‘The experiences of being DOWN UNDER’
Exchange report La Trobe University, Melbourne
Personal Information & Contact
Name: Irene Berendse
E-mail: irene.berendse@gmail.com
Study Program:
- Major: Personeelwetenschappen (Human Resource Studies)
- Minor: Different subjects which were related to my major study program; English as
Second Language, Business Ethics, Multicultural Perspectives on Health and Wellbeing,
English as a Second Language.
Exchange semester: Fall semester (In Australia is this the second semester, due to their
opposite academic year.
Academic Year: Third year of the Bachelor program.
Country: Australia
General information about the school
During my exachange I lived in Melbourne on Campus housing. Melbourne is a dynamic
and diverse city. I had chosen Melbourne because it is elected as one of the most
liveable city in the world, based on the following criteria: not much crime, good
international connectivity, the climate, good medical health care and so on. I recognize
the aspects that make Melbourne the most liveable city. There are many international
people in Melbourne, in particular Chinese people. There is a big China Town in
Melbourne Central and many suburbs where a lot of Asian communities. It is good that
there live so many internationals and tourists so most Australians are used to it and very
pleased to help. In addition, the medical health care is very well and comparable to the
Dutch health care system.
The decision to go on exchange was stressful enough for me, so I appreciated that
Melbourne was modern and have quite the same culture as we have in the Netherlands.
The University was located in different places of Melbourne, because the have different
campuses. It depends on your study program and subjects which campus you belong to.
I was studying on the main campus, located in Bundoora a suburb of Melbourne. To
travel from Bundoora to the city central take about 45 minutes.
The campus of La Trobe University was huge, approximately three times larges than the
Campus of Tilburg University. It had a lot of different buildings. However, it was easy to
find the right room because the campus had on almost every corner a clear map.
Furthermore, La Trobe University had a bus service called “the Glider” which drove
students to different stops on the campus, this was a free service for students of La
Trobe.
Another good thing of the campus was that there was a good mix of buildings and nature
or green areas to relax outside. In the middle of the campus there was a square with
many cafes and bars to have a drink or take a lunch. This area called “The Agora” that
was the best thing to eat on Campus, because that was where the restaurants and bars
were located. Besides, everyone knows the Agora, so it was a good place to meet people.
Last but not least, the campus was a smoking free area that I really appreciated because
I appreciated a area without smoke.
There were more places where you could sport in Bundoora or in other suburbs. There
where many different sports to chose, like cheerleading, tennis, waterpolo, the gym and
Footy (a very popular sport in Australia, particularly in Melbourne). I went to the gym
there was a Fitness centre on Campus and with the gym membership, I also had access
to the swimmingpool.
There are many interesting things to do and to see in Melbourne. Melbourne has a
impressive nature and scenery. The Great Ocean Road is a very poplar area of nature
close to Melbourne, there you can see the Twelve Apostles, kangaroos, koalas, beautiful
lakes in other words ‘a must see’. Another popular trip to do is the Philip Island tour,
that is an Island where you can see mini penguins when it is getting dark. In addition
there is the Yarra River, this river cross the City of Melbourne and is very famous place
and in there are many things to do in that particular part of the city, like museums,
cinema, theathre and restaurants. In that part of the city is also the Stadium where the
Australian Open yearly takes place.
The Faculty was divided to different study areas, so there was a building for Sciences
and Mathematics, Art, Labor, Health and so on. There were also some special areas like a
building for equality and diversity, there was some extra support if you needed some
help related to a diseases, private situation or disability. In addition, there was “the
Global Lounge” that was a office especially for information and help for international
students.
La trobe has 21.000 students on the Melbourne (Bundoora) campus and 5.900 at their
campuses in Bendigo, Mildura, Melbourne City, Shepparton and Albury-Wodonga.
according their website. They didn’t mention the amount of exchange students, but my
experiences is that there are a lot international students at La Trobe University.
The study structure was comparable to the Dutch structure. During the semester there
are a few assignments you have to pass and in the end there is a final exam.
Practical Information
Before departure
I received the pre-arrival information at the begin of March. It was a mail with the steps
you had to follow before departure, insurances, housing, courses etc. In addition, they
enclosed a pre- departure guide. In this guide you could find almost everything, how to
arrange things, costs of living and so on. I haven't had any difficulties related to the prearrival information due to the fact al the information was very extensive and clear.
Visa and arrival
To arrange your visa you have to make an online profile and add the e-CoE form (this is
a official form provided by Tilburg University with the conformation that your an
exchange student) and if everything is correct they will send you a confirmation of your
visa.
