My time at CUHKSZ has been extremely fulfilling and memorable, to say the least.  During my time here, I have fully immersed myself in the Chinese culture, and felt more in touch with my Chinese heritage than ever before.  Everyone at the university is friendly and welcoming, and eager to help any newcomers. My Chinese language abilities have improved exponentially, through exposure to Chinese in the classroom.  I have also been able to explore many different cities in China: Shaoguan, Zhuhai, Guangzhou and Guilin being the closest ones to home; Nanjing and Beijing being the two historic capitals of our country; Xishuangbanna and Zhangjiajie, renowned for their wildlife and nature; Suzhou and Shanghai, famed for their beautiful canals, rivers and oceans.  It is conventional to view China as a monolith, but this experience has really opened my eyes to how diverse and unique each region of China is.  I am so thankful for this opportunity and will never forget it, nor any of the good friends I have made here.

Before coming here I had no clue of what my experience as an exchange student would look like. I had done some research but was not able to create a clear image so I went with blank expectations. It took a few weeks to get used to the campus and being able to find my way to the classrooms. But with the help of the OAL and other students I was able to settle pretty quickly. The helpfulness that OAL demonstrated in the first week is something that I noticed throughout the whole university and in China in general. I quickly found out that the university personnel was very helpful and willing to make my stay here as productive and comfortable as possible. Every time that I had a question or request, I was met with a quick and thoughtful answer. I was for example able to join my college’s basketball team as well as to join the graduation ceremony. Together with my other experiences I can say that it was a very memorable exchange, in which I felt that CUHKSZ did their absolute best to make me feel incorporated and help me enjoy my time here. I feel sad that I have to leave the university for now, but I can look back at wonderful semester! I want to thank EVERYBODY at CUHKSZ again for the great time that I have had with you!

The Mexican Night organized along with Muse College. I was really happy to see everybody excited to learn and experience Mexico. I am more than grateful for the opportunity to share my culture and feel all the enthusiasm from CUHKSZ!

This is a photo from the city tour, where we got to know not only how pretty and diverse Shenzhen is, but also the people we would be interacting with for the next 5 months. I have really fond memories from my experience at CUHKSZ because I got not only to challenge myself, but met awesome people that became my friends.

When I think about CUHKSZ I think of a year full of teachings, wonderful experiences and memories that hopefully will accompany me for the rest of my life. Being here not only contributed to my academic growth, but also to my growth as a person by being able to meet and get to know in a deeper way people from different parts of the world. Likewise, studying here have given me the opportunity to be immersed in what China represents nowadays and therefore learn from it; from its history, from its people and from its cultures. These are things that stay with you I’ve been told… mementos that remain.

I think one of my favourite memories in CUHKSZ would have been walking past this scenic pavilion as I shuffle through my classes day in and day out along with the rest of the school it was always nice seeing this dose of joy. Reinvigorating my day and just enjoy the simple beauty the school has and provide for every student. I think CUHKSZ really provides resource and room to groom every student here to their fullest capacity and it was fully my pleasure to be able to learn in such a wonderful environment. And with that said I would also like to thank Linsey and the full OAL team for all your commitment to providing an enriching experience for us. I’ve truly enjoyed my experience and I am glad that CUHKSZ was a core part of my university life that I will never forget.  🙏🏻

During my student exchange at CUHKSZ, I made new friends, traveled around China, and greatly improved my Chinese. Living in the modern and convenient city of Shenzhen was amazing. I visited places in China that left me speechless and enjoyed trying delicious local food. Many thanks to the OAL department for their help before and during my stay, making my time in China unforgettable.

My semester at CUHKSZ has been enjoyable, enriching, and very fulfilling! Getting to experience living abroad, interacting with friends from all over the globe, and experiencing Chinese culture has been eye-opening and I’m glad to have done it at CUHKSZ. My top memories would definitely include working on my GEC3405 Food Sociology Group Project with my Groupmates in the University Library, as well as the field trip to the Shenzhen Longgang Smart City Center for my GEB2503 Smart City module. A big thank you to all my friends, TAs, and Professors who have guided me along the way and made my time at CUHKSZ amazing!