they are usually friendly to everyone. 5. You could download the application called “iHull” in the phone, it consists of bus schedule between school and city center, email, Canvas, etc. It is very useful. UK, University of Hull, PPP2-HUS student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Frist, I suggest exchange students to join the orientation activities organized by University of Hull. There are different activities for exchange students, this is a good chance for students to meet each other. And I met most of my friends from the orientation activities. 2. Then, try to talk with other exchange students. Don’t be shy. It is a good chance to improve the language skill. My English is not good before exchange, but practice makes perfect. I am more comfortable speaking in English. 3. Exchange students in Hull University will live in The Lawns Hall and they will provide dinner for students. Go dinner with different students. It is a good time to chat with your friends during the dinner time. Friends meet in University of Hull help me a lot during my exchange period. 4. I suggest students do some sports with friends after dinner. The Lawns provides a good place for students to play different sports. Also, there are different sport classes for students, such as yoga. It is a good idea to join the sport class and meet more new friends. Develop a healthy life style during the exchange period. 5. Moreover, the learning method in UK is different from those in HK, find your teacher as soon as possible when you can’t follow and tell the teacher what is/are your difficulties. UK, University of Kent, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Should read the readings before the lectures and seminars. 2. Should actively participate in seminars. 3. Should attend the orientation activities. 4. Should borrow the required books early when they are limited. 5. Should ask for the seminar leaders’ help when you are in need. UK, University of Kent, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B

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1. You must join the students’ societies which is the best way to meet new friends there. I suggest Korean Society or Japanese Society because both of them hold different kind of events or meetings every week. 2. Don’t be shy to ask questions in the lesson because it is normal to do so in UK 3. Don’t avoid drinking or clubbing because they are the usual and normal social events there. They are not as crazy as you expect. 4. Don’t hang out with the Hong Kong buddies only!!! You should try to make different friends with different nationalities. 5. Learn how to cook some Hong Kong food before you go to exchange. This is one of the best ways to share different cultures by holding cooking night with others! UK, University of Leeds, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Grasp the chance to visit other nearby places (either within or outside the UK) – staying in UK is convenient to travel to other European countries in order to broaden your horizon. 2. Make good use of library resources – there are several libraries with tonnes of resources to refer to/learn from, and due to the fact that self-learning is more preferred. Lecturers and tutors are just a form of guidance that encourages you to think and express. 3. Familiarise yourself with new environment by joining more activities – you can know friends and have a prior understanding of how your school life in this few months is going to be, even for the orientation day. 4. DON’T skip lessons – you can always learn more from lecturers’ teaching than solely from notes. 5. In case of illnesses that you cannot attend lessons – be brave to seek help from your teachers. They would be glad to provide help. For the lectures, you can usually find an online, recorded version and review it whenever you want. UK, University of Leeds, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Please start to prepare your papers and exams as soon as possible. 2. Please learn the local language. 3. Work hard, play hard. 4. Please plan your budget. 5. Please be open-minded and beware of expectations. UK, University of Leeds PP4 student,, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Try to engage in any interested societies and activities for at least once. 2. Take the initiative to talk with diversified background of people and be responsive, always ask questions. 3. Observe the similarities and differences between Hong Kong and Leeds like city planning, daily habits, learning attitudes, teaching styles. 4. Join the weekend day trips organized by companies to travel within UK. 5. Read emails of both University of Leeds and City University to get the latest and important information of exchange.

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UK, University of Leeds, PPP4-PUM student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Get contact with ‘City Life Leeds’, a company that provides a platform for exchange students around the globe and also traveling advice. Just search them on Facebook and they will add you in a WhatsApp group. 2. Opening a bank account might be a bit troublesome, get ready with some cash in hand and travel card. 3. Otley Run and Bonfire Night are activities that you should not miss. Go with your new friends and enjoy wonderful night. 4. Living in Headingly is financial friendly although it is a bit far from school and city centre. Just buy student monthly pass though ‘M Ticket’ app. You may discover other transporting app as well. 5. Going on a 1-day road trip during weekends and explore the beauty of UK cities is the best thing to do during exchange! UK, University of Leeds, ENP2 student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Try to ask and raise questions if you are not sure. The staff from the Student Union is helpful and would be able to answer your questions. 2. Train station and coach station are quite close to the campus and the city center, which are about 15-20 minutes’ walk. 3. Although the learning culture is different, try to adapt to this new learning environment. However, it is important to remember to submit assignment on time. 4. Remember safety first, and plan before you go travelling. 5. Go backpacking around the U.K. and Europe! It is convenient to explore other major UK cities from Leeds. UK, University of Leeds, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Do not think you can solve all the problems by yourself. 2. Do seek help actively from your parents, friends and teachers. 3. Join most of the welcoming activities by the host university to make friends and learn local cultures. 4. Take the courses which you are interested in and not only for credit transfer. 5. Do have budget plan, likes how much I can spend in a week. Do not over spend. UK, University of Liverpool, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Register a family doctor when you arrive at Liverpool, you can’t see a doctor without a registered identity. 2. The wind and weather are strong and cold in January, bring more clothing, you can basically wear long shirts in the whole semester. 3. Don’t miss the welcome events and week, you may know many new neighbors and friends. Talk more with your flat mate, you may know more about local stuffs and funny things around. 4. You can walk around the city without transportation, it is worth to take times to walk around and have sight visit, it is a beautiful city without a doubt. 5. Please at least for once, go to watch the football game in whatever places you can find, the atmosphere in Liverpool is extraordinary, you will

