United States of America

I love my university! We have a strong biology program and tons of research opportunities for undergraduate. Most importantly, the famous Biology 5 is in our campus! The weather here is great, it is super hot at times but as a guy who hates cold weather and snow, Arizona is the best state for me. I usually study and do homework from Monday to Thursday, and from Friday to Sunday, it is the time for partying and hanging out with friends! There are a lot of parties in the United States, they are held at different people's houses and you can meet a lot of new friends from all over the world. University life is extremely great if you can maintain your GPA to some degree. The vital thing is that you have to balance between your academic and social life.

So, yeah, if anyone is coming to UA, welcome! GO CATS!!!

You are empowered with the power of choice the moment you wake up. As you reach over to snooze your alarm snuggled up under your sheets (that you probably haven’t been bothered to change for weeks), you wonder: should I go to class today, or should I sleep in?

Should I catch up on Netflix instead since it'll be more productive than going to your 100 people lecture where your attendance won't be taken anyway?

It's unlike high school, where every day was the same, consisting of waking up, having a full day of classes, hanging out with your friends after school and doing homework. You lived within a set pattern. In college, you’re no longer in a nest, with your parents or your teachers to guide and protect you. Every day is a blank canvas, and it's up to you where to start, and what to paint. You are suddenly in full control (or not) of what to do with the day and what to do with your life.

EVERYONE ELSE WORKS SUPER HARD AND IS CRAZY SMART AND TALENTED

I'm beyond grateful that I have Duke as my exploring ground. It's almost like I've been living a dream. As the bus makes its way up the slope, and the beautifully symmetric image of the Duke Chapel that I've always admired in promotional YouTube videos appears right before my eyes, I am reminded of how blessed I am to actually be here.

As I meet people who casually speak five different languages, as I struggle to find a free spot in the library, and as I read through college publications where literally every piece is written beautifully, I realise I am at a school where everyone else works super hard and is crazy smart and talented.

As my whole hall raves to cheesy songs at Shooters as and as we übered our way to themed frat ‘darties' (for those who don’t know: this refers to a day parties) in random farms in the middle of nowhere, I embrace the fact that all us intense library occupiers knew how to party and have fun. There's nothing like receiving care packages outside your door during midterm season when you feel like dying, and nothing more uplifting than when crowds gather to show love and support when your gay friend Jack speaks out against his haters.

I’ve sat in Kville from 16 waiting for Cameron doors to open the day before finals week. I’ve yelled our glorious fight song with my face painted blue, and felt starstruck when Grayson Allen touched my hand. And next term, I'm looking to spend one month living in a tent for tickets to the UNC game (I mean winter and the cold is no big deal in comparison to watching the Blue Devils give the Tar Heels hell).

Although fun, Duke life was far from perfect. It's hard to be a perfectionist when every single assignment counts towards your grade (no room for mistakes at all) and even though classmates are usually super supportive, it's pressuring to subconsciously know that everyone else is probably ten times as on their grind as you are.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES AND ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES REQUIRE CHOICES

It's tiring because of the endless possibilities and the endless opportunities that necessitate my indecisive self to make so many choices (where to eat for dinner? with whom? what to do tonight?). When I have barely enough time to breathe, I’m obliged to spend it socializing, going to events, and securing developing friendships.

To summarise: college is lots of work, and lots of play. Of feeling lost, and being uncertain. Everything I did in high school clearly pointed towards a clear goal: getting into college. And college is where I am yet to find myself, and learn to hold onto the things that define me when everything is being thrown at me. To find my hue within the rainbow.

It's been about 2.5 months moving into this new society, I've met dozens on amazing people (Uni students and staffs), they've given as much assistance as possible to help me along with problems. Even though it sounds perfect, but I do have inner pressure (from studying and work) that I could not express in any ordinary route. I've been depressed for the past 2 weeks, everyday I walk 1 hour towards the football field to gaze at stars.

