HKUST vs. CUHK – What Changed My Mind?

For those who know me well, they know that I made the decision to quit hkust and enroll in cuhk during my very first year as a freshman. Back then, I didn’t think much of it, but now it turns out this is one of the craziest things I have ever done. So I decided to write this down because it’s kind of a big deal for me, and I think this might be useful for those who share the same thoughts or are struggling to find a university they truly like.

My story

To be honest, I had been wondering which university I liked for quite a long time, and it wasn’t until Form 6 that the reality hit me — I still had no idea what I was interested in or which university I preferred. So, when I applied for JUPAS, I just filled in whatever programs I thought I could get into and checked which universities my friends had chosen. After the DSE results were released, I received an admission letter from ust.

Things should have gone smoothly after getting into ust, and I should have been satisfied, trying to pursue higher achievements(?). However, during my time at ust, I found myself trapped in a kind of emptiness (let’s just call it that since I don’t know how to describe the feeling). As many have said, ust is known as the university of stress and tension, though I didn’t feel much stress or tension myself — I just didn’t like how I felt at ust. I’m not saying it’s a bad university, because it definitely isn’t. But I couldn’t help feeling stuck.

I never missed a class (at least not in the first semester lol), and after classes, I go to the library to revise and study (and watch YouTube). But as time went on, I was left with this sense of absurdity that kept growing, almost to the point of depression. I had no idea why I felt this way, and even if I could identify some causes, I didn’t know how to fix them. Every single day, I kept asking myself, “Why am I here?” but I got no answers from the endless questioning. So, I decided to take a gap year to figure out why I was doing all of this, what the meaning of it was, or at least to clear out the absurdity of my monotonous life.

But soon, I realized that a gap year wouldn’t help, so I decided to quit ust. After doing some research, I found that JUPAS (the platform for local students with DSE results to apply for universities) was still open. So, I quit ust and reapplied through JUPAS. After all the waiting and uncertainty, I finally got into the university I listed as my top choice — CUHK.

Just to go a little off-topic, it’s kind of funny that I always disliked hku, yet I put hku as my first priority the first time I applied for JUPAS. I didn’t even consider any cuhk programs back then. However, the second time I applied, 90% of my choices were cuhk programs, while none were from hku.

So in 2023, I became an undergraduate at CUHK. I wasn’t expecting any drastic changes, but at the very least, I hoped to feel better in a new environment. And it turns out — I didn’t experience any feelings of absurdity, emptiness, or depression at cu. Not kidding, I was magically cured. I studied the same major, followed the same daily routine as I did at ust, but the feeling was just… different. I’m not trying to flatter cu or say anything to convince people to choose CU over UST. I didn’t have the idea of quitting ust from the beginning, but as time went on, things just got worse. However, cu is different — I’m simply happier here. Of course, this could work the other way around for others.

Differences?

And that’s basically all I have to say about why I quit ust and joined cu. But aside from my personal experiences and feelings, I have some thoughts about the differences between the two universities, which might be helpful for those of you applying to universities.

Only after quitting ust did I realize that cu has so many general education courses, including college general education (6 credits) and university general education (6+9 credits). (For details, refer to course-review). This can be quite annoying, as some instructors are really tough graders. Moreover, due to the diverse backgrounds of students — such as taking a fh course with students majoring in philosophy — you might encounter challenges that ust students don’t face, since, as I remember, ust doesn’t have that many common core courses. However, despite the overwhelming number of general education courses, they are indeed quite educational and thought-provoking. So it really depends on how much you value studies beyond your major.

Another key difference is that cu feels more like a secondary school setting, making it harder to pursue multiple majors. In contrast, I believe ust is more flexible in this regard — I recall a student at ust who pursued four majors and two minors.

CUHK is HUGE! The university occupies an entire mountain, and we even have free shuttle buses. While HKU also provides shuttle buses (as I remember), cu offers them for FREE. I believe the campus layout contributed to my discomfort at ust. With almost all classrooms and lecture halls packed into a single building, there weren’t many chances to get fresh air — just moving from one classroom to another felt somewhat depressing and oppressive. However, at cu, expect extreme heat when moving between classes, and be prepared to get drenched during the rainy season.

About scholarships and exchange opportunities, there’s not much to say here, but I believe cu offers more support and opportunities. Scholarships and exchange programs are available at the college, faculty, and university levels.

Speaking of colleges, cu has a total of 9 colleges, which is something unique among universities in Hong Kong and often considered a defining feature of the university. However, beyond scholarships, exchange opportunities, assemblies, and general education courses, the differences among colleges aren’t as significant as one might think. While each college has its own culture and history, it seems that due to various reasons, cuhk’s uniqueness has somewhat faded over time. If you’re interested, you can search for more details on this topic.

This is quite a noticeable difference for me. Just to clarify, what I’m saying is based purely on my personal experience. Many of the teaching staff I encountered at ust were from China, and their accents were sometimes challenging to understand. Some of them had a rather “machine-like” teaching style, especially in the Math department. While they might be great scholars, teaching is a different skill. That said, I did come across enthusiastic teachers as well. In contrast, at cu, most of the professors I encountered are local, so even if I’m struggling, I can ask questions in Cantonese, which makes things much easier.

As the name suggests, ust is more focused on science and technology. The facilities are slightly more advanced compared to cu, and they provide printing quotas, which are quite convenient during midterms and finals. At cu, the availability of printing quotas depends on the department — for example, Information Engineering (IE) and Computer Science both offer sufficient printing quotas, so it’s not a major concern for me.

Overall, these are my observations on the differences between the two universities.

One Last Thing

So far, I’m quite satisfied with my experience at CUHK. I’ve met nice people, made good friends, and achieved a fairly satisfying academic performance. Whenever I walk along the University Mall (百萬大道) — whether I’m heading home, going to another lecture hall, or just taking a stroll — I always feel refreshed. Especially in autumn and early winter, taking a walk there makes me feel like there’s nothing to worry about, just to keep going and enjoy the breeze.

Again, I’m not saying that CUHK is the best university in Hong Kong, but so far, I really like it — regardless of who the principal is or what people call it in unusual ways. Finding a place you truly like can be difficult, but CUHK made it simpler for me.