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definitely enjoy. 6. The local speaks with heavy accent, sometime hard to identify the words even you pay attention to it. UK, University of Liverpool, PP2-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Take early initiative to approach exchange details, nothing as “too early”. 2. Contact other CityU students to exchange accommodation information, look after each other. 3. Plan ahead and make good use of time to balance academic, travel and self-exploration. 4. Join welcoming dinner to meet friends at the very beginning. 5. Assessments are quite demanding, never underestimate time and effort required. UK, University of Liverpool, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Try to find as many courses as you can that fit the credit transfer to CityU, because some courses may be full which is not available for pre-registration. 2. Tudor Close is a nice choice for accommodation as it is located in the campus area. 3. Join more inter-hall events such as movie night and club night to enrich your exchange experience 4. Send email to the student exchange team from the University of Liverpool if you have any questions, they are willing to help you. 5. Please mind the wind as it is very windy in Liverpool! UK, University of Liverpool, PP4-PPM student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Don’t hesitate in joining the hall activities cause you can meet more friends than you expected. 2. Enjoy the football show if you are going to exchange in University of Liverpool cause you will definitely become one of the fans of LFC! 3. Don’t be shy to answer or ask questions even you think it’s stupid as you can learn a lot by discussing with your classmates, as well as your tutor. 4. Register some courses you will never have in Hong Kong, like archaeology cause it was so interesting to study! 5. Don’t just explore other countries in Europe but in your own country or city as well or you will miss as much unexpected views as you think of. UK, University of Sussex, ENP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Join every welcoming party and events for exchange students. 2. Find a society you are interested in to join regularly, you are going to meet good friends for life. 3. Try everything new that you have never thought you would do. 4. Take the courses you are interested in which they may even not relate to your major. 5. Go on a solo travel and don’t be afraid to talk to strangers. UK, University of Sussex, PPP4 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. Download the B&H buses app for transportation from college to downtown.

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2. Join the societies you are interested, or otherwise you will be so bored. 3. Join the music festivals if you love EDM music. 4. Do talk to foreigners even you are afraid of talking to them, they usually do not mind. 5. Don’t overdrink. UK, University of Sussex, PPP2 student, 2018-2019 Sem B 1. If you plan to travel, try to do it with new people you meet (foreign students). 2. Don’t be shy to talk in English. 3. Try to be more active and open. 4. Go outside more. 5. Learn how to cook. UK, University of Sussex, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. There were some orientation programs for visiting students, for example the one-day tour, dinner gathering, and these are the good time to explore the city and the campus. 2. It is good to make sure the host university can provide and help you to get an accommodation that is near to the campus; otherwise it will take lot of time to get to school. 3. The exchange program is a good chance to take some courses that are not provided in CityU, for example I have taken American history course, and it inspired me a lot. 4. The tutorial classes can help you understand how the others are thinking, especially the tutor, it is a good way to know how different the way you are thinking and how the others understand the issues. 5. A valid credit card is important, as the e-transactions are common among Europe. The credit card can be used once you met the emergency. UK, University of Sussex, PP4-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem B 1. Try to join different societies and go to the Language café to make more new friends. 2. Don’t hesitate to ask the professors and tutors about any academic questions because they are friendly. 3. Try to be brave and share your thoughts during the class. Everyone is happy to hear from you. 4. As Sussex only provides off-campus accommodation to 1-term exchange student, other accommodations can be far away from campus. Renting properties can be an option. If you want to choose Langfords Hotel as your accommodation, everything can be lower than your expectation (from the website photos). But it is located at the center of Hove city so the transport is very convenient (it is really helpful if you would like to travel during weekends). 5. Keep the door and windows in your room closed all the time. Mind the seagulls!

