Exchange report - University of Maryland By Cheng Wan Hei (Calvin)

BBA(IS&OM)

Content 1) Monthly Activity Log 2) General Exchange Information 3) Items to Bring 4) Useful Links and Contacts

1) Monthly Activity Log

Why did I choose to exchange to University of Maryland (UMD)? Since my CGA was not high enough to go to New York, UMD was the closest university that I could go. Just kidding! I was a big fan of House of Cards so going to DC was a very obvious choice. August 2017 My exchange journey began in Seattle where my cousin lived there. Instead of flying directly from Hong Kong to Seattle, I first flew to Vancouver because of cheaper flight. Then, I took the bus to the South. Seattle is a beautiful costal city with a magnificent natural view. I stayed there for a week before heading towards Washington DC. The University of Maryland is not located in DC but it is just 30 minutes away from DC by taking the subway. The school organized some orientation activities for exchange students one week before the school started. I met many friends in those events and some of them became my travel partners later. Orientation activities provided me with not just useful information and social opportunities but also free second-hand daily supplies and free food! (Actually, I had already paid for the events through student activity fee)

September September was pretty relaxing as the academic workload had not yet piled up. I grabbed the chance to travel around and join more social activities. I partnered with exchange students from Austria and Britain to tour in Philadelphia. In short, Philly is DC with tall buildings as it used to be the capital of the States. That's why many political buildings with long-standing history can be found there. At the same time, a group of skyscrapers are sitting next to the river, making its skyline different from DC. Surprisingly, my favourite part of Philly was neither political buildings nor skyscrapers. It belonged to the Japanese Garden. The operation of the garden is subsidized by the Japanese government to help the American to understand the Japan culture. The garden guides were very knowledgeable in the philosophy of Japanese architecture and design so I really learnt more about Japan than travelling to there directly. Look Fair was a big event in September. It was a student club information day held in the Mckeldin Mall. More than 100 student clubs and fraternities set up counters to do promotion. Some clubs I had never imagined existing like Roller coaster club. They demonstrated a roller coaster model in their booth. I thought I could play roller coaster every week for free but they just built roller coaster model in their meeting. One of my exchange goals was to learn how to speak American-accent English so I joined the Parliamentary Debate Society to maximize my chance of speaking English to native Americans. However, the best club must belong to Cryptocurrency Club. I didn’t find them at the Look Fair. Instead, I searched if there was any bitcoin club on the campus on Google. It did exist but not now anymore. Fortunately, a computer science student asked if any student were interested in cryptocurrency on UMD Reddit. Many students expressed their enthusiasm so the first meeting was scheduled in the beginning of September. I joined it and became the founding member! Most members were studying in computer science and one of them even worked as a Bitcoin Core developer. They could explain the technical concept in depth.

October I started getting busy in October as many midterm exams were scheduled in this month. Yet, I still managed to organize a 4-day New York trip with 3 other exchange friends. New York was more magnificent in my imagination than in reality. No one could get rid of the excitement when you were thinking of the visit to the center of the world. Perhaps I had a too high expectation or I stayed there only for short period of time. New York was not so awesome to a resident of Hong Kong, another world-class mega city. Those super tall skyscrapers, the never-ending nightlife and exotic restaurants could also be found in Hong Kong. But don’t get me wrong! New York was still wonderful in many ways! Walking in the Central Park could give me a peaceful mind in a city emphasizing efficiency. Metropolitan Museum of Art broadened my horizon by its wide-range of exhibits such as the full-size Egypt Temple. Apart from travelling, I began to write blogposts regularly on the Medium platform. Some articles were about my life in the US and some were related to my thought on cryptocurrency and blockchain. The Cryptocurrency Club even included my blog on the homepage. If you are interested, please visit https://medium.com/@cloudycalvin November The deadline for a 1200-word paper was approaching but I was very eager to complete this paper. This assignment was assigned by the professor of the entrepreneurship class. He required us to interview an entrepreneur about the challenge they faced during building the business and the quality of being a successful entrepreneur. My interviewee was a year 2 student starting up a blockchain-based business. He had already raised more than US$5 million via ICO for his start-up. Now you understand why I looked so forward to finish this assignment even though I was an exchange student without much of academic pressure.

