CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

Ms Majbrit Woller JENSEN and Mr Felix Valentin KEMMLING were incoming exchange students of the College in Term 2, 2017–18, from Aarhus University in Denmark and Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg in Germany respectively. They share with us their experience in Hong Kong.

By Ms Majbrit Woller JENSEN

Studying abroad in Hong Kong has been a really great experience!

My home university does not have colleges, so studying at CUHK, a collegiate university, was a completely new experience for me. I had a great opportunity to stay at CW Chu College, a place so different from everything I know about Hong Kong, in an environment that was very welcoming from the beginning and that has become very familiar to me. I have been enjoying and participating in as many of the College events and communal dinners as possible, and I am quite impressed by the number of events arranged and the friendly College spirit.

Besides experiencing the College life, I could try a field of study that was new to me at CUHK, and participate in extracurricular activities that showed me a side of Hong Kong that I do not think tourists normally see. I joined a Happy English programme in a primary school, where I met a lot of energetic students. I was very impressed by their English language skills, as they started learning English earlier than kids in my country. I also participated in a language exchange with other students from CUHK. I found it very interesting to learn about Hong Kong culture and be acquainted with both traditional and simplified Chinese characters.

Outside CUHK, I was very surprised by the wealth of natural beauty in Hong Kong. Whenever we see pictures of Hong Kong in my country, they only show high-rise buildings and huge crowds of people. Of course, these really exist in Hong Kong. What I discovered after having lived here for some time was that Hong Kong also boasts lush greenery and rich biodiversity beyond its spectacular skyline.

With the amazing transport system, I have been able to explore every corner of Hong Kong. Some of my best experiences (there are so many!) include hiking different mountains in Hong Kong, and experiencing the Chinese New Year celebrations.

By Mr Felix Valentin KEMMLING

I still remember the day when I entered CW Chu College for the first time. With a mix of curiosity and respect, I was standing in the College Piazza, looking at the modern College buildings, far better than anything I know from universities in Germany.

I learned very soon that CW Chu College was different from other colleges in CUHK. It is a small college with only about three hundred students, and it really encourages its students to get involved in college life. Each College student was given a College gown. When others asked me about the gown, I could proudly tell them about the College High Table Dinners I attended in it.

Hong Kong itself is a great city! Diversity is everywhere and I enjoyed walking through either the more local areas in Kowloon or the rather westernised parts on Hong Kong Island. Many other College students showed me a lot of places (especially for food) in the city and I felt delighted that they spent much of their time showing me around. Also myself I tried to explore as many places as possible. A highlight for me was the day when I travelled to all the MTR stations in one day! It sounds crazy, but this happens when exchange students at CUHK have too much time after exams. No matter how many places I have visited, Tsim Sha Tsui is always my favourite area. The view of Hong Kong's skyline is just special from the promenade and I remember many nights I went there just watching the lights of high-rise buildings on Hong Kong Island blazing!

As time passed by, I got more and more involved in college life. I joined the Toastmasters Club Taster Sessions of the College. In retrospective, it was one of the best decisions during my term abroad. I met lots of great students there, and soon I became part of the Club. It was a valuable enrichment to my experience here!

I also enjoyed other College activities like the Cultural Nights, the singing contest and the Sport Climbing Fun Day. There is so much this College has given to me and I am very grateful for having been eligible to take in all this. This College has great students that really embody the values the College teaches them. I will always remember CW Chu as my home in Hong Kong! Thank you all so much and all the best for the future!