Think backwards, I regret how I didn't qualify to study Chemistry, Physics and Maths HL. I studied all those in Standard Level, and yes you get pass the Diploma very easily, but in the end you have to catch it up in the University siding with harder minors to take care of. Therefore any engineers​ should really be prepared for massive stress and you will certainly have no time to play or socialize anymore.​

After I've made a long chat with my sister, she pointed out that it's something called growing pain. It turns out that it's "relatively common among teenagers" and it's a stage of where one's growing both in biological and emotional aspect. For more information concerning this topic, please check out "http://theconversation.edu.au/growing-pains-puberty-responsible-for-most-teenage-self-harm-4320 ". Luckily, in the process of growing, no Jason has been harmed. Haha~

Throughout this time period, I've recognize that we've been babysit for way too long, starting from the moment we enter Kindergarten till we graduate from Diploma, it takes a high initiative to make you a truly sucessful person in University. Remember whenever you're stuck at a problem, go for a walk or tell the person you trust that's physically around you. In the University, nobody will teach you the exact knowledge, but they will lead you to the path of how to learn the knowledge. Peace Buddy :D​

I’m currently studying in University of Washington in the beautiful city of Seattle. I haven’t declared a major yet but I’m hoping to be a chemistry major. Studying overseas is really challenging.

I was overwhelmed when I first got there. I barely knew anyone. I didn’t know the campus well etc. Everything was just different from Hong Kong and I felt really homesick at first.

UNIVERSITY REQUIRES MORE INDEPENDENCE

I also realized that I will not make friends that are as close as the ones that I had in high school. This is because we do not take the same classes, we have different schedules and that we may not live near each other. It may need much more effort in a huge school like mine to make friends. I need to be much more independent in the university.

One of the biggest surprises was that I get a lot of free time in university. I only have around 3 hours of class a day. Time management is very important as I can do whatever I want and I don’t even have to go to classes as attendance is not mandatory. That’s why I need to be much more self disciplined. It is easy to fall behind if you skip the classes. It is important that you keep up with your school work so you don’t have to catchup the week before the finals.

JOINING CLUBS IS A GREAT WAY TO MEET PEOPLE

During my free time, I like to bike around the campus to savour the enchanting views of the lake. I have also joined cycling and kayaking clubs but it is too cold to do these activities now. Joining clubs is a great way to meet new people as you share the same experiences.

As a huge football fan, I love going to the Huskies Football games. The atmosphere is just surreal. The stadium is enormous and packed with hardcore football fans, making it one of the loudest college stadiums in the US. The intensity is close to an NFL game and players from the team get drafted regularly to the NFL.

I get goose bumps when 72,000 fans chant ‘Go Huskies!’ together. The school spirit is great, it is so loud that you basically have to shout to the other person when you talk. It is like a huge festival on every game day. The only downside is that everyone stands for the whole game which is really tiring.

One of the best things in college life is that I get to take courses outside my major. I took a Music class on the history of jazz. It was a really fun class. I went to jazz concerts and watched guest performances in class. It is a good getaway from all the intensive STEM classes that I’m taking. I’m taking a psychology class soon. Really looking forward to it.

PLAN AHEAD & EXPECT CLASSES TO FILL IN A MATTER OF SECONDS

The registration process for freshmen is crazily hectic. Math and Chemistry classes are very popular in the university. I woke up at 5am to register for classes and all of the spots were already filled one second after the application was open. I had to constantly check for open spots. Registration is usually very competitive in a big college like mine. Thus it is really important to plan ahead backup options so that you have alternatives when your first choices are gone.

One of the most important pieces of advice I would offer to students planning to study in the US is to go to office hours, it is when the teaching assistants and professors will be present to help you. I was in an honours chemistry class, the only reason that I survived the demanding class was by going to the office hours to ask questions and get them solved. Though tough at first, going to college outside of HK is the time to take risks and try new things. Use your opportunities.

I am now studying in Albright College and majoring in Business Administration. I found that college life in USA was way better than I imagined. USA has a completely different culture from Hong Kong, no matter in their lifestyle or the surroundings. Studying in Hong Kong was stressful, yet, surprisingly in America you will actually find learning fun. Since my college is a small one, the relationship between professors and students is very close, we treat each other like friends rather than as students and teachers. Professors are more than willing to help and answer students’ questions. However, when I first came here, I found it pretty hard to adapt to communicating with Americans. I have to get along with people that have different accents as they come from various parts of the world. I also have to train up myself in speaking and listening to American English. This is what I found relatively challenging at the beginning. Overall, I still think America is a great place and I enjoy my college life so much!