After 12-ish weeks of academics, assessments and Australia, the university term is now over. These are my wise-ish takes on my studies here:

Accidentally making friends

Friendships take time to develop, but there are a few things that help.

Surprisingly, the social events organised by the residential services team here were fairly anti-social (at least, the students were). Turns out, when students are given free food and a chance to mingle, they opt for the food over the mingling.

For that reason, I would say that my friendships developed more in accidental, organic places. My advice to people studying abroad (or anywhere for that matter) is to find activities you enjoy, and speak to others who also do these activities. You’re bound to find someone you’ll click with. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself – these things will happen in their own time.

Exploring the local area

Having friends certainly helped with this one (car privileges) but it’s not a requirement. For the first 2-ish months of my studies, I went out by myself. Celebrating academic achievements with a trip to the mall, museum or IMAX cinema was so much fun.

It’s impossible to see every sight in one semester, but creating a list is a good first step. Familarising oneself with the transportation lines is also important. In Australia, people have to use a “Myki card” to use public transport, but in comparison to the UK, the prices are very affordable.

Studies

My semester consisted of four subjects: using social media, screenwriting, multimedia journalism and making media. Among other things, my tasks included creating a social media strategy, writing a short film script, creating a 1,500 word feature article, and producing a student TV news bulletin.

From what I’ve seen, it is easier to achieve a grade of 80 here than the UK. But these easier grades are considered when they’re translated back to my UK university. Ten percent is generally deducted from the final score. This deduction can be frustrating when quizzes are part of the academic workload. A 20/20 on a fact-based quiz is hardly subjective!

As for the lessons themselves, lectures were online and tutorials were in person. These were not compulsory but considering I was paying for them, I went to as many as possible*.

*I did skip one to watch the next superman actor – David Corenswet – act in an upcoming movie which was filmed on the campus. That’s another story altogether.

Take every opportunity

Getting out of the comfort zone is a core part of any study abroad experience. It’s an amazing opportunity, which broadens one’s horizons and opportunities.

It’s a good idea to keep one ear on the ground – listening for competitions, events, and experiences. In my case, I sought out film sets around Melbourne. This got me invited to two film sets – The Mongoose (Liam Neeson) and Mr. Irrelevant (David Corenswet). Both were being filmed on my campus and I lingered around long enough to eventually be invited (a great technique).

Self care…

Understandably, studying abroad can be quite straining at times. The change in scenery, the distance from family, and the different culture can all be tiring.

So, I opted for some treats including watching some films, ordering a takeaway, and going for a swim (not in that order).

Like most people, I have found that finding comforts in the unknown helps me to adapt to it.

Taking time to reflect

Time flies by when you’re having fun. It also flies by when you’re studying abroad. I can’t believe I’ve already been here for over 4 months!

Now, I have another 3 weeks before I leave the land down under. After a trip to Sydney in 6 days, hopefully I will have more to reflect on and share…

#studyingabroad #australia #latrobeuniversity