What our students say

You will understand the true essence of Boston City and the American culture.

I would highly recommend one to join the study abroad programme, as it not only makes you a more independent individual but also allows you to challenge yourself to be more proactive in understanding different cultures. As you bring your experiences back to Hong Kong, you will also bring back the good qualities which you picked up from people or situations during your stay. However, it is important to note that you should try to make as many friends from the university as possible and ask as many questions as you can. Only then you will understand the true essence of the city and the American culture. But most importantly, do not miss a baseball game in Fenway Park and do have the lobsters, they are a speciality.

Remark: Jasdeep demonstrated phenomenal improvement in his intercultural competency upon return. He scored over 60 points higher in his post-programme IDI test, successfully moving from Polarisation towards Adaption (the highest orientation along the intercultural development continuum) within 6-week time.

My six weeks at Boston University was a pivotal point, and I would not trade it for anything else.

Having been educated in Hong Kong for half of my life, I was quick to spot out the drastic differences between the education system in America and Hong Kong. While Hong Kong’s education is more purposeful, and you can track your progress over time easily, the American education system fostered critical thinking and self-growth. I believe I will benefit more from the American system more due to two key factors: the interactiveness and the individualism highlighted through each class session. The exposure to the two different education systems allowed me to understand more about what approach I would like to take in developing myself. Although 6 weeks are short, it has redefined and sharpened my critical thinking skills. It has pushed me to recognise the importance of being opinionated and act on voicing it out because it will add value. It has also allowed me to embrace the concept of progression and life-long learning - which is fundamental in all aspects of life from relationships, education to career.

"Truly an eye-opening experience."

I would encourage everyone to participate in Study Abroad. It is truly an eye-opening experience as you get to partake of the local life, find out other alternatives in life. Before my program, I had never consider a career outside of Hong Kong. After my program, I found out that the US was such a dreamy place. The energy in New York made me so motivated and galvanized. I think it is a great chance for you to learn more about yourself and the world outside. 

"SA experience will enrich yourself from all aspects and you will always find it valuable during the lifetime."

This journey to Boston University is meaningful to me and to my whole life. I not only gained more professional knowledge during the study but also experienced the authentic American cultures. I lived and studied more independently, and I became more open-minded. It also challenged my ability to tackle emergency situations and I finally managed it on my own. It makes me a more developed student with more life experiences and a broader horizon. Studying abroad is meaningful because it always gives you insights into another culture and makes you have greater vision. 

I appreciate the emphasis on the feedback system at BU.

Especially during my film class, our work would be read out to everyone, and constructive feedback would be given by not only our professors but also the students. It paves more routes for development on your work, and it also allows you to understand where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

If I were to share one word to future participants, it would be “experience”. Studying abroad is one of the best times in understanding yourself due to the responsibility and independence that comes along with it. By keeping this word in my mind, I said yes to many opportunities in those 6 weeks. It propelled me to meet new people from all walks of life who had taught me different life lessons.

Ultimately, as cliche as it sounds, studying abroad will broaden your horizons but only if you are willing to make the most of it otherwise you will just be following the typical routine and habits that you used to have and change will not be part of your journey. Embrace and experience while you can and grow from it.

The teaching and learning atmosphere at BU is very encouraging.

The US education system encourages life-long learning. In the classroom at Boston University, some older people came to study Multi-variate Calculus just because they love math. There were also talented high school youngsters who spent the summer learning university courses in advance. A person who already worked as a brilliant surgeon wanted to be better equipped with math knowledge also joined the class. The atmosphere welcomes and embraces all of the students. Students here are also courageous to ask questions. Professors, to my surprise, never requested the questioning students to check the book by themselves.  Instead, they would explain the theory to the students patiently until the student understood it. What I have learnt is don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they are stupid ones!

Teamwork is always crucial in career life. From experience at Boston University, I learnt how a problem is solved through it and how good friends could be made during the work process. Teamwork is far more than dividing the whole work into several pieces, and everyone is in charge of their own. I highly recommend prospective participants to treasure the communication process here at BostonU, don’t be afraid to share your thought, don’t be scared to ask questions in class and don’t be scared to talk to people you will meet here. It is a super lovely city with kind and cheerful people! 

I now have a good idea of how American values and other socio-cultural norms manifest in the learning and teaching experience.

One such example is that while the theory is still the backbone of any economics course, regardless of where it’s taught, there is however more critiquing of key underlying assumptions that occur in-class rather than taking them as given and focusing straight away on the technical aspects. This reflects far deeper notions of questioning and critiquing academia (and authority just in general) than in other parts of the world. Furthermore, the liberal arts style of education also reflects values placed towards the individual and their freedoms through educating them in a variety of different areas and the opportunity given to individuals to almost wholly design their own tertiary education experience.

Though I ultimately didn’t perform too well in the final exams, I felt I was doing quite well in classes and was able to grasp most concepts with relative ease despite the limited break time between classes. So I believe this helped train softer skills such as mental flexibility. I viewed this as necessary not only because this is an aspect tested by graduate school exams such as the GRE with constant switching between quantitative, linguistic, and abstract recognition abilities.

Remark: Jeremiah demonstrated great improvement in his intercultural competency upon return. He scored 30 points higher in his post-programme IDI test within 5-week time.

I highly recommend all of you join the program in summer vacation – you won’t regret it!

Step out of the comfort zone and chit-chat with those international students, it is a valuable chance to meet and understand different cultures. Boston University cultivates an international circle for you to live and study, which benefits your critical thinking and communication skills. If you are going to join the program next year, plan everything well, including the course and travel before arrival. Cherish every moment there for bringing a memorable experience to your lifetime!

The Debriefing Session offered by CB before leaving Boston University was beneficial. I suggest you mark down what you have learned and experienced before the Debriefing Session, or even write a weekly diary for jotting down the beautiful things!