Cmmencing Study in Australia A quick reference guide fr Chinese Students
Intrductin This Quick Reference Guide is designed t prvide yu with key knwledge abut studying in Australia. It prvides imprtant, and useful infrmatin abut five significant areas: The Australian university cntext Requirements fr yu t fully engage in academic life Infrmatin abut hw t be successful in yur studies Infrmatin abut hw yur knwledge and wrk will be assessed Advice n hw yu can get the mst ut f yur time in Australia Use this Quick Reference Guide t build familiarity with yur new learning cntext s that yu have sme understanding f hw Australian universities wrk and what t expect n arrival. The Australian university cntext Australian universities are nt the same as Chinese universities. Here are sme key areas f difference: Students cme frm all ver the wrld, and even the Australian students cme frm many different cultural backgrunds and speak languages in additin t English. Mst students dn't live n campus and if they d, they have t ck fr themselves. Campuses can seem less busy. There tend t be fewer clubs, assciatins and sprting grups than in Chinese universities. Students g ff campus fr mst f their scial activities. All universities d, hwever, have taverns and fd utlets. These can be a bit expensive but are great places t scialise with ther students. The university library is a very busy place and it prvides access t a huge range f material. Students can surce infrmatin frm a wide variety f media and there are texts and resurces frm all ver the wrld. There will be different srts f classes such as lectures, seminars, wrkshps and tutrials. Preparatin fr these requires lts f reading frm a variety f surces. Active participatin in classes is expected and is ften frmally assessed. Students are required t d a great deal f wrk independently. Lecturers and tutrs prvide guidance but students themselves are expected t take respnsibility fr their wn learning. Supprt fr students is available and is cmmnly accessed by students. Seeking help r supprt is nt cnsidered in a negative way in Australia and des nt invlve lss f face. N prblem is cnsidered t small when seeking help. Help is prvided in the fllwing areas: Academic help and advice frm Student Supprt Centres. Academic literacy supprt and help with English frm Student Supprt Centres. IT supprt frm the university s IT Centre. 2
Career and curse cunselling. Yur curse, r Schl, r the university will have smene dedicated t ffering advice t students abut which units t select as well as advice n future careers. Smetimes the curse directr is the best persn t see fr this type f advice. Library supprt frm the librarians. Health and medical services. There are ften dctrs n campus fr students. Cunselling and emtinal supprt frm the university s cunselling services. Get t knw the university It is really imprtant t prepare yurself fr yur new university envirnment. Getting t knw yur university thrugh its website can make a big difference. Explring the website will help yu knw what the university lks like, the facilities that it prvides, and als hw yu can access infrmatin and supprt. Infrmatin abut clubs and scieties, (such as the Chinese Student Assciatin), will als be available thrugh the university website. Here is an example f an Australian university website: 3
Frm this ne site yu can get lts f infrmatin abut things like: Enrlment Where everything is University life and adjusting t it Cmputing facilities Study, timetables and exams Different types f supprt All yu have t d is click n the apprpriate link n yur university website. Studying in Australia will be an intense experience Yu may find that studying in Australia is harder than yu are anticipating. It is likely that there will be mre pressure n yu than there was during yur undergraduate study in China. Yu will need t d a lt f reading and there will be many assignments that yu will have t cmplete. These will require yu t d a lt f writing in English. Be prepared fr the fact that initially yu may feel a little verwhelmed. Nte It s really imprtant t use the supprt services that are prvided fr yu by the university. Whilst it might feel natural and safe fr yu t rely n ther Chinese students, r ther internatinal students, they may nt be best placed t give yu the supprt and infrmatin that yu really need. It is much better t speak with university staff whse jb it is t help students like yu that's what they are there fr. They expect yu t cntact them s dn't let them dwn. Althugh study will be time cnsuming and intense, it is imprtant fr yu t realise that yu will benefit frm making the time t experience life beynd the university. It will be advantageus fr yu t get t knw sme Australian students. Experiencing Australian life mre fully will help imprve yur knwledge f, and ability t use English, as well as yur knwledge and understanding f Australian sciety. Returning t China with yur knwledge enriched thrugh these experiences will give yu extra skills t use in yur prfessinal career. 4
