Science Student Exchange Programme

Kevin Luk

Exchange Year (2005-2006)
Tsinghua University, China

At first, I was uncertain about my chance of success, but I applied for the Science Student Exchange Programme anyway. I was indeed fortunate to have been awarded an opportunity to go on exchange to Tsinghua University in Beijing for one year. Although I was excited to receive an exchange offer, I was really anxious about whether I would be able to adjust to the Beijing weather and culture.

Beijing is 17 times the size of Hong Kong, yet its population is only one half of that of Hong Kong. With a relatively lower population density, Beijing is host to people from all over China and across the entire world. Tsinghua University is located on the fourth ring of Beijing – a rural area – with three times the size of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a place where the brightest minds of the country convene. Tsinghua University is one of the key schools of China, and along with Peking University across the street, form a cradle for the leaders of tomorrow’s Chinese society.

Upon arriving in Beijing, I went through a period of feeling lost and unsure of my purpose as an exchange student for the year. Hence, I signed up for the various extra-curricular activities I saw around the university, and learned many new things, such as Korean, guitar, and CPR. Slowly, my life on exchange became fruitful and I no longer felt lost and without a purpose.

My one year on exchange flew by so quickly that I did not even realize when I began to fall in love with the Beijing way of life. I enjoyed riding my bike every day to attend classes, planning my travels around China, dining at inexpensive and high quality eateries, studying in a low-stress school environment, and last but not least, I enjoyed sitting in the heated room of my dormitory to appreciate the beauty of the snow-covered landscape of Beijing.

I made many memorable first experiences during my year of exchange, such as departing in the middle of the night to climb Mount Taishan and enjoy the beautiful sunrise; ride a horse and ride a camel in Mongolia; experience a long-distance 33-hour train ride to Chongqing; and see for my first time ice and snow sculptures, and rime on pine trees.

Looking back, I feel proud for having experienced life in Beijing, and for having studied for one year at one of the top universities in China – Tsinghua University.

最初還只是抱著一試無妨的態度去申請國際交流生計劃。幸運地，得到了往北京清華大學作交換生一年的機會。老實說，當時自己有很多顧慮，例如會擔心自己不能適應北京的空氣、衛生、文化等等。

北京的面積約香港的十七倍，人口卻只有香港的一倍，密度不高，卻有著來自全國以至世界各地的人的一個城市。清華大學位於北京四環一個屬於郊區的地方有著三倍香港中文大學的面積，匯聚了全國精英。清華大學是中國重點大學之一，加上只有一路之隔的北京大學，這兩所學府是孕育中國未來社會棟樑的地方。剛來到北京的時候，的確有一段時間覺得自己迷失了，覺得自己不知道這一年的方向與目標。於是，開始了去找尋來年的目標，每逢看見學校的課外活動，都會報名參加，也因此學了韓語、結他、急救等等。慢慢地，生活變得充實了，迷失的感覺自然地消失了。一年的時間很快就過去，不知什麼時候開始自己喜歡了北京的生活。愛上了每天踏自行車去上課；愛上了自己計劃的中國遊歷；愛上了極便宜又高質素的食店；愛上了沒有壓力的讀書環境；愛上了坐在房間的暖爐房欣賞雪景。

一年交換生生活中，我作出很多的新嘗試，例如深宵出發爬泰山看日出，於蒙古第一次騎馬、騎駱駝，在前往重慶的火車中一嘗坐三十三小時火車的滋味，以及在黑龍江這個零下二十度的地方第一次看冰雕、雪雕，和中國四大奇景之一霧。回想起來，自己曾經在北京生活過一年，在清華大學這一所聞名全國的學府渡過這一年，都有點自豪。