Being involved on campus helps you to stay active and meet new people. Even though I am only here for a semester, they encourage all exchange students to join clubs and organizations for a semester to get a glimpse of what student life is like at HKUST. There are so many clubs that exchange students can join; and to be honest, I have joined way more clubs here than I have ever done at Drexel! I am signed up for at least 6 different clubs, which include the track club, two food societies, and the art club. My exchange buddy Ansh from Mumbai told me that it is great to join clubs for the semester because it really helps to interact with the local and exchange students that I probably wouldn’t meet in the classroom. I’m am excited for all of them and hope that I can meet more students.
HKUST Track Team
I really enjoy the track team/club because it allows me to do something I love, while meeting others. I haven’t been able to do track since high school, so being able to train with the track team and compete in some of their meets is definitely going to be a highlight of my time here. We have had training for 2 weeks now and it is paying off. I get the exercise I need and get to learn different techniques from the senior team members. Their practices are more intense than I’ve ever experienced; and it is harder to run because of the humidity. I’m not used to running in such hot weather all the time, so it impacts my breathing at times. However, track is fun! We had our Welcome Dinner at a Dai Pai Dong and then went to get dessert afterwards. During the dinner, I got to meet some of the local girls that I would be running with and some more exchange students from France. While eating dessert, some of the guys on the team wanted me to try more traditional Chinese desserts, so we now have a checklist of desserts I need to try while I’m here.
Each society has planned a welcome dinner for their members to get to know one another and have fun together. The International Cuisine Society is taking use to another Dai Pai Dong, but it is supposed to be different than the ones I have gone to so far. The Culinary Art and Culture Society is having a Yacht Party for its members where we get to fish for our own seafood and then learn how to properly cook them. I am most excited about that event and I really hope it fits into my schedule! I probably will learn a lot from all these societies and hope to make meaningful friendships with the people I meet.
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