Study experience of Hong Kong University
X. Xue Jie
Food safety and toxicology, Faculty of Science, University of Hong Kong.
Undergraduate: Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University.
Average grade: 86.05 IELTS: 6.5
Because I like Hong Kong and Britain very much, I only considered schools in Hong Kong and Britain when I applied. With the help of guide education, I was lucky enough to get offer from five schools in Britain and Hong Kong. In the end, I chose HKU because I can have the opportunity to work in Hong Kong for at least one year and accumulate experience for my future work.
I am still a graduate student. During my six months in HKU, I have adapted well to life here and am completing my last course. It's still a little cold in February in Hong Kong. I coded this article to share my learning experience with you.
About HKU
The University of Hong Kong is the oldest institution of higher education in Hong Kong. Located on Pok Fu Lam Road in the west of Hong Kong Island, facing the sea and backed by Longhu Mountain (Taiping Mountain). Starting from school, you can climb to the top of Taiping Mountain along the morning trail of Longhu Mountain.
(Looking at the sea from HKU University Street)
HKU is a "university on the mountain" with no real gate. Take the elevator up at Exit A of Hong Kong University Subway Station on Hong Kong Island Line, and then arrive at University Street, which is connected with various teaching buildings, canteens, libraries and other buildings. Up and down all depend on escalators and elevators extending in all directions, so I was barely familiar with this 3D magic school until I entered the school almost a month ago. This is the main campus, medical college and dental college. I'm sorry, I don't understand? )
(subway elevator to HKU)
The "canteens" of HKU are colorful, ranging from traditional canteens (Chinese, Hong Kong, Vietnamese, Japanese and Western) to porridge noodle restaurants, vegetarian restaurants, Western fast food (such as spaghetti), Indian restaurants and subway. Two restaurants offer a 30% discount to HKU teachers and students (! ! ) Starbucks and so on. , can meet the taste preferences of the whole world.
(My favorite Zhihua Pavilion)
The main library and Zhihua Pavilion are the main places for self-study (Zhihua Pavilion is much more free than the library, and can discuss problems at normal volume; At the same time, there is an antique study that I like very much. In addition, many teaching buildings have a small number of self-study areas on almost every floor. There are computers and printers in the library, Zhihua Pavilion and teaching building. Everywhere in the school, groups of students get together to discuss and study, and the academic atmosphere is very strong.
(KK Building, the most frequent class in our major)
The infrastructure of HKU is perfect, including gym, dance studio, piano room and so on. There is also a big swimming pool in Kennedy Town not far from HKU. In addition, the school has supermarkets, bookstores and so on, and life is very convenient.
FSTX: magic major
FSTX probably has the most amazing course in Hong Kong: the final exam once a month.
First of all, one of the characteristics of our major is that each course consists of different lectures, and teachers come from all over the world: Finland, Australia, Canada, Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, India, Hong Kong and the mainland. So in this respect, compared with other majors, our class experience is quite good.
Teachers are not limited to professors from world-famous universities, but also invite staff from food testing companies, QA or CEO in the field of food management, etc. According to the course content (such as food management), it will help us to learn from both theory and practice.
(classroom)
On the other hand, unlike other majors, which have compulsory courses and elective courses, our seven courses are compulsory, that is, Principles of Toxicology1&; 2. Toxicity testing and risk assessment, toxicology management, chemical and microbial risks in food, food safety management and projects.
Although there are no elective opportunities, the curriculum is actually very reasonable, because the six courses cover all aspects of food safety and toxicology from biology, chemistry, nutrition, management, law and other fields, and there is a good connection between each course, so it is actually more like six coherent topics.
The forms of class are also rich and varied, including demonstration, role-playing, case analysis and so on. Every teacher will have tutoring time, except Q &；; In addition to A, some teachers will talk about case studies to help us better understand the course content, and some teachers will send some documents to let us analyze the advantages and disadvantages of experimental design, so teachers are committed to cultivating our analytical ability, not just instilling knowledge, which is also the greatest help to me.
