My Study Experience at University of Adelaide
Time:2014-03-02 08:32:32 Clicks:
To Those Who Will Study in Australia
---My Study Experience at University of Adelaide
By Xueting HUANG from 2006 International Accounting (1)
On the 11th of Nov. 2010, I started my journey in Australia full of dreams and ambitions. Since then, two years have passed so quickly, resulting in successfully graduating from the University of Adelaide and making many friends. Reviewing my experiences in Australia, I find that I have matured a lot in many ways. I would like to record some of my precious moments in this short article, and hopefully it may give guidance to those who are going to start their journey in Australia as I did.
First day in Adelaide
I can never forget my first day in Adelaide. It was a sunny summer’s day. The first impression that Australia gave me is its beautiful sunshine and clear, endless blue sky which I had never seen before. The world opened for me as what its wide horizons and open spaces did. Soon after my arriving at the airport, I was picked up by the driver from the university and was dropped off at my homestay. My homestay mother, Ewa, helped to clean the house and showed me the way to the university. Thought she said it was about 30 minutes by bus, it took me 1 hour to get there. I felt a sense of loneliness at first, as I had never been to a place so far away from home, and a different country with totally different cultures. Then as I asked the way along the trip, the hospitality of Australian people warmed my heart. They took me to the destination and talked to me in a friendly manner, although my English was not as good at that time.
St. Peter’s Cathedral
Homestay in Adelaide
Just like most newly-arrived international students, I chose homestay as my first place to live in order to have a good language environment and to experience the Australian way of living. My homestay parents were very nice people, and it took 40 minutes from where I live to the university by bus. There were three other students living there, one from Shanghai and two from Hong Kong. My homestay owner was very caring for us. She often asked lots of things about our studies and lives. She also loves to share her interesting experiences with us. Before the final exam of my English course, she helped me to correct my essay and to prepare my presentation, so I got a good grade in my class.
River Torrens
Study in Adelaide
Studying in Australia is completely different from that in China. Nobody will push you to achieve the final grade - a pass, credit, distinction, or fail. Everyone has to make the effort to get what they want. Besides self-motivated studying, which is highly emphasized here, team work is also very important. Another big difference in education that benefited me a lot is that students can have their own opinions. They do not have to agree with the teacher. Instead, they can explain what they think at class and nobody will laugh at them.
The University of Adelaide
Although I had lots of pressure when I was studying in China, I feel studying in Australia is more intense. That made me fulfilled. During the two-year studying at the University of Adelaide, I learnt the world’s leading knowledge and made friends from throughout the world. More importantly, the self-motivated studying cultivated in me the ability to live independently, think independently, and to combine what I learnt with practice, thereby making me more competitive in my future career.
Oval of the University
Working in Adelaide
Working is one of the most important parts in most international students’ spare time. Working with a part-time job is a precious treasure for social experience and life experience. The most popular place for Chinese students to work is in a Chinese restaurant. At the end of the first semester, I found my first job as a cashier in a bakery. Although the wage was only 10 dollars per hour, it was still much higher than the average in Chinese shops. However, the job is much more tiring than what it sounds like. I had to work around 15 hours per week, which lets me really know the difficulty of earning money. During the second year’s studying, I also tried other jobs such as a receptionist or waitress, and met lots of friends from different countries. I learnt a lot about how to cope with others and live in the society, which can never be learnt from the university. There were many job opportunities in Australia after school. The key to getting a job is just keeping looking for it, and thinking about it rationally according to one’s own ability. After all, a part-time job is worth doing while studying overseas.
Michel’s Patisserie
Traveling in Australia
While studying in Adelaide, I went traveling to many different cities during my holidays, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Great Barrier Reef, Perth, and Tasmania. Australia is filled with the smiles like sunshine, the peaceful atmosphere, and the smell of flowers. Although I have graduated and will leave this country soon, the beautiful natural views still play in my memory from time to time. No matter where I am in the future, I hope I can come back again to refresh these good memories. Studying in Australia gave me the unique life experience. It is unique in that every international student has his/her own reward and feeling. However, one thing in common is that we all come here with a heart to pursue a wonderful and successful life.
Ayers Rock
The Twelve Apostles
Conclusion
In conclusion, studying in Australia is not an easy decision. One has to take the responsibility to tackle all the obstacles, economical, physical, or emotional. However, as part of the rewards, one can experience different culture, different natural view, and at the same time, accept the world’s leading knowledge. I will never regret making this decision. After the two-year overseas life, I have learnt how to look after myself, how to cope with people from different backgrounds, and grow up into an independent woman who knows how to confront the difficulties that I may meet in the future. I believe you will not regret if you make the same decision as me, because no matter whatever feelings or rewards may be, it will make you the one of the kind.
