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Outgoing Exchange Students
My SEP Experience
Janice Lee Ser Huay
Faculty of Science
SEP to University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
Sydney is a bustling and beautiful city with lovely beaches to explore and interesting night spots to check out. There was always something to do on each weekend and personally, I spent most of my time at the beach, gazing at the brilliant colours of the sky and sea. Staying on-campus helped a lot in allowing me to interact with people of different nationalities and making many new friends. It is more expensive than staying in an apartment but the convenience of being right in the campus and not having to worry about food, frees up my time to do other activities. The hostel that I stayed in, Goldstein College , had some crazy and fun activities which ranged from dress-up parties to formal dinners and soccer matches. It was great fun staying in college and getting to know the people whom you lived with. There were initial times of embarrassment and feelings of unfamiliarity but it was a good experience in learning to deal with being out of my comfort zone and being able to manage things in the end.
Studying in UNSW allowed me to know more about the level of tertiary education in Australia and the different approaches towards learning and teaching. Professors work very closely and share knowledge with their students during class and encourage students to think aloud and voice opinions. There is a culture of learning in the university which provides fertile soil for ideas to develop and grow. Among the students, there is also a strong sense of ownership towards their university and the eagerness to get the most and best of what they can from their university education.
My student exchange experience was extremely memorable and valuable. Those 5 months gave me precious time to be by myself and to learn on my own. I have always felt very sheltered and comfortable where I was, and I needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone to discover more about my strengths and limitations. On the whole, the experience was rewarding and enriching. I have gained a different outlook to different cultures, education systems and knowing people from different countries.