Thanksgiving is a very important holiday at the end of November. It is comparable to the Lunar New Year in China. Many students headed back to their home to meet their family. For me, it was another good (and expensive ><) time to travel around! We decided to escape the freezing winter and embrace the hot and sexy Florida. Wooo Hooo! The Disney World was a must-do task in Orlando even though I was not the big fan of Disney. I was amazed by the Disney Epcot region with famous tourist spots from 13 different countries. A Torii on the lake, a traditional castle and a Tokyo-based department store with Japanese staff only were in the Japan zone of the Epcot. Leaving Orlando, we arrived Fort Lauderdale, a coastal city with an extraordinary view of Atlantic Ocean. I could literally see Portugal, France and Ireland when I looked at my telescope from the beach! Just kidding. I only see the pale blue color of the sky and navy color from the ocean. It was still gorgeous. To experience the sexy part of Florida, we took an hour train to Miami. It looked like South America with many Latino and palm trees. I found myself embarrassed when I spoke English to the local people. Some of them just cannot response in English. When the Lyft driver brought us to the south beach and passed the harbour, he pointed at an airplane landing on the sea with a clear difficulty of pronouncing the word ‘plane’. Miami was just so different from other parts of the US even Florida. We just stayed in Miami for half day and went back to Fort Lauderdale and prepare to leave. I called the Lyft to take me to the airport. That ride was such an unforgettable experience as the driver is by far the most technical driver I ever met. He was an IT developer in a cruise company but most surprisingly he invested in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum in late 2016. We even exchanged the LinkedIn contact to further discuss the subject. December The end of exchange was coming, I grabbed my last chance to visit New York again and take the CRE exam at the beginning of December. Many people were shocked when they heard that the Hong Kong government holds exams to recruit public servants overseas. Although I have taken the CRE, I still cannot apply for AO/EO because I forgot to apply JRE. Therefore, don’t miss the application deadline for these two exams if you are the final year exchange student. After the 6-hour exam, I still had 2 more days to explore New York. The Christmas tree in front of Rockefeller Tower was a perfect place to experience noisy Christmas in New York. There were so many people surrounding the tree and I had an illusion that

it was the Christmas day. The last visit to Metropolitan Museum of Art made me want to be a (fake) hipster. Visiting MoMa was a must for

(fake) hipsters 😊. In case you are not a hipster, MoMa stands for Musem of Modern Art. The most famous exhibit is The Starry Night from Van Gogh. Perhaps most visitors have only heard of this piece of artwork. Seriously, you should not miss this museum no matter you are a hipster or not. You will be fascinated by the creativity of modern artists. Remember to get the free ticket on Friday night! I feel like I wrote too much about New York and it is not fair to DC. I did go to many tourist spots in DC including Smithsonian museums, Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and White House. You probably have heard of those places before. Yet, I want to introduce a place in DC I just went there one day before I flew away DC. It is the Arlington cemetery, a graveyard for American soldiers. I liked the view there very much which captures most parts of DC. Most importantly, I was stunned by the powerful silence which made everyone salute to soldier’s sacrifice that they served this country until death. Some said graveyard was a good place to educate people. Now I know why. I spent my last week of exchange in the Western part. The first stop was Las Vegas, a city of entertainment. My main goal to stay in Las Vegas was not to gamble because I was almost broke at that time ><. Instead, I took two one-day bus trips to Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. Their beauty and magnificence cannot be described in words. If I only have two days to travel in the entire US, those three places must be on the top of my list. Then, I took the 7-hour shuttle to travel to Los Angeles. Honestly, Hollywood in LA gave me a feeling of Stanley without the beach. Interestingly, Thomas Edison’s handprint can be found in the Avenue of Stars. My very last tourist spot in the US belonged to the Griffith Observatory which is a good place to enjoy the skyline of LA and learn about how innovative the science education can be in the US. They teach you how to use daily materials to make a meteorite.

2) General Exchange Information Visa Procedures J-1 visa is required for an exchange student to study in the US. You need to apply a supporting document DS-2019 form on the online portal iTerp. Then, the DS-2019 form is sent from UMD to HKUST. After you pick up the document, you can pay the SEVIS fee online. The next step is to schedule the visa appointment. The whole process takes one to two months. The detailed procedure can be found in the Education Abroad page of UMD. Orientation Activities Activities are scheduled one week before the school starts. Some sessions are mandatory like the welcome session which teaches you the requirements to legally stay in the US such as the minimum course credits. Some sessions are optional like the DC trip and IKEA tour but I recommend you not to skip any session because you will meet some future classmates, travel partners and Hong Kong students there! International Services & Activities Christopher Olson is responsible for the business exchange program and Krista Uhrig is the exchange coordinator for all programs. Both are very helpful and nice. Don’t hesitate to ask them questions or chit-chat with them. For visa problems, you can also consult Patrick Frazier who is the International Student Advisor. Accommodations There are several types of on-campus housing. You can apply it directly on the portal. I was living in the single room of the Leonardtown apartment where you can share the kitchen and bathrooms with 5 other students. Apartment is the most expensive residential option but you can choose to withdraw from the meal plan which is compulsory for all other types of housing. Course Registration Exchange students are given the priority to enrol in the course before local students but you need to submit the application via email directly to the exchange coordinator responsible for your school. Teaching & Assessment Method

