GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE EXPERIENCE REPORT
Please write this report in English
The student report will be published on the:
 Study Abroad website (under “Experiences” from partner universities)
 "Study Abroad Information" TiSEM Blackboard page (course code FEBSAI)
 TiSEM students’ exchange blog
 Liberal Arts and Sciences students’ blogs
Please let us know if you do not want your report to be published.
ANR:662457
Name: Esmée Pluijmers
E-mail: esmee.pluijmers@hotmail.com
Exchange semester:
Fall / Spring, 2014
Academic year: 2013-2014
Host University: Monash University
Country: Australia
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Monash University is the second university of Melbourne, the city of sport, arts and festivals.
The Melbournian loves to jog, cycle, watch footy (Australian Football), and to drink a jug of
beer. You cannot get lost in Melbourne, because it is easy to find your way. And when you
look like you are lost, all the Aussies always ask if they can help you. If I have to describe the
city in one word it would be relaxed. There is always something to do in Melbourne:
international movie festivals, international comedy festivals, food and drink festivals,
Australian Open, St Kilda festival (music festival), and Indigenous festivals. Every weekend
there is something to do with amongst others visiting one of the many clubs, for example
Anyways. I reckon that is the biggest one. In Melbourne everyone is very friendly and helpful.
It is a multicultural city, with more than 200 different nationalities.
Monash University has 5 Australian campuses, one campus in Malaysia and one in South
Africa. The campuses in Australia are in Melbourne, only the Caulfield campus is in
Melbourne, all the others are in suburbs of Melbourne. The most international students go to
Caulfield and Clayton. From the city centre to Clayton it is a 40 minute travel by train and bus.
Clayton is a massive campus where even the Australian students easily get lost. At Clayton
you can find all the sport facilities. The Caulfield campus is much smaller and here it is easy
to find your way. I decided to go to the Frankston campus, because I wanted to do some sport
courses. Unfortunately from this campus I had to travel for more than an hour to get into the
city centre. On the other hand I was the only exchange student, so I made heaps of Australian
friends. My campus was very small and the teachers were very friendly. I had to call my
teachers by their given name or nickname.
In the first week there is one introduction week for all the exchange students. Here I made a
bunch of international friends with whom I travelled a lot. In Australia everything is further
away so you have to travel for a certain amount of time to visit your friends. Every campus
has his own bar, but the best parties are in the city centre.
If you rent a car with a few friends you can drive the great ocean road, the most famous thing
to do in Melbourne. It is famous because of the nice coastline and the sandstone rock
formations, like the twelve apostles.
Melbourne is bigger than Tilburg, but more relaxed. The mix between sports and the kindness
of the Melbournians makes Melbourne the most liveable city of the world. I definitely
recommend Melbourne!
Monash University is massive, so you can study everything over here. The education faculty
is the second best of the world. You can study psychology, business, economics, law, health,
medicine, art, design, and architecture, sociology, pharmacy, science, engineering, and in
formational technology. I studied at the education faculty where I took sports sociology
classes. I would have loved to study sports psychology but in 2014 they changed this subject
to the second semester, so I could not take this course.
As I said before, at the Frankston campus I was the only exchange student, at the Clayton
campus there were many. I have no idea how much, but I know that Monash University has
student exchange agreements with over a 100 partner universities in more than 25 countries
across Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. I guess that we were with
300-400 exchange students in total. The total amount of students at Monash University is
63,002. There are 22.057 international students, 45,770 undergraduate students and 12.226
graduate students.
The study structure at Monash is different compared to Tilburg. At Monash they expect you to
study the whole semester. To achieve this, you have to write essays, do small assignments,
and give presentations on a regularly basis. The exams are at the end of the semester, I did
not have to do any exams, but I had to do a lot of big assignments.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
I received the pre-arrival information in November. I expected to receive the information in
October so I was a bit stressed. Now I can say that November is early enough to arrange
everything. The only negative thing was that there were not any on-campus accommodations
left. I am happy though, that I lived off campus during my time there. With flatmates.com.au
and gumtree.com.au it is easy to find a house and it is much cheaper than living on campus.
