University of Wisconsin–Madison

Hong Kong: Annaliese Bero

Program: Chinese University of Hong Kong Exchange, Fall

Annaliese’s Major: Computer Sciences

A view of dense treetops in the foreground, with buildings and hills in the distance.
This was the view from my dorm floor!

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?

Academics were fairly similar to UW Madison in terms of workload, structure, and content. One thing I found difficult was accents from TAs but professors were usually easier to understand. My major is computer science and I found trying to take computer science courses was complicated so I took mostly general education classes. I enjoyed getting to take the general classes because I learned more about Hong Kong in a unique way. I took a geology course and we took field trips to places I never would have seen otherwise.

My most memorable experiences were navigating a foreign country on my own. Hong Kong is a large, compact city and every building had countless businesses inside. I found it enjoyable to find hidden gems within the city. Also lots of very good food from all over the world!

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

The Chinese University of Hong Kong is far from the actual city. It is just a couple train stops away from Shenzhen, China. It took me around an hour or hour and a half to get to places in the city. It was very easy to travel all throughout Hong Kong though. The university provided various activities for international students to connect with other international students and local students too. I would highly recommend attending at least some of these events. They had cooking, painting, and tours! I would also recommend traveling while in Hong Kong. I was able to travel to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand and many other people at this program traveled to these places and more. Traveling from Hong Kong to other Asian countries was much more affordable and convenient compared to traveling from anywhere in the US.

A narrow street lined by closely-packed buildings, with a mural of an individual wearing a tuxedo on a wall. A tall galss building is visible at the end of the street.
This was when I was exploring some of the city in Hong Kong.

How did your identities impact your experience? What advice would you give to students with similar identities who are considering a similar experience?

I am Chinese but adopted at a young age so I do not speak any Cantonese or Mandarin. Because of how I looked, people in Hong Kong assumed I was a local and did not speak English to me. I managed just fine but did not expect people to assume I was local to Hong Kong. I also experienced this in other Asian countries when traveling too.