Course code

Name Credit Description Equivalent course in HKUST

BMGT408E Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Business

3 Content: It provides students with a basic understanding of big data and AI such as tools for processing big data and various types of neural network model. Even Students without any programming experience will not come across too much problems. Workload: 1 case study + 10-min group presentation + several in-class exercises + 2 in-class quizzes + NO final exam! Teaching: Prof Gordon Gao is an excellent professor who asks us many questions during the class to encourage us to think.

IS 3000 level

Other: you need to have a laptop with 8 GB ram and 30 GB free space

BMGT461 Entrepreneurship 3 Content: It covers the whole process of starting up business, including idea generation, team formation and financing. Workload: 5-min individual presentation + 15-min group presentation + 4000-word group paper + 1200-word individual paper on interviewing an entrepreneur + 1 midterm + 1 final exam Teaching: Prof Oliver Schlake loves telling stories. Even you are not interested in entrepreneurship, you will still enjoy all the fun stories.

MGMT 4220 (4 credits)

BMGT485 Project Management 3 Content: It covers both theories and real-world examples of project management. You may find this course quite easy if you love crunching numbers. Workload: 4 case studies + 2 simulation games + 3 midterm exams + 1 final exam (optional) Teaching: Although the course content is not very interesting, I learn a lot from Prof Hassan Ibrahim as he loves to ask questions to force us to think critically!

ISOM 4750

HIST136 Moneyland: Business in American Culture

3 Content: It guides you to understand the history of America from the business perspective, starting from colonial period until Enron scandal in early 2000s. If you don’t like history, I don’t recommend you to take this course. Workload: highest among all 4 courses! 14 weekly 200-word essays + 1800-word final paper + 1 midterm exam with 2 essay questions + 1 final exam with 2 essay questions Teaching: Prof David Sicilia doesn’t upload the powerpoint slides so you need to copy the slide content during the class. He also loves telling interesting stories. Other: 2 textbooks are required

HUMA 3000 level

Sports & Recreation Facilities There are two sports centers, i.e. Eppley in the North and Ritchie Coliseum in the South. Basic gym equipment is installed in both places but the rock climbing facility and swimming pool are only located in the former one. Even though you are too lazy to work out, attending the American football match is a must-do event in the US as you will be fascinated by American’s enthusiasm for sports. Almost all seats are occupied in the university stadium with its size comparable to the Hong Kong Stadium. Many College Park residents join the match to support the Maryland team. The bottom line is that you have nothing to lose even though you don't like it as the match is free of charge.

Finance & Banking (including currency / expenses) A local bank account allows you to use the debit card, credit card and e-payment app like Venmo which are the 3 most convenient payment methods in the US. It can also save you overseas processing fee when you shop at Amazon. Capital One bank is the only bank located on the campus. Bank of America can be reached within 10 minutes from the south of the campus. Which bank is better? I haven't made a detailed comparison but Bank of America is a nationwide bank which means you can withdraw money from most part of the States. Social Clubs & Networking Opportunities In the mid-September, most clubs set up their booths in the Mckeldin Mall to attract new members. You are not required to pay for membership fee before joining their activities which is different from UST clubs. I have joined two clubs, i.e. Cryptocurrency Club and Parliamentary Debate Society. If you are interested in bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain, you definitely cannot miss the Cryptocurrency Club. Many members have experience in developing blockchain-related applications so you could ask for the explanation of some complicated concepts during the club meeting. Regarding the Parliamentary Debate Society, you could learn a lot about the US through discussing social issues. They also welcome new members to participate in the competition held in different universities. More student club information can be found in the links on the last page. Apart from social clubs, the English Conversation Partners program helps you to connect with other international students. The group is led by a local resident who organizes activities for newcomers to understand the culture of America and Maryland. For business students, many career fairs are held throughout the Fall semester. You can mingle with other final year students and recruiters to understand more about the job market in the US. Don't want to be an employee? SPARK competition gathers students from the various background with entrepreneurship spirit to produce a presentation deck within 2 days. Health & Safety It is compulsory to enrol in the university-designated student insurance plan which costs about $700 per semester. You can receive vaccination in the Health Center without any charge after the enrollment. Alternatively, UST clinic also provides vaccination and verification of immunization document for exchange-out students at a reasonable cost. You may feel ill after receiving vaccination so I suggest you not to do it just few days before the flight or during orientation week. For the cost of other types of treatment, you can refer to the detailed insurance policy provided by the insurer. UMD alert is the SMS and email notification system offering you real-time update on emergent incidents. More safety tips can be found in the orientation talk delivered by the university police department. Food If you are living in the non-apartment on-campus housing, you are required to purchase the meal plan in which you can enjoy buffet almost 24/7 in three dining halls. Although it is expensive, you can meet many exchange students and formulate travel plans there. There are some fast food restaurants including Taco Bell, McDonald, Subway, Panda Express and pizza stores located in Business School, Engineering School and the Student Union building. More dining options

