Student Experiences

My Time in Taiwan

By Amity Huang
(Attended in Spring 2022)

Imagine this; you’re on your way to the airport, feeling the anticipation of going abroad all on your own for the first time. From almost missing your layover flight to arriving at a quarantine hotel late into the night, you look forward to the first day of class with excitement tinged with a bit of anxiety. This will be the story of my experience as well as some tips as one of YouHuaYu BEST Program’s first recipients in collaboration with Hunter College, unveiling my life in Taiwan and what I had come to learn and realize along the way.

Life in Kaohsiung

By Catalina Bedoya
(Attended in Spring 2022)

Introduction

Upon arrival in Taiwan, I was hit with a shockwave of fear. I was in a new country alone with just a suitcase and a mind full of ambition. Determined to face anything in my way, yet so excited for the journey ahead.

I made my way to the south of Taiwan - Kaohsiung and underwent quarantine. During quarantine I would stare out the window for hours, planning in my head the places I want to visit, the food I want to eat, and the things I want to do. It felt so unreal to finally be in a place I’d worked hard for. When the quarantine was over, the first thing I did was locate a breakfast spot. I ordered 燒餅夾蛋(pancake egg)，油條(fried dough)， and soybean milk, a very traditional breakfast. It definitely lived up to the hype.

Studying in Taiwan

By Michelle Yu
(Attended in Spring 2023)

I landed in Taipei on a late March night. Exhausted from traveling for the past sixteen hours with two heavy suitcases in tow, I dreaded having to find my way home. However, I soon realized the transit system was shockingly intuitive — and English was everywhere: from the signs to the ticket machines to even the train announcer. Within a few minutes, I’d already found my way and settled in for my two-hour journey from Taipei to Kaohsiung. As the train started moving, I watched the trees and buildings zoom by outside my window, and the landscape of Taiwan unfolded before me. I felt myself smiling — my journey was finally starting.