The visa costs were approximately 250 euro.
Because there are many things you had to think before departure, I organized it. I had to
pre- departure guides one of Tilburg University and one of La Trobe University. So, I put
these two together and looked what was the most urgent step. That was a way for me to
create a clear overview of the things to do before departure.
I arranged the health insurance with La Trobe University, this was obligatory. Therefore,
I thought that my insurance was all right, but the day before departure my parents did
the last check if I had arranged everything correctly and then the mentioned that I only
had health insurance, no other insurances at all. I was completely forgotten to arrange
other insurances, so I give a phone call to the insurance office in the Netherlands and I
could arrange the additional insurances, like insurance for my luggage, legal insurance
etc.
I arrived at midnight in Melbourne, so I had booked an Airport hotel which was very
close to the airport and took some rest after a long travel. The next day I took a sky bus
(a bus from the airport to the city) to the campus.
Introduction activities
When I arrived on campus, I felt immediately very welcome because the support from La
Trobe University was very well. Students of La Trobe University were chosen to give the
exchange students a guided tour around the campus. In addition, the administration was
well- prepared when I arrived. They had everywhere signs with information about the
registration and enrollment. Furthermore every exchange students received a welcome
package, with a lot of usefull information.
The first week was a introduction week, which was good to gather more information
and the possibility to ask questions. There were many school's students aroun the
campus to help international students. There was also a guided tour around the campus
with a buddy of La Trobe University, which was very usefull. Unfortunately, there was
no interactional part during the introduction week, that was dissapointed because it is
good to meet new people. Despite there was no interactional part during the
introduction, there were many other possibilties to meet other students. A good way to
meet new people was for instance the student union (with weekly BBQ's), the Amazing
Raze (an introduction game in the first weekend of the semester) and sportclubs.
Housing
The housing was well organized. Before departure you could arrange housing online. It
really reasurres me that I could book my accomodation in advance. La Trobe University
had three colleges (buildings) on campus. The colleges were not only for international
students but for local students as well. I liked the fact that it was a mix of international
students and local students. La Trobe University also provide information about
housing off campus by mail in the pre-arrival guide.
I lived in Chisholm College, one of the on-campus accomodations. It was good to live on
campus because there was a accomodation service for any support, like maintenance
problems or some other problems related to housing.
I was really satisfied with my accomocation because the accomodation service invited all
their residents for events, so during the semester I went to a food festival and a kind of
playground for aduls it was a good way to meet other residents. In addition, the
accomodation service helped me with my wifi when it was defect for free, so all the
support was included. Furthermore, I really liked my room. I lived with ten other
housemated, we had three bathrooms and a big and proper kitchen. An extra luxury of
the accomodation was a cleaner every businessday, which kept the bathrooms and
kitchen clean and livable.
A good idea for prospective students is to live on campus because it is easy to arrange in
advance. Besides it is more safe and you meet many other exchange students. It is good
to have contact with exchange students because they are in the same boat as you are.
Living Costs
The living costs in Melbourne are quite expensive, in particular the rent of a room. I financed my
exchange period of my savings in addition I received money from the Dutch government because I
was living on my own and stopped my Public Transport transcription (uitwonenende beurs en OVvergoeding).
My living expenses where comparable to Tilburg, however in Tilburg I lived with my parents.
Therefore, I had higher expenses during my exchange, in particular the rent and the groceries. In
addition, the living costs are a bit higher than in Dutch, but the exchange rate was in my favour. I have
chosen not to work in Australia and to focus on my Minor program and travels but it is a good option
because the salaries are much higher than in the Netherlands. In addition, I spent more money on my
exchange due to the fact I made a lot of trips to see more of Australia. So, I spent my money manly on
rent, groceries, trips and study materials.
I would advise further students to live in the suburbs to save money on housing, because the rooms
and dorms in the Central Business District are much more expensive. In addition, it is smart to do your
groceries in the Aldi which is far the cheapest supermarket. In contrast, I advice to spend money on
trips because it is amazing to see the incredible nature and scenery of Australia.
An outline of my approximate monthly budget on exchange (in euro’s):
Housing
650 euro
Food
200 euro
Transport
70 euro
Books
100 euro (second-handed)
Miscellaneous
150 euro
Academic Calendar
The arrival date was the 8th of July (it was highly recommended to arrive a week before
the introduction week). The 20th of July was the start of the introduction week and the
27th was the first day of the semester. The official last day of the semester was the 19th of
November, however it depended on your exams and due dates. There was one week
mid-term break in the end of September and there was a study break the week for the
exams.
