College Experience Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Part 2 of 2

Click on this link to hear the experience of a student studying at full scholarship in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) pursuing mechanical Engineering. Watch this chat show as Part 2 of 2 videos.

Ansh Nasta of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology talks on Chet Chat. Ansh is studying on a full scholarship and is pursuing mechanical engineering. He shares the experience of studying at HKUST.

Coming to Jobs, another advantage of studying in Hong Kong is availability of Jobs, visa, internships etc. Ansh says that jobs in Hong Kong pay a lot, some students can pay their living expenses because of a well-paying job. Most common part time job for students is to become a tutor for other IB students, and this is very well paying and helps take care of boarding and living expenses.
The language requirement for most jobs is English, though they prefer if you know Cantonese. However, there are many students who have well-paying jobs without knowing Chinese. It is very easy to get a work visa once you have studied there, also the job placements are very good. Most international students have job offers in hand a few months before they graduate and very good salaries.
Intense research culture, jobs being available, salaries being good, visas being easily available and cost being low make it a very attractive place to study in.
Asian culture is unique and different from the American and British universities. They are very academic and it is very difficult to score good grades. Students are graded on a curve and it is very tough to get a GPA over 3.0. The Chinese students spend most of their time studying and for them university is about studying. If they pursue any activity they will take up only one activity and pursue it very seriously. They are much focussed.
There is no fraternity culture, there are clubs and societies, though international students are not welcome for most of these. The language is mostly in Chinese. At the Business school lectures are discussion based. In Engineering school there are less international professors, there are more Chinese professors. In their culture subordination is key. Professors at the top, students below. So you are not supposed to question a professor in class. If you give the right answer in class, they think you are showing off. Students don’t like to speak in class.
Language of Instruction is English, but given 80% Cantonese. Most activities are conducted in Cantonese like clubs, movie nights, trekking activities etc. are all conducted in Cantonese. Most students have learnt English but they find it very difficult to speak in English since English is either their second or third language. So they prefer sticking amongst themselves. Even if they know how to speak in English they are very reluctant, since in their culture if you make a mistake people make fun of you, so they are afraid that the international students will make fun of them so they prefer to speak in Cantonese.
Ansh started learning Cantonese to merge with them, and that made a big difference since they found an international student is trying to learn Cantonese and trying to speak with us, they get more friendly with you. Even with sports, may Indian students do not participate in sports, they are usually more involved in partying or studying. Ansh is one of the few international students who is serious about his extra curriculars. Even mainland Chinese students have always studied in Mandarin so most of them learn English just before coming to college, just to get admission.
The food on campus is local Chinese food that is not very spicy. Food places outside campus can be quite expensive. Ansh travelled around Hong Kong researching good food less than HKD 50 or 100. HE enjoyed the food since Hong Kong is a very diverse place for food, a huge varieties of cuisines. He now tries to cook his own food and became the director of the cuisine society to initiate more activities with people who are as passionate about food.
The social scene on campus is also very different. Their idea of partying is not drinking and dancing but playing games and eating good food. So most International students go out for partying. In Hong Kong the two main partying areas are Wanchai and Lan Kwan Fong, both have a very international feel, where many international students party.
Hiking is a great fun activity in Hong Kong. You can hike in the middle of the city, in five minutes you can be from a station to a mountain. There are hiking trails and maps available which make hiking a great activity in Hong Kong.
‘Crazy’ is the one word in which he describes his school – crazy academic and crazy diverse.

Watch Part 1 featured earlier
Host - Chetna Vasishth

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