can be found outside of the campus but within the walking distance. If you miss Asian food, you can try Vietnamese noodle, ramen noodle and bubble tea on Baltimore Avenue. Eating out usually costs you between $8 to $20. For poor students like me, cooking by yourself is the best choice. Spaghetti with broccoli, chicken breast, shrimp and tomato sauce only costs you $4 on average. Transportation There are three airports in the Greater DC area. Only Ronald Reagan airport (DCA) is connected to the metro that you can take it to college park directly. However, most international flight land in other two airports. You can find more information about transportation between those two airport and college park from the university website. Metro is a cheap and convenient way to travel around in the Greater DC area. Most famous tourist spots including Smithsonian museums, White House, Lincoln memorial and congress building are covered by the metro network. You can buy a metro card from the vending machine and top-up it with cash, credit or debit card. Uber is a good option if you have a rush. Usually, the car arrives within 15 minutes. Remember to search for promotion codes if you are the first-time user. University of Maryland doesn't look like UST that you cannot find most classrooms and lecture halls in the same academic complex. It could take you more than half an hour to walk from the engineering school to the business school. Fortunately, there are many bus lines connecting all popular spots in and out of the campus, such as the shopping mall and the metro station nearby. Most importantly, it is FREE of charge! However, most lines only operate in weekdays. If you feel unsafe to walk in the campus at night, you can call for the nightride which is provided by the university police department. Some of you may think taking the bus in the campus is such a lazy act but walking just wastes too much time. Then, share-bike will be your good friend! There are two types of share-bike varied by their parking locations, i.e. anywhere you want or specific stations. If you love cycling, I strongly recommend you to cycle along the riverside of DC. Climate August in College Park is as hot as Hong Kong. The temperature drops below 20oC after September. November there is colder than Hong Kong's December. You can taste the falling snow and walk on the frozen lake (at your own risk!) on some days of December. Communication The whole campus is covered with high-speed WiFi network so you only need the sim card when you are outside the campus. Yet, some popular apps like GroupMe require a US phone number for registration so it is better to get a local sim card. AT&T is the closest telecommunication store located in the south of the campus. If you don't need too much data and don't care about the speed, some cheaper service plans can be purchased online from small carriers such as Simple Mobile. Beware of the covering regions as you may not receive any signal in other states for some service plans.

Cautionary measures Please keep in mind that recreational marijuana is illegal in Maryland.

3) Items to Bring

towel Body Wash ATM Card

shorts Shampoo stationery

trousers Toothpaste, toothbrush Foreign currency

shirt Plastic bags Security Device for e-

Banking

underwear medicine headset

Socks Tape Comb

hanger backpack shaver

Jacket umbrella flip flop

Travel suitcase adapter mobile phone charger

sim card calculator USB cable

Tissue laptop Phone

watch suit Wallets

ID card

4) Useful Links and Contacts https://agnr.umd.edu/sites/agnr.umd.edu/files/_docs/%E9%A9%AC%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E7%94%9F%E4%BC%9A%E5%AD%A6%E7%94%9F%E6%89%8B%E5%86%8C.pdf http://globalmaryland.umd.edu/offices/international-students-scholar-services/helpful-links http://calendar.umd.edu/cal/main/showEventList.rdo http://orgsync.umd.edu/browse_student_organizations https://terpsafterdark.com/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UMD/wiki/marylandprotips#wiki_freshman_advice http://forums.umd-cssa.org/