Sabrina Wong
Year 4 student
BA(Hons) in Chinese and Bilingual Studies

I have always dreamt of going on an exchange to the United Kingdom and was more than grateful that it came true during the second semester in Year 3. I am thrilled and honoured to receive the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Scholarship that allows me to maximize my exposure and gain unforgettable experiences in the U.K.

I was worried and pleased at the same time when I was given a chance to exchange to the U.K. as the situation of the pandemic was still out of control. As it was the first time for me to live alone in a country a thousand miles away from home, I was distressed about whether I was independent enough to solve all the problems and able to adapt to the cultural differences in the U.K. On top of that, I had difficulty booking a flight to the U.K., which made things more unpredictable. Fortunately, things were sorted out, and I was able to come to the U.K. Hence, adapting to changes is a crucial skill and mindset for going on an exchange.

I believe going on an exchange is the perfect opportunity to challenge oneself. Thus, I tried courses from other fields by opting for social sciences during my exchange at the University of Birmingham. I took three modules, which are "Introduction to Social Divisions", "Crime and Society" and "Language, Culture and Communication: Digging into the Text". I enjoyed all courses, and it was the first time I learnt about sociology and criminology in the British context. Social topics such as feminism, race, class, criminal injustice, cybercrime and more have been discussed. It was fun yet also challenging as I did not know much about the social norms and perceptions in the U.K. Fortunately, my classmates and professors of the courses were friendly and helpful in giving me advice. The content of the lectures was thought-provoking as it broke my perception of concepts and required us to think from different perspectives. Another course combined linguistics and computer science and required students to use coding for linguistic analysis. It was a brand-new experience for me to apply linguistics through coding and mapping.

Students were encouraged to discuss and raise ideas casually during tutorials. At first, I was timid to speak up in class as I felt like I did not know the correct answer. Yet, the professor encouraged me by saying that my unique culture and experience can bring new knowledge and insights to other classmates. Therefore, I engaged more in discussions and had a cultural exchange with my fellows through discussing various social topics. I also learnt a lot about the U.K. from these tutorials. What I learnt during lessons was not only about knowledge and skills but the flexibility in thinking and adaptability to cultural differences. These soft skills enlighten me to be a better person in the future by consistently maintaining an open-minded attitude toward my surroundings.

Another biggest takeaway of this exchange is the precious friendships I made here. I had met countless fabulous people from different cultural backgrounds in the dorm and classes. Although we have diverse cultural backgrounds, we are really close with one another and often have flat dinners or activities together. There were times that I felt homesick and lonely, especially when I was sick without my family by my side. I am grateful that they did not only take care of me but also showed their empathy by listening and comforting me. Here, I gained family-like friends and became more independent in handling my daily life and emotions. Homesickness is inevitable but learning how to cope with it is the key to enjoying the exchange life truly.

All in all, this exchange has granted me precious memories and enhanced personal development. At first, I was concerned and sceptical about whether I could live alone without my family's assistance. During these few months, I learnt to believe in myself and never be afraid to ask for help. I never thought I could travel alone from Hong Kong to Birmingham with 40kg of luggage, live with someone I had never met, do all my chores, travel alone to other countries and more. However, I had overcome them, and these experiences definitely made me more confident and mature. Thank you once again for the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship that allows me to live to the fullest during this journey. This exchange will always be a fruitful and surreal episode in my life.