In addition, other majors will have a holiday according to the school calendar, and we basically open a new course every month. After a class, there will probably be 10 days to review, and then at the end of the period, a new course will be taken. At the end of February, all six courses ended. In March, the project (laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based) and tutor were selected, and the defense was held in mid-August.
It is precisely because we don't play cards according to the school calendar that our professional rest is arranged perfectly after all important festivals (Mid-Autumn Festival, Halloween, Christmas, Lunar New Year, etc.). ), so even if we spend the holidays with friends, there will always be an end-of-term waiting for us not far ahead (for example, 65438+1 October 3, 65438+1October1), of course, it is not as bad as expected, because the review time is very flexible, so we all choose to go out to play and go home during recess.
Our professional learning atmosphere is still relatively strong, and the relationship between students is also very good. In class, the teacher always encourages us to ask questions actively, so that we should not be shy. At first, local and foreign students in Hong Kong were active, but under their influence, we all began to interact with teachers easily and naturally. When class is over, the teacher is always surrounded by people, and then we ask questions and answer each other, so that everyone can * * * learn * * and make progress; Usually, everyone will discuss homework and exams in group chat. Our local sisters and brothers will also take us to eat and go shopping.
Regarding the exam, it is not difficult and the topic is not tricky. Basically, as long as you review PPT carefully, you can answer the questions smoothly. Our professional exams only have questions and answers. When a few teachers come to teach, they are divided into several sections. Each section is in the form of 2 out of 3 and 2 out of 2 1. We just need to choose the questions that we are sure of.
In addition, the final course grade is generally 80% exam +20% experimental report/assignment, and the score is marked as A+/A/B+/B? The person with the best test score will be A+, and then rank A/B+/B in percentage order. , A is GPA=4, B is 3, A+ is the so-called "three explosions and four explosions" (all major restaurants in HKU will give free apples to wish them "strength" during the exam week).
Campus activities
There are many club activities in HKU, and you will see all kinds of publicity booths on campus every day. Some students in the major joined the dance club, and some students participated in many hiking and mountaineering activities in the school.
(The choir rehearses before Christmas)
At the same time, HKU also has various lectures, performances and exhibitions. , will be published through the school's Daily Mail.
It may be because the campus is small and the public areas are relatively concentrated (after all, it is a vertical extension). I think HKU is a vibrant school. Every day, you can see all kinds of activities everywhere, including the canvassing of the student union, the performance of the Christmas choir, and the dance troupe rehearsing downstairs in our class every night. Sitting in a restaurant, you can hear people around you communicate in languages you don't understand, such as English, Korean, Cantonese, Japanese and Mandarin. The feeling of multicultural collision is very strong.
Tuition &; living expenses
The tuition fee of HKU-based master varies from major to major, which is basically around HK$ 65,438+300,000. Most majors will be handed in in two semesters (the reservation fee for our major is the tuition fee for the first semester).
The biggest expense in Hong Kong is accommodation, and the rent near HKU is generally more expensive than other places. Basically, 3-4 people share a 400 yuan. Are you proud of Zhan's bad grazing? 5000 Hong Kong dollars/month, 5000 Hong Kong dollars/month per capita. The school also has a small number of dormitories for graduate students to apply for. You can try. It seems that a single room is more than 6,000 Hong Kong dollars/month.
The average cost of three meals in Hong Kong is HK$ 30 per meal in the canteen. As for the shops outside, there are not only a few Hong Kong dollars of red bean paste buns, a dozen Hong Kong dollars of porridge, but also Japanese cuisine and hot pot with a per capita income of nearly 1000 Hong Kong dollars. Hong Kong is a famous food paradise, and you can see punch cards and Amway in your circle of friends every day.
As for shopping, Hong Kong can't afford it! You can pay attention to major shopping platforms and pay attention to discount information ~
Employment status of this major
I'm sorry that I can't share my employment situation with my personal experience for the time being because I'm still studying. According to the teacher, in the last session, five students continued to study PhD after graduation, and some students worked as research assistants in Hong Kong schools. The rest of the students either stay in Hong Kong or go back to the mainland.
