In my third year of study, I was given a chance to be an exchange student at Imperial College London, one of our prestigious counterparts in the UK. It was definitely one of the most fascinating and fruitful experiences of my life.

Life in London differs in many ways from that in Hong Kong, and I started afresh over there with no friends and family around. So, the first two things I learned were to be independent and quick to adapt. I also acquired a global mindset. I was in a class of around 90 students from 22 countries and my interactions with them were striking. When I talked with them, I learned about different cultures and got to know the state of development of the construction industry in different countries, which made me realise that there are so many opportunities worldwide.

I ended my journey there with a week working on a construction project. It was a group project starting with design and engineering drawing before we went on site to actually build the structure ourselves. It enhanced my practical knowledge of civil engineering.

That was my exchange experience. I hope you have such an opportunity during your studies and I am sure it will be an experience you will enjoy.

Albert Chen

Four years ago, I stepped onto this campus as an immature and insecure freshman. Right now, I am ready to enter society confidently as a civil engineer with a dream and a detailed life plan. Four years is not a long period of one’s life, but it was long enough for me to develop into a competent engineer.

The University and the Department provided me with multiple chances to better myself, both in my studies and in daily life. The professional training includes comprehensive and in-depth civil engineering related courses, practical training modules, a design project and a research project. In addition, an 8-week internship programme, which can be taken either in Hong Kong, mainland China or overseas, enabled us to practise design principles and put our ambitious ideas into real projects. All of those valuable experiences helped my all-round development and endowed me with a passion and genuine love for civil engineering technology and construction. I also gained multi-cultural exposure through a one-semester academic exchange programme at Purdue University in the USA, where I developed precious friendships within and outside of the University. The only way to understand a culture is by living there and interacting with residents. Thanks to my University, I had a chance to expose myself to a multi-cultural environment and embrace dynamic changes. I am proud to say that I am a member of FCE, and that I am a part of PolyU.

The Chairman of PolyU Council, Mr Chan Tze-ching, once talked about university education. He mentioned that an educated person knows everything about something and knows something about everything. PolyU gave me a chance to gain an insight into civil engineering design, research and innovation, but more importantly, it provided a platform to develop myself in various ways, in both business and negotiation skills, and gain insights into social development trends. Studying never ends at the moment of graduation. PolyU has taught me to be a lifelong learner, always curious for new knowledge and eager for continuous development.

Jason Sun

My first year at PolyU has nearly finished. It has been a very challenging time, but also exciting, interesting and meaningful. The civil engineering subjects offered highlight the diversity of areas within the discipline, covering environmental, geotechnical, hydraulics, structural and transportation engineering. One subject, Construction for Better Living, was enjoyably interactive. For instance, in addition to regular lectures and tutorials, we had a site visit to Disneyland. On the trip we had the experience of seeing classroom knowledge applied to the built environment and some of the ways in which our chosen discipline contributed to real life.

My class timetable as a university student was more flexible and wider than I anticipated. It was designed to enable me to explore interests other than engineering. For example, I took the Cluster Area Requirement courses Human Nature, Globalisation, Cultures and World Views and Science and Technology, which encouraged me to think critically and comprehensively.

I also attended the IC Training offered by the Industrial Centre in mid-August 2013. With a focus on engineering safety, the training was another essential and challenging addition to my efforts to become an engineer.

Tse Pui Yiu