Study Abroad Experience:
City University of Hong Kong

When I first flew into Hong Kong, I was amazed by the towering mountains and blue water from the plane window. The airport itself felt futuristic yet effortlessly organized, and the excitement of arriving in one of my dream destinations distracted me from the usual claustrophobia I feel on long flights. What surprised me most were the small cultural differences. In New York and Slovakia, walking is fast and stopping suddenly is unusual, but in Hong Kong, people walk slower and change direction without warning. I grew to appreciate this more laid back walking culture, and it taught me that there is no "correct" way to do things, just many different ways shaped by culture.

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Navigating CityU's maze like campus was a challenge, nine interconnected buildings where finding a classroom felt like solving a puzzle, but I quickly learned not to be afraid to ask for help. I also became more socially proactive, stepping outside my comfort zone on the first day to meet people in my dorm, which led to friendships that defined my semester. Beyond that, I adapted to Hong Kong's more indirect communication style, picked up basic Cantonese, and managed my budget well enough to travel to Thailand, Taiwan, and Tokyo, something I could not have done in New York. Academically, CityU's lighter weekly workload allowed me to focus on depth over busywork, especially in electromagnetics and signals and systems, which shifted how I think about my professional future. I now value environments that prioritize deep understanding and offer flexibility to travel.

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What I will remember most vividly are the sensory details, the taste of iced milk tea, scenic bike rides, and the view of mountains and blue water, but the friendships built at sunset swims and on trips will stay with me for a lifetime. Looking back, I would have planned my travel earlier and given myself more time for airport transportation, but I would still say yes to every trip and every social connection. Most of what I feared, the long commute, finding friends, feeling claustrophobic, never materialized, and what did go wrong taught me resilience. To future GLASS students: be open, build routines, balance curiosity with rest, and accept that discomfort is temporary. Meeting people from Singapore, Uganda, China, Germany, and the Netherlands taught me more than any class could, and that shared openness made everything else possible.