Visa procedure and arrival
Before you can apply for a visa you have to purchase an Australian insurance and you need
to prove that you are going to study in Australia. Monash will send you the information you
need. You can apply for your visa online and in 3 weeks you will receive a confirmation that
everything is fixed. They advise you to arrange your visa as soon as possible. The visa is
expensive, because you also have to pay for the insurance, which was very expensive. I
reckon the total amount was 700 dollars.
When you arrive at the airport, you can take the skybus or order a cab paid and offered by
Monash. If you choose to live on campus you can go to your accommodation straight away. If
not, you can book a hostel in advance for one or two weeks and look for a room upon your
arrival in Australia.
At Monash they arrange everything very well. They know who you are, and they have a team
of students to help the exchange students. The first week of school is an introduction week for
exchange students only the second week is an introduction week for everyone, where they
prepare you for the Monash life.
Everything went smoothly I did not encounter any problems.
Orientation/Introduction activities
The first day of the introduction week is about information. They give you tips and tricks to find
an accommodation, to find work and to figure out how things work at Monash. Furthermore,
they will show you the city and the campus, and there is a party every single night. On Friday
we went to a zoo where there was the possibility to pet wallabies. Everyone was looking for
friends so this was the week to meet new people. The team of students had organized the
parties, and we could ask them anything. It was not just for that week, but for the whole
semester. You could always get in contact with them and they often arranged some other
social nights. You can choose to get linked to a buddy. I chose for this option, and it was nice.
I did not do that much together with my buddy. I saw him twice I think. Others saw their
buddies more often but I did not have much need for it.
Housing
When I subscribed for an on-campus accommodation they told me that there was no vacancy
anymore. So I had to find an accommodation on my own. I found a facebook group for
Monash exchange students and I asked for help. They told me to use the sites
flatmates.com.au and gumtree.com.au. In the Netherlands I got in contact with a few
landlords and I had to call them as soon as I was in Australia. In Australia they do not use
their email, so you have to call! I visited some houses and chose the best one. I really miss
my roommates we were like a little family.
If you choose to live on-campus, and if the rooms are still available, you will live in places like
the ‘Verbs’ (The international accommodations in Tilburg). You have your own room, but
everything else you share with the others. You will have a lot of contact with the international
students, but you live far from the city centre. I really wanted to meet Australian people so for
me it was the best to live off campus.
The university also gives you some sites to find your own accommodation, but in the mean
time you have to live in hostels untill you find your own room.
Living Costs
Everything is expensive, the food, the housing everything. So if you want to travel a bit, you
need a lot of money.
I think the food was the most expensive thing compared to Tilburg. I spent most of my money
on food and housing I think. I did not buy my books but borrowed them from the library. So if
you haven’t got that much money, please find an off campus accommodation. And eat with
your housemates. The alcohol is very expensive too so that you will end up drinking a lot of
goon (cheap headache wine).
My monthly budget was the following:
- Housing: 480 dollars
- Food: 300 dollars
- Transport: the maximum amount you have to pay is 7 dollars a day.
- Books: 0 dollars
- Miscellaneous: minimum 160 dollars (for a weekend trip) - 1000 dollars for a 10 days
trip. And 50 dollars for a night out. 30 dollars to recharge your mobile plan.
Academic Calendar
Because I did not have a room I went to Australia two weeks before the introduction week. If
you find an on-campus accommodation you are allowed to enter your room the weekend
before the introduction week. Below you will find a timeline of the semester:
- Arrival
- 17th of February; enter on-campus room
- 19th start of the first introduction week
- 24th start of second introduction week
- 3rd of March first day of semester
- 30th of May last day of classes
- 9th of June until the 26th exam period
We had no midterms, so there was no midterm week. Around Easter we had 10 days off, in
this period there was ANZAC day as well, the Memorial Day for the Australian and New
Zealander soldiers who served and died in all wars and peacekeeping operations. In every
town there are parades on this day and everyone has a day off.
The International Office
At the Clayton campus you can find the international office. There are different international
officers who have their own area of specialization. Europe, for example, is one area of
specialization. They know your name and will remember it, and they are very friendly and
helpful. So there are different people who are responsible for incoming exchange students.