Australia has an opposite academic year, so for me it was the first- half Semester while it
was in Australia the second- half of the semester.
The International Office
There was an international office to support all the study abroad and exchange students.
In the International office there were five coordinators for each continent a coordinator
who were responsible for the incoming international students. The International Office
arranged all the introduction activities and other events for exchange students and if
you had problems you could contact them. I am really satisfied about the information
that the International Office provided, because it was very clear. In addition, they offer a
lot of extra support, such as counselors for students with homesickness.
Exchange Promotion
I think I a good ambassador for Tilburg University. I am very open and good at
networking and I was be able to tell people where I am studying about where I am from
and about the University of Tilburg, as well as the Netherlands and my own culture. In
addition to this I chose Tilburg University because they focus on the education of
statistics and teach this at a high level. This really helped me to understand the science. I
emphasized that Tilburg University gives a good academic basis to understand science
and how you can contribute to it, in terms of doing research. I told the education at
Tilburg University is of a high level so it gives exchange students a competitive
advantage, and I had stressed that. Furthermore, I wore my Tilburg University sweater
sometimes on campus.
Social Activities
As I described earlier there were weekly BBQ’s for the members of the student union
and some events organized by the accomodation service. However, most of the activities
were organized by the exchange students. There was no student organization especially
for exchange students but the student association, sport clubs and events organized by
the accommodation service was for the international students as well and I felt very
welcome. It is nice because it was a way to have contact with local students and
exchange students on the same time which was a good mix.
The most activities I participate in was with exchange students because we all wanted to
travel. I traveled to Sydney, Adelaide, Philip Island and rent a car to drove along the
Great Ocean Road.
Culture and Language
Despite Australia has a comparable culture as in The Netherlands it was more different
than I thought. In addition, I felt really homesick in the beginning which was probably a
little culture shock.
The Australian culture is more like the American culture, they have big proportions of
food and drink, more social problems like drugs and alcohol addicts and parties are all
over the top. I have learned that we are more down to earth than Australian people.
However, most of the Australians were very friendly and helpful. If you have any
problems, most of them would say ‘No worries’. While most of Dutch people have less
willingness to help strangers. The Australians are more relaxed, less busy and very open
to strangers. I really liked the fact that they are open to strangers because I am a very
introvert person and found it sometimes difficult to make contact strangers, so this
made it easier for me.
Besides I have learned of the Australian culture, I know realized it is good to be kind to
strangers and help them out if it is realistic request. I think Australian people are have
more willingness to help due to the fact of a lot of international students, tourists and
expats who are not familiar with the country and culture. The Dutch culture is more
suspicious when it comes to strangers, which is understandable but regrettable too.
I have travelled to Sydney and Adelaide, it is different regards costs and environment
but not in culture, it is completely comparable to Melbourne.
In the beginning of my exchange it was more difficult for me to express myself well in
English, however I recognized they understand me good with the result of feeling more
confident. Despite some wrong interpretations I cannot really speak about language
problems or barriers.
I have really improved my English because I had to speak in English and that was really
good for me. Furthermore, I followed a English course, namely English as a Second
Language. The English course was very useful they taught in grammar, reading and
academic writing. I am glad that I followed a English course while exchange because I
had really difficulties with another language due to the fact of dyslexia. However, I
recommend everyone to follow an language course because it is good to learn a language
in the same time you are living in the country then you can practice immediately during
the every day life.
Personal Development
My exchange has not really affect my cultural and social point of view because Australia
had a comparable culture and in addition it was a Western country. However, I realized I
am very lucky that I got the chance to go abroad and to see more of the world. I
recognized that only students of Western countries or students of wealthy families get
the chance, so we are privileged.
From a career perspective, I think it was a great opportunity. I have improved my
English but more important I am more open, have learned a lot of other cultures and
build an international network of friends. The international network is not in particular
an advantage in the future it was very instructive me as well, I have learned a lot about
different cultures.
As I described earlier I felt really homesick in the beginning. Later on, it was getting
better and I liked the idea of being on exchange but I left Australia almost directly after
the semester that I sometimes regret due to the fact of missing relatives. Nevertheless, I
finished my exchange and made a lot of trips during the breaks and weekends. When I
could do it different I took more time to travel after my exchange because it is a lifetime
experience (I realized later on) and missing home is part of being on exchange.
