Study in Australia: Experience is wealth

Chen Min graduated from Suzhou University with a bachelor's degree in international finance in 2001; went to Australia to study in 2002, and obtained a master's degree in business from Macaulay University in 2004. Today, she is a consultant to Education International Development Australia. As studying abroad in Australia attracts more and more attention, let’s see what experience and suggestions Chen Min has.

Chen Min felt that what he learned in college was not enough, and he also hoped to have a better starting point for work in the future, so he considered studying abroad before graduating from college. Out of his fondness for the Australian climate and environment, Chen Min set his sights on studying abroad in Australia.

In 2002, after working for half a year, Chen Min got a language visa to go to Australia. At that time, his IELTS score in China was 6 points. At the language school, she devoted herself to learning English. She said: "I integrated listening, speaking, and reading improvement training into discussions and games, and never missed any opportunity. After 12 weeks of study, I took the IELTS test again. , the total score is 6.5 points.”

Language improvement: It is safer to enter a university language center

Before entering professional courses, when choosing a language training institution, Chen Min recommends choosing the language of the university. center. She said: "Because the basic classes in language schools are more suitable for new immigrants, and the academic English in them is not closely connected with future majors. Generally universities have language centers, and the languages ??taught are very closely integrated with future majors, so they can be more It helps students enter professional studies well. The language center of our university divides students from different majors into different classes. I am majoring in finance. The teacher will intersperse the latest information related to professional courses in the language class, as well as the paper at the end of the language class. Within the scope related to the major, it will be much easier for us to attend classes when we go to university." Chen Min added, "If you choose a language school, you should choose a language school recognized by the university you are about to attend. Generally, the university has it online. List of recognized language training institutions and requirements for language scores of different language schools. Some language schools deliberately postpone students’ graduation time in order to make profits. This is one of the reasons why students are advised to choose university language centers as much as possible. ”

"After studying for a period of time, you might as well take the IELTS test once." This is another suggestion from Chen Min. "All universities in Australia recognize IELTS. If you feel that your language has improved a lot, you can take the IELTS test in advance and finish the language program early with your scores. Study and negotiate with the school for a refund; even if you don’t get a refund, you can relax mentally, after all, you have passed the language test.”

Before class: Be sure to preview

Chen Min. I really like the Australian teaching method: students decide what they want to learn. For example, for professional courses, students can choose their favorite within the given range of courses; they can even choose the teacher and time of class, because in the face of competition, teachers are very serious in class.

There are definitely difficulties. When I first started taking professional courses, there were a lot of words in the textbook that I had to look up in the dictionary, which was very laborious. Classes last for 3 hours every day, and Chen Min spends 9 hours previewing and digesting. "If you don't preview, you won't know what the teacher is talking about. Because you don't have many opportunities to meet with the teacher, you need to make an appointment if you want to ask the teacher, so preview, and if you have any questions, you can ask them directly in class."

Teamwork: Strive for Outstanding performance

Chen Min said deeply, "Foreign teaching attaches great importance to connecting theory with practice. Our class is divided into many groups to conduct case analysis. We study finance, and the teacher asked us to simulate investments based on the theories we learned this week. Stocks, make a comprehensive evaluation at the end of the semester and analyze the reasons for profits or losses. Group members are of different genders, ages, nationalities, and personalities. They often argue during weekly meetings, but this debate is a good exercise for your comprehensive ability. You cannot handle it in the group. Behave well, and others will be willing to work with you in the future."

After school: Make full use of the library

During his study abroad, Chen Min fully enjoyed various libraries in Australia. "You can search and borrow books online for free in the university library; you can also search for books in other university libraries. Each professor will provide a study list, and students want to borrow it, so borrowing books should start early." Chen Min Introduction: When you search for a book online, you can see whether the book is on the shelf; if it is borrowed, you can click "hold" (borrow). When it expires, you can go directly to the information desk to pick up the book with your student ID.

In the state library, you can borrow books, tapes, video tapes, etc. with your student ID card, but the scope and quantity of borrowing are limited. The community library requires authorization with any letter with your name on it.

Transportation: Act according to the "face" of the ticket

Australia does not have special discounts for international students in terms of transportation, but there are still some conveniences. Chen Min said that if you take the train, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. is the peak period, and the off-peak ticket price is 50-60% of the peak period. If you do not live on campus and go out frequently, you might as well buy a Weekly Travel Pass (weekly pass) for a week. It is more cost-effective to take any train, bus or ship within the specified area than buying a ticket alone. This range is reflected in the color of the ticket, with different colors representing different ride ranges. Because there are colors to choose from, students are reminded not to exceed the range. If they are randomly checked for fare evasion, they will be fined 200 Australian dollars at a time. If you don’t go out frequently, you can buy a Travel Ten, which can take 10 trips.

In many places in Australia, when taking a bus, you must reach out to signal to the driver, otherwise the bus will not stop; when getting off the bus, you must press the "Stop" bell, otherwise the bus will not stop. Chen Min said: "I had a classmate who didn't know it when he first came here. One day he was the only one at the school stop, and several cars passed in front of him without stopping. Later, he got on because someone was getting off a car. Also For example, in Queensland, you have to press the "Stop" button when you get off the train, otherwise the driver will not stop. "So, when you first arrive in Australia, be sure to get the surrounding traffic instructions from the school.

Looking back on his study abroad life, Chen Min feels that he has made great progress in his professional field and his self-confidence has become stronger. She studied abroad for more than a year and spent more than 200,000 yuan. Now her monthly income is several thousand yuan. When someone asked her when she would get her investment back, she said: "I don't expect to realize it soon. Studying abroad is an experience, and experience is wealth."

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