Help: Studying in Hong Kong, Jiangxi, or Beijing

[hliang]

Hello everyone.

I was browsing around google and found this forum. I might be studying at the City University of Hong Kong for a year through the study abroad program here at my university and I just had a couple of questions

(Background) I have barely any knowledge of any Chinese dialects and will be taking a couple Canto or Mandarin class prior to entering this program (but it is only a beginners class so I'm not expecting that much out of it, though I am not saying I won't work hard to learn)

How difficult will it be to quote on quote survive there?

Also how much are drinks, nights out, food, groceries, soap, etc....

Any really rough estimate on how much I will be spending throughout my year there (I will probably go out 3 times a week where I will be spending money, well hopefully). I will be going into hong kong with paid schooling and an extra 3-4 thousand USD.

If anyone goes to the City University of Hong Kong, has went, or knows anyone who has went, How is it like there? Environment? Community? etc...

Thanks everyone

p.s. I am continuing to search for more info. Thanks!

- EDIT -

I've also now put on my list

Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics

Peking University

Same questions apply for both. and if anyone has ever went to school here or just from the around the area any general feedback about the quality of life, how expensive it is, the community, nice spots to visit, etc...

Thanks again.

[skylee]

Do you mean one Canto AND Mandarin course? You will get all confused! Chinese (either Mandarin or Cantonese) is not easy to learn. You will be in a Cantonese enviroment with a lot of Cantonese speakers to practise the language with. But IMHO its pronunciation is harder to learn, and there are fewer learning materials available. Mandarin is easier to learn in terms of pronunciation, but you will not have much chance to use it in Hong Kong. (Oh but if you are a foreigner and you speak in Mandarin people probably wouldn't mind).

Good news is, in fact, you don't really need any Chinese to survive. Hong Kong is (to a certain extent) bilingual, especiallly in university campuses. But whether you can blend in and make a lot of friends that is a different question.

CityU is right in the middle of the city, with one of the biggest shopping malls in town linked (not just adjacent) to it. I think that might make it more expensive than, say, studying in CUHK or HKUST. And many people simply find HK expensive to live in. We have a thread "Cost of living in China" in which you might find some relevant information. I've been told that CityU's campus is the smallest among all public universities in HK. Well it is a city university after all. Do you mean 3-4 thousand USD for a year? That doesn't seem much. But I suppose food in school canteens is cheap.

Oh, and thanks for coming to HK to study. This thread is relevant to your choice. Perhaps you could write a bit about it?

PS - this blog is relevant to CityU -> http://www.chinese-f...tudent-protest/

[jbradfor]

I will be going into hong kong with paid schooling and an extra 3-4 thousand USD.

I assume the "paid schooling" includes room and board? If so, IMHO that's not a bad amount. It won't really cover much traveling (if you can find additional funds for traveling, e.g. a week or two to China, you will probably appreciate it). If you limit splurges and find cheaper places, I think that should be a reasonable lifestyle for a year abroad.

[hliang]

I meant to be or haha my bad. I haven't decided which yet.

That's great news that hong kong is bilingual, hopefully not to much, I want to go to china so I am in a sense forced to learn Chinese though haha.

I figured it would be pretty expensive. I can't really go to any other university other than the city university as my university doesn't sponsor any other one in hong kong. However I can go to Beijing if I wanted to which is also a option for me, a more expensive option but yeah.

I will once I get back from classes.

Thank you for these links, very helpful!

and for the 3-4k USD thing, that will be per semester and will only be for personal expenses because my tuition and housing is covered.

[wushijiao]

That's great news that hong kong is bilingual, hopefully not to much, I want to go to china so I am in a sense forced to learn Chinese though haha.

You could try to live somewhere in the New Territories, Tuen Mun, Sai Kong, Sha Tin or in some area that has very few foreigners (I've had good luck using my Cantonese in those areas). Some parts of Hong Kong are pretty much bilingual (or bilingual enough that it will impede your attempts to use Cantonese/Mandarin) (ie. most of Hong Kong Island, Lamma, Discovery Bay, TST/Jordan), while in other parts English is not widespread. You can always do the nightlife on the weekends.

[gato]

If he's starting with zero Chinese, going to Peking University might be a better place to start. He might learn a lot more Chinese in a year in Beijing than in HK.

[skylee]

The OP said, "I will be studying at the City University of Hong Kong for a year ..." and I thought it was confirmed.

[hliang]

Sorry about that, it isn't confirmed but I was pretty set on going. However right now I'm just continuing to browse around more and get more info about different places and such.

[jbradfor]

The OP said, "I will be studying at the City University of Hong Kong for a year ..." and I thought it was confirmed.

It was. Then the OP edited the original post to add

- EDIT -

I've also now put on my list

Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics

Peking University

And we all got confused :o [hliang, it would probably have been less confusing to have added a new reply about the change.... but we will persevere!]

[hliang]

Hahah sorry >.<'