It's already October, time is flying by! I feel like before I know it I'll be flying back home. For the past two weeks, I have been balancing school with various adventures.
School
I am currently enrolled in 4 courses:
LC2996 - Basic Cantonese for Non-Chinese Speakers (No Equivalent)
MGT2324 - Intro To Entrepreneurship (MGT320)
FIN4321 - Derivatives and Risk Management (FIN412)
EF3333 - Financial Systems, Markets, and Instruments (BUS313)
For a total of 12 credits. All of my classes meet once a week for 3-hour durations. We typically have 1-2, 10-minute breaks during class. I would highly recommend coming to class with snacks and buying coffee when you need it! in terms of difficulty. I would say my classes are about the same rigor as courses from the Shidler College of Business. Expect a lot of group projects and a heavyweight set onto your midterm/final. I would recommend trying to group with locals... although exchange students typically have a bad reputation for not putting in their work.
Adventures
Within these past two weeks I've traveled too:
Silvermine waterfall
Discovery Bay
Lantau Island
Hong Kong Zoo and Botancial Garden
The Digital Art Fair
Joe's Billards and Balls
My first month in Hong Kong was filled with nights out and a lack of sleep! Lately, I've traded that for more sleep and day trips around the city. Being my first time living alone, I've been learning how to better take care of myself. Now that Im settled in I have created better habits and routines. I've solidified my friend group and we go out every Tuesday to explore! Here are a few highlights:
Silvermine waterfall [9/28]
Silvermine waterfall is a short and sweet waterfall hike. It took 20 minutes to get to the waterfall. Along the way, you'll walk through various villages and temples. Getting out of the city really put things into perspective for me. Here, the air, as well as the atmosphere, was lighter, fresh, and relaxed.
Hike to Discovery Bay [9/28]
From silvermine waterfall, we made a spontaneous decision to hike towards discovery bay and take a ferry back to Kowloon. Along the way, we ran into a church, a banana farm, gorgeous views, a beach, and a ton of butterflies.
The Digital Art Fair [10/8]
The Digital Art Fair is an exhibition focused on creating a venue for everyone to appreciate, create, and collect digital and NFT art that embraces the use of digital technology in a "constantly evolving generation". For me, it was an Instagram post. Jokes aside, it was interesting to see how most of the paintings were secured by an NFT and were also priced in etherium. The cheapest paintings were about 1.5 Etheriums (~$7500 USD) while the most expensive pieces were about $150,000-180,000 USD. These paintings were completely digital, meaning they came with a TV, computer, and software. Overall, I enjoyed the exhibits, and seeing the digital pieces made me want to learn more about NFT's as an investment opportunity.
Reflection
Talking to people from around the world has truly widened my perspectives. Leaving home for the first time and entering a new environment has taught me so much about myself. Furthermore, seeing the money, growth, and wealth in Asia has demonstrated the ample amount of business opportunities that lie here. If anyone is questioning whether they should study abroad I would highly recommend taking the risk and going for it!