Requirements fr yu t fully engage in academic life Here is a list f things that yu will need t d t make sure that yu engage fully in academic life in Australia: Learn t use the library Get t knw yur classmates (and nt just the Chinese nes) D the required readings (and be very familiar with the cntents f the Study Guides fr each f yur units r curses) Develp yur English writing skills Be prepared t express and debate pinins, ideas and arguments in discussin and in writing Dn't expect yur lecturers t give yu all the answers and all the infrmatin that yu think yu need Engage with Australian media t braden yur viewpint and understanding There are tw really imprtant things that yu need t d: Use English as ften as yu can - spntaneusly and interactively - and with lts f different peple, n and ff campus Understand that attending class and wrking hard will nt be enugh. Yu will need t develp new skills and new ways f learning t supprt yur wrk in the Australian university envirnment Infrmatin n hw t be successful in yur studies All universities in Australia prvide supprt t help students be successful in their study. In mst universities yu can access useful infrmatin persnally frm learning supprt r study skills centers, r thrugh the university website. The image belw is taken frm a university website and shws links t Quick Tips t help students with their studies. 5
This particular site gives access t the fllwing: Infrmatin abut these areas is imprtant and very useful. There are sme ther areas, hwever, that need t be highlighted. These are discussed in the sectins belw. The need t be independent There is a very cmmn expressin in English. The phrase stand n yur wn tw feet means t be independent. In Australia, university students are expected t be independent. This means that students themselves (nt parents, lecturers r tutrs) are respnsible fr their wn learning. It als means that students have t have the cnfidence t seek assistance, t receive feedback, and then act n that feedback in rder t imprve and demnstrate learning. Being independent in this way can be very challenging, especially if yu are used t lecturers and tutrs giving yu the infrmatin that yu need t pass exams. Students wh have studied in Australia ften cmment n this area. Read the cmments belw reprted frm Chinese pstgraduate students. These will help yu understand what it takes t be successful in yur studies in Australia. Lecturers here [Australia] prvide a directin but it is the respnsibility f the student t find the way. N duck filling and lts f assignments. Under the wrds, it s nt just abut what is right and wrng The Chinese phrase yan xia zhi yi refers t what is meant by under the wrds. This cncept is imprtant, and yu need t bring it with yu t Australia. Much f the wrk that yu will d in yur new learning cntext will be abut the underneath meanings f what yu read and hear. In English we use the phrase critical thinking. This incrprates attending t thse underneath meanings and this will be really imprtant 6
fr yu in terms f yur success in yur studies. Pstgraduate study in Australia requires yu t deal with cmplex ideas in cmplex ways. It ges well beynd simple cncepts assciated with what is right and wrng. Be prepared t d a lt mre reading and writing This banner is taken frm Murdch University s website. It highlights ne f the really imprtant things that yu need t be aware f when studying in Australia. Yu may be used t textbks being yur main surce f infrmatin fr study purpses. In Australia, yu will be required t use multiple surces f data, including academic jurnal articles as well as a range f digital resurces. Yu will need t g beynd the textbk. This means that yu will be expected t d a lt mre reading befre yu write and that yur writing will be mre extensive than yu are used t. Textbks and PwerPint presentatins will nt prvide yu with all the answers that yu need t d well in assessments. [In China] we have far fewer assignments. In China, d we read much? Nt even clse. We dn't have the habit f reading. The huge amunt f reading [in Australia] requires yu t change yur study methd when studying verseas. The need t develp new skills and strategies t supprt yur learning We knw that yu will wrk hard but wrking hard in Australia is nt the same as wrking hard in China. In Australia, yu will nt be expected t remember vast quantities f infrmatin and reprduce it exactly. Instead, yu will be asked t engage with a great deal f infrmatin that yu must critique, evaluate and have an pinin n. This may be different frm what yu are used t. It will require new study skills and strategies. In all Australian universities, hwever, there are peple whse jb it is t help yu develp these new study skills s make sure yu cntact them and use the materials that they prvide t help yu. One really imprtant thing that yu need t d is fllw this advice given by a Chinese student wh studied in Australia. Talk mre and make friends with lcal classmates t better understand the lcal cmmunity and teaching. 7
