The Travel Guide

James Pickens (COL '12)

Beijing, China

I didn't expect the quality of life in China [to be] so different from how the media portrays it. While economists go on about how China will overtake the United States' GDP, Chinese people in the capital still have decades to go before they reach Western levels of sanitation and product quality. From a hidden housing bubble to paralyzing overcrowding issues, China is far more complex than the picture we receive from the media.

Wendy Wang (MSB '11)

Hong Kong

Even though my family lives in China now, I haven't spent more than three months here at a time [because] I was born abroad and have always lived outside of China — even though I'm Chinese.  Going abroad to Hong Kong was a great way for me to get more in touch with my Asian roots and to experience that area of the world more.  But even for other international students, I would highly recommend doing a semester elsewhere if possible because you still get your Georgetown education while seeing more of the world — but maybe that's just my travel bug speaking.