Exchange Experience Sharing

Iris Chung, a year-three BACBS student, went on an exchange to the University of Birmingham last year and here is her exchange story.

I was very honoured to receive this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Going on an exchange to the United Kingdom has always been my dream and it finally came true. With the generosity from the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship donor, I am more than grateful to finish my exchange safely and bring home the unforgettable memories and knowledge gained.

This was my first time to step out of Asia and lived in the U.K. On one hand, I was thrilled about my forthcoming journey. On the other hand, I was concerned about my life without my family and best friends. Without their care and support, stepping out of the comfort zone no longer seems easy as they could not encourage me right by my side. Thus, I have set myself simpler goals to achieve to give myself less pressure. They were to meet some new friends, to be more active in class, to gain new knowledge and inspiration from my studies, and to truly find myself by figuring out what I want for my career. The reason why I set these goals was because of my personality. I have grown to become timid and silently tolerant towards those who have wronged me. Besides, I felt lost regarding my identity and potentials, since I would soon graduate from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. As this was a precious opportunity for me, I wanted to have a breakthrough in my personality and spiritual development.

The three modules I have taken for my exchange were “Discourse Analysis”, “Sociolinguistics” and “Twenty-first Century Literature”. I really enjoyed all of them, particularly the literature one as my home university does not offer a similar subject. During the lectures, a wide range of issues were examined and discussed through the lens of the literary world. For instance, racial injustice, warfare in the Middle East, and natural disasters in the world. I have received extensive training in polishing my vision and sensitivity towards these global issues. Since I was hugely inspired, I told myself to be brave and to share my ideas with my peers from time to time. I discovered that through the exchanging of ideas, I have become more outspoken and developed a more vivid personality. I am delighted with these changes as I believe that these improvements have also allowed me to become a better leader in the future.

Moreover, recalling my first encounter with my classmates from all over the world, I was shy to introduce myself to them. Fortunately, they were all very passionate and friendly. By reminding myself of my goals, I soon became friends with them in lessons while we occasionally talked about our cultural differences and academic studies. My outspoken quality has also helped me to connect with these people and develop friendships with them. My flatmates were all very helpful. We often talked in the kitchen while they helped me to adapt to the new living environment. I will never forget those precious days, and how I have become an improved being by realising my first three goals in my exchange.

My fourth goal was also realised in a way that I allowed more than one career options for myself. Before the exchange, I have always been interested in linguistics-related jobs. However, as I was heavily influenced by the lifestyle, culture, and promoted values in the U.K., I have also thought about working in the conservation field after coming back to Hong Kong, to give back to nature and our environment. Other than studying, I have also grasped the opportunity to visit the countryside of the U.K., and I am deeply amazed by its beauty. The lifestyle of the Britons promotes environmentalism. For instance, the three Rs are heavily promoted and executed. Movements such as the Extinction Rebellion were also held from time to time, for raising awareness and bringing people’s attention to the environmental issues and the government’s environmental policy-making. This scale of attention is rare in Hong Kong. Living in a concrete jungle, many people have lived too fast and never reflected on their relationships with nature. Thus, living in Birmingham and visiting other towns have made me think deeply about this aspect. The exchange experience has brought me to an unexpected place in life, where I somehow no longer think only for myself, but the sustainability of our environment and our future generations.


To conclude, I am very grateful for the exchange and everything it has given to me. I have grown to become stronger and braver after coming back, and am no longer the homesick child who did not take care of myself well at the beginning. My exchange at the University of Birmingham has completely changed me from within. I have become more enthusiastic and learnt to express myself better. Although my exchange was rather short due to Covid-19, still, three months has already impacted my life tremendously as I realise my unlimited potentials. Lastly, thank you once again for the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship donor. Their vital financial support has allowed me to enjoy my studies at the University of Birmingham and explore the United Kingdom without any worries. For me, exchanging to the U.K. is the most beautiful part of my life. May these memories linger in my heart forever.