Infrmatin abut hw yur knwledge and wrk will be assessed It is very imprtant t understand that in Australia, examinatins are nly ne part f university assessment. Usually examinatin scres make up nly a small part f yur verall mark fr a unit r a curse. Because f this, wrking hard t pass examinatins will nt be enugh t get yu thrugh yur curse. Yu will need t d many different types f assignments and these will all be used t determine yur final mark and grade. It is als imprtant t understand that when undertaking yur wrk, and cmpleting assignments, yu will need t be very mindful f the specific criteria that yur lecturers set in rder t judge the quality f yur wrk. These criteria will be clearly stated in yur Study Guide which is a bklet given ut t every student with details abut the unit they are studying. Yu need t use yur Study Guides t guide yu as yu research, plan, and then cmplete yur assignments. Here are sme examples f criteria that might be used t assess an essay: Demnstrates a sund understanding f key cncepts and ideas. Critically analyses the readings by cntrasting, critiquing and clarifying multiple pints f view. Presents a cherent and persuasive argument. Is well written, using language that adheres t standards f academic writing. Criteria such as these prvide yu with a useful guide fr hw t write yur assignment because they indicate what a lecturer is lking fr when he r she marks yur wrk. It is als imprtant t understand that, in rder t imprve yur wrk, yu need t take ntice f the feedback that yur lecturers and tutrs prvide. Lecturers cmments indicate hw they judge yur wrk against the benchmark f the assignment criteria. By taking nte f these cmments, yu will develp yur writing skills and d better in yur next assignment. Hw t get the mst ut f yur time in Australia Here are sme imprtant tips fr yu: Befre yu leave China make sure that yu take the pprtunity t experience real English. Use the Internet t access things like mvies and sngs s that yu can acclimatise yurself t the rate f speech, t different accents, t infrmal and frmal language use, and imprtantly, t aspects f the new culture that yu are ging t be living in. If yu d this, when yu are actually in Australia, things will nt seem s unfamiliar. Be practive academically and scially. Dn't be shy and dn t wrry abut face. Yu need t take the pprtunity t experience as much as yu can within this different cmmunity. 8
Make sure yu cnnect with peple wh speak English as their first language. Yu have a lt that yu can learn frm them and they have a lt that they can learn frm yu. Make sure that yu get invlved in activities that happen utside f the university. Cnsider jining a sprting club r sme ther grup that will help yu experience Australian culture mre bradly. And take nte f this advice prvided by a Chinese academic recalling his experiences f studying verseas. Dn't be afraid f behaving silly in anther cultural cntext, be psitive and be active, embrace the shck and the difference, which are exactly why we g there. 9
Prduced fr the prject Cllabrating fr Success: Enhancing the Transitin f Chinese students int Australian pstgraduate educatin Additinal materials and resurces are available frm Prject Team Christine Daymn (Murdch University, Prject Leader) Lindy Nrris (Murdch University) Maree Keating (Victria University) Fina Hendersn (Victria University) Haixia Yu (Cmmunicatin University f China) Dawei Wang (Cmmunicatin University f China) Jennie Bickmre-Brand Linda Butcher (Murdch, Prject Manager) Yibing Liu (Research Assistant) Supprt fr the prductin f this publicatin has been prvided by the Australian Gvernment Office fr Learning and Teaching. The views in this publicatin d nt necessarily reflect the views f the Australian Gvernment Office fr Learning and Teaching. Unless therwise nted, cntent n this site is licensed under the Creative Cmmns Attributin-ShareAlike 4.0 Unprted License Infrmatin n the creative cmmns licence can be fund at: http://creativecmmns.rg/licences 2015 10