Tips to explore the world using PolyU

(without FAMA scholarship!)

This post is dedicated for my juniors or any PolyU students. All these times I've tried my best to help more but the effort are limited. Since I'm going to exchange in Switzerland this year, hope this post helps.

During my 3rd year in Hong Kong, I've visited more than 15 countries after studying in PolyU, using my own money. How?

To begin with, I study Aviation Engineering in PolyU. However, I'm always more passionate in doing community work and travel. PolyU is where my dreams come true and it helps to enhance the combination of my major and my interest.

During year 1, I met a bunch of exchange students and alumni, particularly Xuan, Paula, Kesaven, Sathya, Emily, Anna, Sophie and more who has inspired me a lot in doing solo travelling. I was like, "Good idea, why not?"

So i departed for Seoul, first solo travelling at the age of 19, with the money I saved from PolyU entry scholarship. It was random, I just googled search for "Seoul 6D5N" and printed the first results and set off. It turns out to be my best memory of solo travelling. I was young, excited and willing to try any single thing. I think I even accidentally joined a ritual for joining some religion haha.

I would never have the same courage like I the one had at that moment.

Then I will never miss any single PolyU Connect email.

One day while waiting for the lift in HungHom dormitory, i saw a poster blue-in-colour, saying community service in Nepal for 2400hkd. I went for the briefing, interview and got rejected by email. It was because I said "I don't agree with the solutions XX mentioned just now because... and we should...instead". That moment all the other locals (Hong Kongers) was looking at me in shock. (Little did i know all the locals have a standard SOP in answering interview questions that you should start with: I agree.) I did not give up and go for extra effort. I replied the email, saying that I wish to know why am I rejected so i can perform better next time. The next email I received informed me that two current participants withdrew and they would like to accept me.

Highlight of 5 semesters in PolyU since 2016

Entry Scholarship by PolyU

Sincerely lucky that i got this. Shout out to all secondary graduates, there's scholarship on-going (and i guess it's first-come-first-served basis, so act fast)!

• Yearly: 120,000hkd tuition grant + 40,000hkd living expenses (dormitory is around 6700hkd/sem)

1st Semester

This Nepal engineering project is the start of everything, in terms of social work and award winning. After the trip, I applied for #HKSARReachingOutAward (10,000hkd) and ISAS (GSAP now) #GlobalEngagementFund and #GlobalConcernAward (2500+hkd). There and then, I realized non-credit bearing overseas activity brings so much benefits that not only I paid little for the trip, I also won award and certificate of completion. This further helped me in apply more funding and award!

• Spend: 2400hkd

• Awarded: 12500+hkd
  

2nd Semester

The second semester I went to Rwanda for Service-Learning. A lot of PolyU programmes are based on 80-20 ratio (that student pay 20% and got sponsored 80%). The return ticket itself already cost more than ten thousands. However, I only paid 5000hkd for a trip to East Africa. This subject has enhanced my passion in community service and gave me a direction on how to achieved it. I became more appreciate towards life and believed that I have a purpose in this world. I learned how not to be influenced by single story and social media. "Don't listen to them, go see."

• Spent: 5050hkd

• Awarded: A life time of memories

Team 1: Be the very best!

3rd Semester

I joined HeartFire for volunteering teaching in Yunnan, China. With the combination of fun artwork, English elements and cultural difference between Christmas in Germany, Hong Kong and Malaysia, i guess children likes me hehe. After this, i started to seek sustainable solution to provide quality education for everyone who need it. I paid 2500RMB for the programme and post-trip travel in Dali. GSAP's #GlobalEngagementFund, #GlobalConcernAward (2900hkd) and #OutstandingCulturalAmbassador (2000hkd) made me even earned money from what I wanted to do and willing to spend.

• Spend: 2500hkd

• Awarded: 4900hkd

4th Semester

After Rwanda SL trip, together with eleven peers, we formed Tech4D under the guidance of OSL staff. We experienced the forming, brainstorming, norming and performing stages of a team. I must say that I had never experienced such teamwork in my whole life. Each ten of us comes from different major and countries, working together and unleash all of our potential together. This is a student self-initiated team and non-credit bearing that it is easier in applying fund. More will be elaborate in #Tech4D post.

• Spent: 1700hkd

• Awarded: 4900hkd

2018 Summer

I did my internship in Valencia, Spain through CAPS PolyU. With sponsorship from PolyU, including return ticket and daily subsidy, I stayed one and a month half staying in Spain, and two more weeks traveling with Tommy in Italy and Belgium. One incident is I #passportlost and claimed PolyU Travel Insurance.

• Spent: 30000hkd (included 10,000hkd mere travelling)

• Refunded: 15000hkd(CAPS) +7000hkd(insurance)

5th Semester

Going to Sri Lanka (03 Jan-10 Jan 2019) with Project Stars by OSD.

• Spent: 3000hkd

• Awarded: Unknown yet

6th Semester

Exchanging in ZHAW Switzerland.

Estimated budget: 100,000hkd

Scholarship: 19,000(IAO) + 30,000(FENG) + 20,000(entry scholarship) + 23,000(ZHAW exchange scholarship) + 40,000(borrowed from MalaysianChamber) Other than that, there are #GSAPOutreachingAward (2500hkd/sem) #RISE #SOAR overseas programmes and numerous awards by rich donors that you can apply!First thing you have to do is to stay tuned to all opportunities (usually in PolyU email) and all be prepared. Chances don't wait. Most importantly, do what you love, and what is yours is yours. A lot of people may think that they don't have enough resources at this stage. However, it has never been clearer in my mind that these 4 years in university are the only time belongs to ourselves. (Try imagine working life afterwards :(( I almost worked for all part-time jobs I encountered, to be responsible for my expenses. So, the only advice for you, JUST GO FOR IT! For whatever you want, care less on what people say, it's your own life after all and now it's the time you make changes for you yourself.

#PolyU #Scholarship #Community #Award #money #independence #Travel #Abroad #University #StudentLife