In addition, HKU sends information about school recruitment by email every day, and there are also several large school recruitment websites in Hong Kong. Professional teachers will also release information related to the food industry, such as career talks, IFSA Spring Festival Evening, etc., so it will also be very helpful for job hunting.
Life in Hong Kong & Feeling and Experience
Maybe because I live in Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong is like Chongqing's 3D magic to me. Causeway Bay and Sheung Wan are places that Google Maps can't control, but I am already a half-life map.
The overall weather in Hong Kong is livable, and what I like most is its abundant sunshine. Although Hong Kong is very hot in summer, I can't stand it. On the contrary, the indoor air conditioning was too sufficient, which made me catch a bad cold soon after school started. But it will be really cold in winter! ! Most of the air conditioners in Hong Kong can't heat, so in this stormy winter, I can only go to Zhihua Pavilion to keep warm.
(Street view near HKU in film camera)
There are many high-rise buildings in Hong Kong, and the space is narrow. The fast-paced life is depressing, but there are also many warm and enthusiastic people in life.
There will be an uncle who will lift my luggage and help me up the steps; In the restaurant I often visit, the clerk always talks to me with poor Kemp; At 7- 1 1, my grandfather took the initiative to teach me how to heat lunch. As soon as he heard that I was from Nanjing, he gave me a thumbs-up and said that he had been there. That's a good place. Local in the profession takes everyone to eat all over the streets of Hong Kong every day.
For me, the greatest charm of Hong Kong lies in its tolerance, freedom and diversity. There are people from all over the world, and their ears are full of all kinds of understandable and incomprehensible languages. We don't care about other people's eyes, we work hard along our own track.
If the four-year study in Chengdu University made me fully feel the cultural differences in different regions of China for the first time, then the half-year stay in Hong Kong made me further realize the integration of world cultures. Perhaps it is precisely because of Hong Kong's unique geographical location and political background that cultural collisions and exchanges around the world are particularly brilliant here.
On New Year's Eve in Lan Kwai Fong, crooked nuts sang and reveled in the street.
Another charm of Hong Kong lies in that apart from the breathtaking high-rise buildings, there are many urban parks and natural landscapes: the sea, Taiping Mountain, Stanley, cheung chau island, Saigon, Repulse Bay and so on. Climbing slowly from HKU to the top of Taiping Mountain or sitting on the beach in Kennedy Town watching the sunset is probably the best way to comfort yourself after death. This is also a part of Hong Kong people's daily life.
Sea in Kennedy Town (near the West Ring Pier)
Hong Kong also perfectly meets my spiritual and cultural needs. For example, all the movies I want to see are shown here, and Aidou concerts are often held in Hong Kong and Macao. Another example is hmv and Commercial Press, which are two holy places in my mind. The former can not only find old vinyl records, but also find the latest albums in the first place. In the Commercial Press, I bought many Taiwan Province books that the mainland would not introduce. PMQ, a PMQ hidden in the streets of Central, shows the feelings of Hong Kong designers who will never land.
In my opinion, the significance of studying abroad may not only be to "broaden our horizons", but more importantly, to enrich our inner world by feeling different cultures and communicating with different people around the world.
Thanks to the culture and life in Chengdu and Hong Kong, it is completely different from the previous 18. I think I have experienced countless changes, such as being more confident and generous; For example, we can treat people and things from different angles more maturely, calmly and objectively, and respect every individual and every idea; For example, they will habitually reflect on themselves through what they see and hear; For example, although I can't cook yet, my self-care ability is absolutely top-notch.
Some students said that she felt more and more lonely in Hong Kong, but for me, after all, "loneliness is the shadow that I will follow behind me all my life", and the longest time we spend with ourselves, so the hustle and bustle, depression and fast pace of Hong Kong prompted me to pay more attention to reflecting on my past and thinking about the future when I was alone.
Finally, I wish everyone can apply for the Goddess School in their hearts!