My parents immediately left Hong Kong for mainland China after they helped me unload the luggage in my dorm room. Before they left, we had the chance to have lunch together at one of the canteens on campus. There are three canteens: AC1, AC2, and AC3. AC1 canteen is located at Yeung Kin Man building and serves cheap, small-portioned fast food that is, on average, cheaper than the food from the other two canteens. AC2 canteen (in the Li Dak Sum building) offers Chinese and Japanese-styled food for a higher price than AC1's. AC3 canteen (in the Lau Ming Wai building) makes Western-styled cuisine, with most of the dishes small-portioned and priced on the middle to high end of the spectrum. I liked the AC2 canteen because it is cost-efficient (i.e., overly sufficient food serving at a reasonable price (~HKD$40) and free drinks and beverages) while maintaining a flavorful taste and a wide variety of options. My parents and I each ordered one bowl of rice, two main dishes, one bowl of soup, and one cup of tea for HKD$40 per person. Depending on the canteen, you may pay in cash (AC2 & AC3) or an Octopus card (AC1, AC2, & AC3).
The first week was the orientation week. During the week, when I walked by the receptionist area in the Yeung Kin Man building that greeted the exchange students, they offered a one-time tour to IKEA to purchase useful tools, mattresses, blankets, pillows, etc. I picked up a notice at the receptionist area that told me when and where I could acquire my student ID card. To get your ID card, you must come at your scheduled time and present all the required documents for a smooth experience. I recommend waiting in line earlier than others since many people are at around the same appointment time slots as you. I received my student ID on Thursday afternoon of the same week. Once you have your student ID, you may use it to travel to and from campus more easily by tapping the card on the card-reading machine at the entrances. The card-reading machine will open the gate for you to pass once your identity on the student ID has been verified. Next, you can also use your student ID to print papers and enter the Run Run Shaw library. Furthermore, on a side note, if you ever want to eat at the AC1 canteen, the student ID will come in handy as the AC1 canteen is only open to authorized personnel and thus needs to verify your student identity before letting you proceed to order.
During the first week, I also attended an opening ceremony hosted by the College of Business at CityU. In that meeting, I met other exchange students from across the world, most of them from Europe; I also signed up for various events and activities that I thought could maximize my experiences in the four-month timespan. Some of the events required me to pay a deposit which will be returned to me once I fulfill the obligations of attending the events I sign up for. I signed up for two field trips, weekly table tennis competitions, and the Mid-Autumn Festival workshop.
As for class registration, CityU already registered all the six courses that I wanted to take. However, I did not realize that a single class at CityU could take three hours, and the level of academic rigor was also competitive and rigorous from what I have learned in the syllabus. To balance my travels and study, I decided to drop three of these courses and added a course to keep my credit count at 12. In Hong Kong, you must maintain a minimum of 12 credits to be eligible for a student visa, and I organized my schedule such that all four of my classes will happen on Thursdays and Fridays. In other words, I will have the other days of the week free to give myself enough time to explore Hong Kong and its unique culture and landscape.
Last, regarding Typhoon Saola, the typhoon happened during orientation week such that the College of Business had to cancel the field trip to Lan Tau Island scheduled for Friday of that week. People in Hong Kong panicked as they flocked to supermarkets and grabbed all the bread on the racks, causing unnecessary shortages. When I went there, I remember witnessing a ridiculously long line of customers with multiple shopping carts of necessities waiting to check out. I do not endorse buying things panickedly or frantically, but at the same time, it is best to have enough goods in stock that will help you weather the storm. In Hong Kong, when the typhoon becomes severe, many stores and restaurants tend to close, causing significant inconvenience in obtaining supplies and food.
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