(潘皓霖，108-1香港理工大學交換學生)
In this reflective journal, I want to first say thank you for the NTU Civil Engineering and Polyu Building and Real Estate Department for letting me exchange in the NTU 2019/2020 semester 1. During the exchange period, I really learned a lot, not only the academic knowledge but also the way of living. This exchange period also let me know what makes Taiwan beautiful is not only the attractions, but also People in Taiwan as well.
In NTU, the academic material might be slightly more challenging and difficult than in Polyu. I saw a meme that describes NTU stands for Nobody Teaches You. I think it is partially correct. In NTU, lecturers or supervisors encourage the students purchase the textbook and study it at home. Then the teacher will base on the basics and develop more difficult questions. On the other hand, there are many lecturers in Hong Kong just refer the lecturers’ notes or PowerPoint content to teach students. I think this is why NTU and its students are the most top in Taiwan. This exchange trip reminds me that pre-study is very important in the process of study, I will try to maintain it in my future study in Hong Kong.
Taiwan, I really love the country due to its culture and people. There are many history and culture that are well preserved by the Taiwan government. Taiwanese will protect and show their history without any lie, for example, the indigenous culture and people in Tainan. Taiwan can always combine Tourism and local culture together to maintain a sustainable industry. Also, many Taiwanese are very kind, the NTU student counseling service did provide some support for us during the Hong Kong protest period, even we were exchange students only. I really did appreciate what NTU has done. I also received some assistance from one Taiwan person when I visit Taiwan last time.
The most unforgettable trip in Taiwan must be the Circle half Island Tour. We started to cycle from Kaohsiung to Taipei. I started this trip with my friends cuz I heard someone said, riding a bicycle is the most appropriate speed to see through the whole Taiwan. The trip is very physical power and training demanding, we only managed to reach Taichung through the Sun moon lake only. The picture above is I took during the trip in the Sun Moon lake. Although the trip is very hard, it is a very treasurable memory for me in Taiwan.
Next time if I visit Taiwan, hope I will be well-trained to take the Circle Island Tour and explore Taiwan more. Lastly, I want the give special thanks to Ms. Liu in the NTU Civil Engineering Department to handle our exchange in the journey. I really appreciate NTU and staff in the NTU Civil Engineering Department to provide many good quality teaching and assistance in my exchange period.