Jessica's 3rd entry - Uni as an exchange student
Today I am writing to tell you something about what it feels like to be an exchange 'Student' (capital S) at the Swinburne University of Technology, and in the Faculty of Human Life and Social Science in particular. In fact it is now two weeks since classes begun, and this means I am starting to get an idea of what 'uni as an exchange student' may look like, and which are the differences between the classes here and at home.
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This is not a fotomontage! |
First of all I have noticed that all the classes I chose are rather small (about 15-25 students, not 60-70 or more as I was used to). This obviously leads to changes in the teaching style and the opportunities of discussion in particular..
In fact most of my subjects are based on seminars, which means that a certain amount of time is dedicated to discussing, asking questions and searching for answers; which is quite different from most of the ?lezioni? in my home institution.
In fact it would be quite difficult to ask for everyone's opinion, arguments or suggestions with such a large group, or it would take quite a long time! ;-)
And to tell the truth it took me some days to overcome my fear of speaking in front of the whole class, especially as it is in a language which is not the one I use to speak at school, which makes it harder to express complex thoughts (such as philosophical theories)..and I am often afraid of not being able to express my ideas clearly enough..but once I tried it it didn't hurt that much actually..and I really felt I had overcome a big first hurdle.
Writing research reports, essays and making class presentations is another chapter.. ;-) And pretty soon I will have to face that one as well, as most of the subjects I've taken are based mainly on those kinds of assessments, rather then the final exams I am used to.
But both professors and fellow students have been really kind and helpful, so I hope it won't be that hard!
What else? Of course the beginning of classes doesn't mean that nothing else but studiyng can be done ;-).. in fact Melbourne has so many things to offer, new places to discover; such as the Guggenheim Collection at the National Gallery of Victoria (where you can grab a liquorice candy from a sculpture made out of a mountain of them-'endless supply' it says! ;-) that's weird!) or the Melbourne Aquarium with water dragons and XXL sharks which swim right over your head, and much more!
Another thing you could do: working. In fact what I regret not having thought at before coming to Australia is the possibilty of working. In Melbourne it seems to be quite easy to find a part-time job, even for students from abroad; this means it is easier to find a job then in Italy, and the overall wages seem to be much higher too. That's an opportunity to keep in mind if you're thinking about becoming an exchange student in Melbourne, especially as there are so many different and exciting ways to spend money too ;-) (But remember to apply for a working visa first!)
And who wouldn't try to make the most of this experience?! Especially if you've travelled so far..
As Ola a friend of mine has told me: 'nobody can take you what you'll see and experience away! That's for your life..'
And there are many different ways of doing that, I think!