I got an opportunity to meet new students from other cultures during Orientation Week at Deakin. I found it to be fascinating as it is a completely different environment compared to high school. At Deakin, there were students from all over the world. We were attending lectures and tutorials together. But initially, it was hard for me to communicate with students from other countries as I am an international student with my mother tongue being Cantonese and Mandarin. Also, I am really shy and feel nervous that the conversation with them will end quickly. Hence, I was anxious about making friends from different cultures. This made me feel isolated and I found it difficult to fit in.
But this situation changed after I joined a few student clubs and societies, like the Deakin Sri Lankan & Indian Club and The Australian Union of Jewish students. They gave me a new perspective on Deakin. I got to learn more about different foods, events and traditions in various countries all over the world. This helped me to connect with other students and integrate into university life. For example, now I start conversations with other people and try to find out whether we have any common interests. It provides me with the opportunity, as well as for them, to learn about foreign languages, countries and cultures. I learnt that all these students are just like me; they feel lonely sometimes. But they are all nice and friendly. So we are all in the same boat. Now, I am enjoying the life of cultural diversity at Deakin while studying my double degree undergraduate course.
useful for a new comer.
ReplyDeleteThanks. No matter what happens in academic or social life, whether it is challenge or joy, it is better off for the new comers when we share our experiences to them and help them to enjoy university life
DeleteI love it how you are so willing to have new experiences - joining the clubs was a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jodi. The most important thing for joining student clubs is to choose the ones that you are interested in and get to know different culture, which will make you easier to meet new friends. It is always good to get different kind of new experiences in life and I will write more about my new experiences outside of university in my next post.
DeleteLovely post Sui. Reminds me of my early days at uni. Another tip is to look for student accommodation places. I stayed at a place with 3 other girls and we were all of different backgrounds. And you're right that its a fantastic opportunity to be learning from others, and also learning skills that you never knew you had in you =)
ReplyDeleteHi Karen. It is a hard time for those who finish High School and transit to University because I was one of them in few years ago. Sometimes you had some kind of unconsciousness or anxiety that creeps into your mind, when you have to encounter a different study envirnoment.
DeleteHowever, once you get used to it, it will be a great experience to learn from others. The reason is, we keep learning everyday.