One of them is Samuel Yakobus, an undergraduate student from Indonesia. Since 2019, Samuel has been studying electronics and information engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is also a full PolyU Entry Scholarship recipient.

“One of the contributing factors of choosing Hong Kong is that it is a modern, bustling and lively city,” Samuel explained. “I was trying to find somewhere that has more contrast from where I came from.”

Samuel first heard about PolyU at his high school’s university fair. Then, he sought more information from a senior who also went there. He applied after discovering that PolyU had a global university ranking

Samuel has been enjoying a pleasing balanced campus life.

“My classmates are usually helpful and friendly. Students are generally working for excellence in academics.”

“The library is usually full during midterms and final season, but at other times, such as the beginning of the semester, it is quite relaxed.” He reminisced. “You could feel the determination to do excellently during these assessment seasons.”

Samuel emphasized that university life was all about independence and getting the most out of one’s education on their own terms.

“Students can always be proactive to ask questions and receive help from the professors.”

On the other hand, Samuel also acknowledged that PolyU offers tremendous academic support for its students. The university provided him with an academic counselor and a General University Requirements (GUR) adviser to guide him through non-subject-specific courses.

Applying for visas has also been very convenient for Samuel.

“PolyU sends us our No Objection Letters to the department.”

The university officers’ assistance in directing students during their visa application certainly helped Samuel gain more opportunities.

“My major had a scheme where we can take one gap year to work, called the One-Year Internship Scheme where I can work in an Integrated Circuit design start-up at the Hong Kong Science Park. The electronic and information engineering department was really helpful in showing support during the visa processing journey.”

Apart from the One-year Internship Scheme, Samuel also joined OxBridge Summer School in 2021 with some subsidies from PolyU, but his extracurricular activities did not stop there.

“A significant experience was when I joined the PolyU Racing Team,” he recounted. “It was quite a challenge to apply things that I learned from textbooks to practice. The PolyU Racing Team gave me an immense opportunity to do hands-on work, including sanding the dashboard, soldering wires and gluing the dashboard to the chassis. It was quite challenging when you were asked to come up with a solution on your own. However, when you saw the end product and you knew that you were a part of this amazing team contributing to the development of this cool racing car, it was worth every second, sweat and teardrops. ”

But activities were certainly not lacking on campus. Samuel and his team joined the 2020-2021 EIE Microcontroller Design Application.

“My team and I ended up making an automatic garment folder, and we had a great experience learning about electronics and teamwork. Moreover, we received a Merit Award, which was quite surprising to us,” he beamed.

Meanwhile, Samuel’s off-campus life is just as exciting, if not more.

“In Hong Kong, you can find various kinds of international types of food, due to the international nature of the city,” he described. “Even though Hong Kong is best known for its glossy skyscrapers and world-class attractions, there are a lot of natural places to explore, such as Cheung Chau Island and Sunset Peak.”

Despite the comfort offered by PolyU and Hong Kong, Samuel is dreaming big. He considered finding employment.

“I have been dealing and tinkering with electronics at school and in my internship. I really enjoy it even though sometimes it is quite challenging. I still think it is cool to find solutions to problems in technology. I am excited to create a technical solution that people find innovative and reliable at the same time.” Samuel added.

From his experience, Samuel definitely recommends others to join PolyU as an international or exchange student.

“I would recommend PolyU to those who are looking for schools located in the middle of the Hong Kong metropolitan area. Opportunities for academic excellence and personal growth are here ,” He continued. “If you are looking for quality education in one of the world’s most exciting cities, PolyU is your choice for a diverse community of great teachers and peers.”

Undergraduate admissions at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University are now open for the 2022 intake. Apply now.

Questions? Check out our video series to learn about the new program structure and help you with the application process.

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