The best experience of being on exchange is to meet new people of different cultures. I
changed during my exchange I am better in contacting people and more open then I was
before.
The worst experience of my exchange was feeling homesick, but realize then that it is
part of it and it comes in waves. I talked a lot to people about missing home and I
learned a lot of them, they already had travelled or lived abroad and they told me that it
was better to not contact home everyday and getting involved with the people in
Melbourne, which was the best tip.
I will never forget my exchange it is difficult to mention on particular thing. However, I
will never forget that it was the best decision I have ever made in my life, it was so good
for my personal development and I felt rich that I have all the good memories of it and I
am proud that I have faced many challenges during my exchange. I have learned it is
good to challenge yourself because it makes me more confident about myself. Before I
went on exchange I was really stressed and saw many problems, now, after my exchange
I see problems more like a challenge. It feels like I surpass myself.
Academic Information
Academic level at La Trobe University
All the courses where offered in English which is the native language, so I followed all
my courses in English. I had followed English as a Second Language, Intercultural
Communication, Business Ethics and Multicultural Perspectives on Health and
Wellbeing. I have chosen these courses because I found them interesting and related to
my Major study Program namely Human Resource Studies. It was interesting to follow
Intercultural Communication because the taught cultural barriers related to Language
and it is good to be aware of that during your exchange. In addition, a lot of international
students followed that course so there were possibilities to discuss the theories.
Business Ethics was very practical which I liked and it was interesting to discuss big
ethical questions which are useful in my job later on. English as a Second language was a
good course to improve my English and apply it in practice immediately. I chose
Multicultural perspectives on health and wellbeing because I wanted to learn more
about health on workplace. This was a good course to look from different perspectives
to health due to the fact that health is such a complex concept.
I highly recommend Intercultural Communication. It is a great course to follow on
exchange and it is interesting to recognize some theories in practice while on exchange.
The academic level La Trobe University is comparable to Tilburg University. At La Trobe
they have less exams. However, they have more assignments and papers where they
expect proper referencing according the APA six style, which is the same as Tilburg
University. The workload is a bit higher because there are more assignments. The level
of English is higher which is quite logical in a country with native English speakers. The
study material were the slides of the lectures, articles and books, but you most of the
books where also as an e-book available.
The teaching style is primarily theoretical, the assignments were related to academic
articles and they expect proper referencing by writing assignments. The assignments
were a mix of group work and individual exercises.
The relation between students and staff was very informal, you could call teachers by
their first names and they were very open to students.
Lastly, I am very satisfied with my academic achievements during my exchange I
received high grades and I have learned a lot of the writing assignments related to the
referencing.
Exams
La Trobe university offered a lot of courses without final exams. There were more
writing assignments, writing of essays and papers. In addition, the make use of weekly
quizzes for most of the courses I have followed. However, I had one written exam for
English as a Second Language.
Other
It is quite easily to access the library and its recourses. All students have can rent books
and academic articles. Besides they offer a lot of e-books online. In addition, there were
public computers on campus in the Library and free access to the WIFI. However, it was
most of the time very busy in the library, so it was hard to find an available computer
and it was not possible to make a reservation.
Course
EDU1ESL
English as
Second
Language
Examination ECTS
Many
a assignments,
7,5
final exam
and a paper
Two
LIN3CCC
assignments,
Intercultural
oral
7,5
Communication presentation
and a paper
Many
assignments,
MGT2BET
three
7,5
Business Ethics quizzes and
a
presentation
PHE2MHW
Multicultural
Perspectives on
Health
and
Wellbeing
A
multimedia
presentation,
weekly
7,5
online
quizzes and
a paper
Level
Comments
Useful
course,
Undergraduate you learn
(BA)
the
academic
English.
Very
interesting
course to
follow on
exchange,
Undergraduate taught
(BA)
much
about
cultural
barriers
related to
language
This is a
very
practical
Undergraduate course,
(BA)
which you
are going
into ethical
questions.
Prerequisites
None
None
None
It is a very
theoretical
Undergraduate
course
None
(BA)
with many
literature.
Tips for future students
I definitely would recommend an exchange period, it was an amazing experience for me
and I have gain personal growth. La Trobe is a good choice for students who want to
study on a campus and who likes the fact that it is a comparable culture as in the
Netherlands.
I would recommend to follow the intercultural awareness course offered by Tilburg
University. It was a very useful course for me, because you will meet a lot of new people
of different cultures during your exchange.