A Day in My Life as an Exchange Student at CUHKSZ

One thing I really appreciated during my exchange at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen was the balance between academics, freedom, and everyday life. Compared to the fast-paced and highly packed schedule I usually experience back home in NTU, life here felt more flexible, but at the same time, still productive and fulfilling. Over time, I slowly built a rhythm and routine for myself in Shenzhen, and honestly, that routine became one of the things I enjoyed most about exchange life.

My Weekly Academic Schedule

For me, classes were from Monday to Thursday, which meant I effectively had a long weekend every week. I was taking the maximum load of six modules:

• MGT3210 Strategic Management

• MGT2020 Principles of Management

• MKT3030 Integrated Marketing Communications

• MKT4040 Strategic Marketing

• IDE2000 How to Start a Startup

• GEA2000 Modern Chinese History

Despite taking six modules, my timetable was very manageable. All my classes were 1 hour 20 minutes long and relatively spaced out. My daily schedule was also quite routine:

10:30AM - 11:50AM First Class

1:30PM - 2:50PM Second Class

3:30PM - 4:50PM Third Class

My schedule was very comfortable, and I appreciated that my mornings weren't extremely early, while my evenings were still completely free.

Mornings at CUHKSZ

Most mornings, I would wake up relatively slow, get ready, and head down for class. One thing I enjoyed about CUHKSZ was how convenient everything felt. And because the campus is very modern and well-maintained, daily student life felt smooth and comfortable.

My mornings would be:

• Wake up around 9:30AM

• Grab McDonald's at 10:AM

• Take the shuttle bus at 10:15AM

• Arrive in class before 10:30AM

Lunch Breaks

After my first class ends at 11:50AM, or 12:20PM on Mondays and Wednesdays, I would usually head for lunch with friends. But since we're at lower campus, we only have 4 options to choose from. Nonetheless, most of the time we'll be eating at Shaw Canteen, as Shaw Canteen has an area with super long seatings for large groups. I usually dine with Thai friends as we have class together on Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Academics That Felt Different

One thing I liked about studying abroad was that I felt less pressured academically. Because my exchange grades only required a pass, I found myself approaching learning differently. Instead of constantly worrying about scoring, I focused more on:

• Participating

• Exploring ideas

• Enjoying projects

• Interacting with classmates

Especially for modules like:

• Integrated Marketing Communications

• Strategic Marketing

I found myself willing to try more creative and experimental ideas during projects and it made learning much more enjoyable.

Evenings in Shenzhen

After classes ended at 4:50pm, my evenings were completely open. And honestly, this was where exchange life really began. Some days, I would:

• Head back to my dormitory to rest

• Attend meetings

• Do work

• Or simply relax

• Other days were much more social

Playing Table Tennis

One of the things I regularly did was ask my friend out for a casual game at the Sports Hall. I’m not a good player, beginner at most, but I genuinely enjoyed the sport because it was:

• Active

• Social

• Relaxing

And after spending the entire day in classes, it felt nice to move around.

Dinner and Pool with the Other NTU Students

Very often, me and the other NTU students would head out together at night. Usually we would:

• Dinner at the nearby mall

• Pool (Xingyao Shiji Tai Qiu 星耀世纪台球/368 Zhuo Qiu 368桌球）

• Exploring malls

• Even Cat Cafe at the Dayun Tiandi

Over time, these spontaneous outings became part of our routine. And honestly, some of the best exchange memories came from completely unplanned nights.

Exchange Student Frisbee Session

Another really common activity was frisbee. At night, many exchange students would gather around the sports areas to organize casual frisbee sessions. Even if you didn’t know everyone initially, it was actually a really easy way to:

• Make friends

• Meet people from other countries

• Stay active

My Favourite Me-Time Activity

Sometimes though, I preferred having time alone. One thing I really enjoyed doing was walking from campus to the nearby neighbourhood area.

It takes roughly 20 minutes on foot but the walk itself is nice too. The neighbourhood had:

• Local food stores

• Wet markets

• Grocery shops

• Fashion stores

• Random small businesses

• Massage Stores (Look for 郑远元, its a neighbourhood massage chain)

which made it feel much more local and authentic compared to the modern university environment.

If you continue walking further down:you eventually reach:

• Longgang COCO Park

There’s also a night street nearby that becomes quite lively in the evenings.

Karaoke, Cat Cafes and Dayun Tiandi

Another place we visited quite often was Dayun Tiandi. Not just as a group, but I love visiting there alone too. We went there for:

• Karaoke

• Meals

• Cafes (There's a bookstore cafe there too!)

• Casual Hangouts

One place that I especially liked was the cat cafe, which I would take a look when I'm alone too. At the rooftop, there's also an area with basketball courts, tennis courts, football field, and even a "Uncle Ringo" there. The whole area felt very youth-oriented and energetic.

Final Thoughts

Personally, I think the real beauty of exchange lies in the everyday routine. The repeated shuttle bus rides. The random late-night dinners. The casual games of table tennis. The walks to nearby neighbourhoods. The conversations after class. Those ordinary moments slowly become the experiences you miss the most after leaving. And for me, that was what life at CUHKSZ truly became, which is a comfortable rhythm of learning, exploration, friendships, and freedom.