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UK, University of Warwick, PPP4-PUM student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Do choose an on-campus accommodation. Choosing accommodation is the most important. Society and kitchen will be the major places for you to make new friends. Like student residences in CityU, each hall has different “culture” and characteristics. Warwick will try to match student with similar personality and living habit together. Do find the accommodation that suits you so you can make good friends there. (Bluebell is highly recommended) 2. Do attend the pre-departure briefing held by Warwick Hong Kong office. There are administrative staff and current students that can gave good advices and help you to address all the problems and concerns, like transportation or visa issue that you have encountered before the semester started. You will also get a chance to know some exchange students from other universities in Hong Kong as well. 3. Do attend the welcoming session held by PAIS department in the welcoming week. Department teaching staff will be there to address the problem you encountered regarding the module registration and assessment method which is quite confusing because students from CityU are under the ‘part-year’ module which are different from most of the inbound exchange student in Warwick. More importantly, you will meet all exchange student from Hong Kong and other countries there. 4. Do arrive on the first day you can check in. If you arrived on the second day like me, you will find that hall essential groceries were all out of stock in Roots (campus-grocery store), even Tesco and Wilko in Cannon Park. And it takes some time for them to restock those items. 5. Do attend the cultural activities organized by GEO like global mixer in CityU before you go on an exchange programme. In those event, by getting to know the international or inbound exchange students and mingle with them, you will find coping with cultural shock a lot easier. UK, University of Warwick, PPP4-PUM student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Do take part in Welcome Week drop in events (would allow you to get familiar with the PAIS). 2. Don’t worry about cultural differences, Warwick is an internationalized university and individual differences are understood. 3. Taking European politics related course offers you a whole picture of what’s happening in the EU ( a hot topic in recent years). 4. Don’t think of too many travel plans and make good use of reading week. 5. Do speak out in seminars and you will be more confident to talk in front of mass in the future. UK, University of Warwick, PP4-POSC student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Participate in the weekly film night held by PAIS department and share your ideas with politics students and professors. 2. Don’t take the course of European Union if you do not have enough background knowledge about European Union and its operation. 3. Choose a kind of residence with more residents so you can have more chances to get in touch with local students. 4. Watch the BBC news frequently to train your oral English and know more about UK society. 5. Apply for the on-campus sports membership, and enjoy diverse facilities at Warwick such as tennis court, swimming pool and gym. UK, University of Warwick, PP22-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem A and B

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1. List out three things you wish to achieve/do during exchange study. 2. Do read the readings and prepare for the seminars (tutorial class). 3. The exchange student meeting held by department is the best chance to meet other exchange students. 4. Follow HK news daily and read UK news to know what is happening there. 5. You may wish to learn some cooking skills before departure. UK, University of Warwick, PP2-POSC student, 2017-2018 Sem A 1. Do investigate the background information of courses that you will take. 2.When someone try to approach you by asking “how was your day”, don’t say “it’s fine/ it’s good” but say something funny. 3. Try to travel alone (EU countries are mostly safe). 4. Do not always stick with Hong Kong people. 5. Do know more about popular issues in Western countries, e.g. hit songs, hit TV shows. UK, University of York, PPP4-POLS student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Communicate more with your flat mates when you see them. They may be your best friends in your exchange tour. 2. Read more. Doing readings are more important than studying lecture notes here. 3. Join more extracurricular activities. You don’t have a lot of opportunities to know new friends in lessons since they usually have individual assignments only. 4. Be willing to ask. Their lectures are one hour per week, which is quite difficult to understand by attending lectures only. Do ask if you don’t understand. 5. Beware of courses selection before coming. Their courses are mainly about Europe and have no classes about Asia, which maybe a bit demanding for us. UK, University of York, PPP4-POLS student, 2018-2019 Sem A 1. Be considerate for others as British people are in general very aware of the polite manners. 2. Be an active member during lessons and discussions. 3. Try to step out your comfort zone in meeting new friends from all over the world. 4. Never be racist to others as for one reason you could be charged legally and for another reason racist act damages your reputation and reputation of your own country. 5. Be confident in speaking English with others, particularly respect students from other countries by communicating in English rather than in your own language as this is not the meaning of cultural exchange. USA, Syracuse University, PPMP4-PPM student,2017-2018 Sem B

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1. Driving is an important skill in United States. 2. Watch a basketball match in Syracuse University. 3. Speak and action are equally important in class, speak more and work hard. 4. If you go to US in spring, never miss the celebration in memorial day, independent day and pride month in June. 5. Snow boot is a must if you come to Syracuse in winter.