Dastan Salehi

MA International Relations and Politics

Spending a semester in Hong Kong was unquestionably the best decision I made when applying in my second year. Feeling the shackles of my comfort zone erode as I embarked on an incredible journey to places I had only seen in Jackie Chan movies or read about in history books was truly a magnificent experience. The creation of new friendships and the constant awe of discovering and sharing new adventures gave me newfound self-confidence and appreciation for the wider world.

As most of the other exchange students, I resided on Campus dorms. This made it easy to reach other exchange and international students who were in the same boat. Events, organized by local and international students, were a constant feature of student resident life in Hong Kong. The local and the mainland Chinese students were very amicable and interested in fostering friendships with new students.

My favourite part of the exchange programme was our Saturdays. Every Saturday we would plan an excursion and venture to a new part of Hong Kong we hadn't seen before. Despite its small geographic size, Hong Kong's possibilities are truly endless. We would leave campus residence early in the morning and come home, exhausted, late at night. From days relaxing on the beach to hikes in the highest mountains, from Disney Land to late night market shopping, we always found something to do. My time in Hong Kong felt brief, and in retrospect I wish I could have spent more time in the city and beyond. But I will never forget the friendships I forged or incredible experiences I had.