Life as we know it

-By Aretha Zhen

Life as we know it

“I think Josh Duhamel from the movie ‘Life as we know it’ is truly one handsome guy!”

“No, he is definitely not handsome at all"


"Well your perception of who is handsome and who is not is utterly devastating!”

“No, it is you who has no taste at all!"

"No, it is definitely you!”

Cuttttt….. I’ll stop writing more about any stupid arguments…..

Hmmm well my beloved readers, hello! Please don’t be surprised with the stupid arguments I put up there. Those dialogues happened between me and my friends approximately a year ago, a time when we used to have arguments regularly. However, it only made me realize that although my friend and I may come from the same country but we indeed have different tastes. Well, that's why this post is called - life as we know it. Life could be kind and life could be bad too.

Coming to Australia as an international student, I'm sure a lot of you would have found out that Melbourne might be very different from your home country. It could be a lot bigger or a lot smaller. But all of this just makes me realize that studying in a different place is a new challenge. And the biggest challenge that possibly confronts us all is the difference in opinion and culture.

Getting back to the stupid dialogue I put up there, made me realize that everyone is different. No matter where we end up in the future- whether here in Australia or back in home countries or even some other planet (hehe..just joking. Sure thing not another planet, unless we are the crew of Star Trek, which I think will be quite cool:D), we will have a clash of opinion with others. All we need to remember is that everyone is different. So just be yourself, embrace what life offers you and get back every time life wants to beat you down. Just remember, life itself is one great big adventure! That’s why this life is the life as we know it!

As for my life at Deakin, the first time I came here I just went - oh My God! The term was very hectic as I had put a lot on my plate and I was going crazy trying to cope up with everything. I was stressed out and I knew that I needed help so I come to Student Life - the absolutely magical place where we can find out any information we need. From them, I found out that Deakin has a special service for international students called ISS - International Student Service Support. Just fix up an appointment with the ISS office and tell them your difficulties.Trust me, speaking to them really helps!

Up till today, Australia has been treating me well and I believe it will do so in the future. I try my best to enjoy every single moment of my student life here and am trying to make the most out of it. We international students, being away from family, can keep quite busy with either work or studies. But try to find time to spend with friends, and obviously, time to visit and explore this beautiful continent. Never forget, wherever you are now or in the future, keep trusting yourself, make new friends, and enjoy your life!


Cheerio

Melbourne: the city we all love

Deakin rollercoaster - the ups and downs of university life

-By Ryan D'Souza


When I started to think about this blog topic, I had no idea where to start and where to end. Really speaking, the ups and downs of university life are so many that one can go on and on. You ask any student about his/her experience at university, and you can come up with a huge book.



Let me share with you my experience at Deakin. The first good thing was that I received an offer letter from the University. Being accepted by a prestigious and renowned university gave me immense pride. When people asked me, ‘Which university are you studying at?’, and I replied, ‘Deakin,’ it gave me a tremendous sense of satisfaction that I had decided to pursue my dreams at one of the best universities in Australia.

But then started week one!


The system of education in Australia  was completely different from that in my home country. During week one, I was bombarded with lots and lots of information about units, assignments, workshops etc and as the weeks kept flying, I wondered how was I surviving. There is also the cultural transition that international students have to make, and this can be a very difficult process at times. The good thing is that you don’t have to feel stressed - the university is there to help you and of course, you have friends whom you can always rely on.

Speaking of friends, I have made and continue making new friends from different countries - friendships that I will cherish forever. I have also had the opportunity to mentor new students and this has been very fulfilling for me. Doing well in exams and obtaining good grades has been very rewarding as well. Balancing studies and work has helped me to become more focussed and improve my time-management skills. Above all, my post-graduate studies have broadened my thinking and equipped me with skills that will certainly help me in my professional career.

I am waiting for that special day - the day we all look forward to! I can already visualise myself standing in a line waiting for my name to be called and then being crowned a graduate! At that moment, I will think about the first day when I started my degree at Deakin, I will think about the struggles and difficulties I faced, I will think about the hardships and the trials I went through, I will think about the sleepless nights I had, and I will smile with a tear in my eye, and say, ‘Well done Ryan, it was worth it!’

A big decision: How I applied for course transfer at the end of my second year

-By Sui On Tang

After finishing my second year at Deakin, and almost finishing a major in accounting for my undergraduate Commerce degree, I wasn't sure about what other majors I could take/ or was interested in for the remaining one year of the course. Also, I didn't have much hope for a course transfer since my first attempt at doing so at the end of Year one had failed. As the requirement for course transfers is average Distinction (70%), I knew my application would be rejected since my average was about 69%.

However, I could not resist applying for a second time. I really wanted to transfer to something that was of more interest to me – Bachelor of Arts (International Studies)/Bachelor of Commerce, where I could major in History and Accounting. As I had studied VCE History in high school and enjoyed it, I knew that studying History will not only give me a broader perspective on things, but I could choose a career of my liking at the end of the course. As a result, I put in my best effort to fill out the personal statement to persuade Deakin to allow me to change my course.

After a long waiting period of two months for the result of my application for course transfer, I was delighted to know that my application was approved. Indeed it was a brave and big decision for me, when I thought about the options of my future career in Hong Kong- my home country. In Hong Kong, Arts, especially History is not a popular subject. Parents don't really look upon it favourably and there is lack of opportunity for Arts students to get into high paying jobs. Luckily, my parents support me in my choice of pursuing History and so I haven't encountered as many difficulties as others.

Now I enjoy my current course and have also discovered some new hobbies, such as creative writing and literature. I believe that it is better to study a subject that I am interested in and build opportunities in that field rather than securing a high paying career that I may not enjoy. Now I hope to be into publishing, museums or maybe even becoming a historian. I know what I want my future to look like. My tip for you: if you are still not sure and just pondering about whether your course is right for you, I suggest you go and meet a course adviser in your faculty or career counsellors in Jobshop. They are really helpful and knowledgeable staff who can help you in planning a great career.