Studying in Australia is not easy. Whether in life or in study, students need to learn to be independent. In order to help international students better adapt to study life in Australia, this article will provide some suggestions for international students.
1. Be well prepared
The scale of basic courses in Australian universities, especially public universities, is very large, ranging from 150 to 400 students, and the progress is also very fast. Therefore, you must be mentally and materially prepared before enrolling. The range of material preparations is very large, and here is just a simple example. If students cannot understand the course due to language or academic barriers, they can buy a digital tape recorder to record each lesson, preferably one that can automatically convert to text. However, it should be reminded that you must obtain the permission of the professor before recording to avoid copyright disputes.
2. Actively participate in the course
Australian classrooms are more active. In addition to teacher lectures, there are other forms such as seminars. Students need to read books or do data retrieval and reading by themselves, and then go to class to discuss with teachers in groups. You must be well prepared and actively participate in such activities. Through these courses, you can not only exercise your ability, but also spark a lot of ideas.
3. Make full use of the teaching resources of the course
Students can ask questions at any time in class, but they need to raise their hands for permission from the teacher. If you have questions about your homework, be sure to solve them during the “office hours” posted by your teacher. If there is a problem with the learning of the course, the school has a “student learning center” to help diagnose and clear the doubt. Students with good financial conditions can also pay for “tutoring” from the center and pay by the hour.
4. Master the resources of taking courses at the university
The vast majority of Australian university teachers use corresponding educational software to communicate with students, which may be “blackboard”, “canvas”, etc. Through these software platforms, teachers publish assignments, progress, grades (students can only see their own), and even conduct training exams. Students can also communicate with teachers through this platform, so before enrolling, be sure to find out the teaching software used by the teachers of the school, and participate in the training of such software in the school (included in the tuition fee).
5. Pay attention to the relationship with assistants
Australian courses are generally equipped with student teaching assistants. If there is a problem with the course, you can communicate with the assistant in time.
6. You must not cheat in Australian universities
Most Australian universities have an honor code of conduct, and students must sign a contract with the school to comply with this code when they enter the school, that is, “not to help others in assignments, reports and exams, and do not accept any unauthorized help. ” Teachers often do not invigilate exams. However, during the school period, if students are found to have violated the honor code, they will be punished according to the rules, ranging from probation in the light, expulsion in the worst case, or even a lawsuit.
7. Pay attention to the setting of experimental courses
Many science courses are equipped with experimental courses at the same time. Although they are two independent courses, they must be taken at the same time, and they must be given up at the same time.
8. Safety always comes first
There are many safety regulations in experimental courses in Australia, such as safety glasses must be worn, shorts and slippers are not allowed, long hair must be tied up, needles and the like must be counted and recycled into specific containers, broken glassware has special treatment steps, etc. .
9. Teamwork is very important
Many experimental courses in Australia require two or more people to complete the work in groups, and the subsequent reports are also, so teamwork is very important.
10. Have a good laptop and try to use it for four years
It is recommended to buy it in the school bookstore and follow the maintenance plan, so that if there is a problem with the computer, it can be repaired for free on campus, and sometimes free computer use is provided during maintenance.
11. Pay attention to the relationship with classmates of different races, skin colors and religious beliefs
The Australian campus is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural melting pot. In uncertain circumstances, do not speak or act hastily.
12. The focus of Australian university courses is not “listening to lectures”, but “learning”
In the classroom, the professor will give the syllabus, and the progress will be very fast. At the same time, a lot of after-class reading materials will be arranged, and then you will study the content you should master by yourself. No one cares if you study or not, and no one chases you for your homework. The spirit of self-management and active learning is very important.
13. The syllabus is the most important document of a course
In the first class of each semester, apart from getting to know each other, the rest of the time is spent studying the syllabus written by the teacher. These include the purpose of the course, textbooks and bibliographies used, course content, schedule, assignment requirements and due dates, exam dates, grade structure, grading criteria, subject policies (including attendance, late work, etc.) and academic policies (policy dealing with cheating and plagiarism), etc. The syllabus should also include the contact information of the teacher and the teaching assistant, and the time and place of answering questions.
It is not only a description of the “product” of the “course”, but also a “contract” between teachers and students. For students, as long as they abide by the requirements of the curriculum syllabus, it is not a big problem to pass the homework. For teachers, the syllabus is a guide and a constraint. Generally, teachers are not allowed to arbitrarily change the teaching content and teaching time arrangement listed in the syllabus during the teaching process, and exams can only test the content included in the syllabus. So be sure to thoroughly understand the syllabus of each course.
14. Computer skills are important
Many assignments need to be done using word, excel, powerpoint, number and other software, so be sure to take the time to master the use of these software.
15. Understand how the course is graded
In addition to the traditional test scores, Australian courses often use a scoring system such as cumulative weighted assignments, quizzes, and exams, aiming to not rely on one-shot deals. At the end of the semester, many university teachers will remove a minimum score when they take a weighted average, but if the homework is not handed in, the zero score will generally not be removed, so attitude is very important.
In foreign countries, not only life is very different from that in home country, but there are also many regulations in schools that are more enforceable than domestic universities. You must pay special attention to these.