There is one person who is the manager and I reckon she has the full responsibility for
everything. So the international office is divided in different areas, Europe, Japan, Brazil,
Singapore, China, Asia, South America, the U.S., and the U.K. The officers have their own
area and they keep in contact with the students from their area. They help you with
everything, and you can ask them for help anytime. There is also a team of students who can
help you out. So for the administrative things you can ask help from your officer, and for
campus related questions you can ask help from the team of students. I think this system
works very well. They answered all my questions and I did not encounter any problems.
Exchange promotion
Heaps of Australian students are interested in the Netherlands, they ask you many questions
about it. My buddy was one of the many students interested in doing an exchange over here.
By just being positive and enthusiastic I convinced a lot of friends to do some research about
Tilburg University. There is also an information market at Monash. I had some problems with
my Tilburg University mailbox so I did not know that I was able to be at this market as well to
promote my university. However I did know about this information market and I volunteered
as hostess. So I had the opportunity to speak with loads of people about Tilburg at this
market.
Social Activities
The team of students, MOVE, organized a lot. Welcome parties, dinners, movie nights,
goodbye parties, a visit to the zoo and an organized a day, where an aboriginal explained his
culture and taught us a dance. There was a day where we could practice the Australian
sports: netball, Australian football, and cricket. You can join the MOVE club for free; it’s a club
for international minded students, like IESN in Tilburg. There were a lot of social clubs which
you get to know in the second week. From a Harry Potter fan club to a DJ club, or a MSA
(Monash Student Association) to a surf club. MSA organized a lot of big parties, like the
booze cruise or the final exam party.
With my roommates, who are Australian, I played a lot of Australian Football, and we went to
the stadium together. I went to country horse races with one of my Australian friends. She
took me to her parents’, which was so awesome. There were a lot of house parties, because
the Australians love to party.
With the international friends I travelled a lot. Every weekend we did something. We drove the
great ocean road, we camped in national parks, and we went to clubs in the city centre, to a
stadium and much more. In the mid semester break we went to Western Australia to do a
road trip for 10 days. We hired some campervans and off we went.
I travelled to New Zealand on my own, which was amazing as well. It is such a beautiful
country. After this trip I went to Darwin, Uluru, and I travelled the east coast. It was such an
amazing experience.
Culture and Language
I did not experience a culture shock while I was on exchange. Melbourne looks like a
European city, so it felt like I had known this city for ages. Everyone was so open and friendly
that I felt very comfortable.
In the Netherlands everyone is so stressed and they work all the time. In Melbourne they
reckon that there must be a good balance between work and time for yourself. They live with
the motto: no worries. They are so relaxed, it is amazing. In the Netherlands I feel the stress
all the time, and in Australia I did not even know what stress was.
What I learned about the Netherlands is that we are quite direct in our words and our
behaviour. Another thing is that we are more down to earth about things. While I knew this
before I went on exchange, in Australia I actually experienced these differences.
The Australian culture is a happy and no worries culture at first sight. But it suffers many
difficulties. For example, the reconciliation between the indigenous and non-indigenous
people and that a lot of people do not have a job. So there are worries, but the Australian
people try to just be happy and just have faith in the future. So they are an optimistic people.
There is also a negative aspect because there is a lot of racism. Their law says that racism is
ok. Nowadays the people are more conscious about their own behaviour towards the other
nationalities. So it is going to improve.
I learned a lot about the aboriginal culture but I found out that you really have to take an
active stance towards actually finding out more about the culture. You have to do your own
research. I am glad I made this effort, all my international friends did not know anything about
the aboriginals, expect for the stereotypes of course. Once I would like to go back and help to
find a solution for the reconciliation between the indigenous and non-indigenous people.
New Zealand is quite similar to Australia. They suffer from the same problems, and the nonindigenous culture is the same. The Maori people are totally different compared to the
Aboriginals. The one thing they have in common is that they have to work on the
reconciliation.
In the beginning of my exchange it was hard to explain everything in English, but after a week
it was not hard at all. My English is not perfect, I make many mistakes, but the students and
the Australians did understand me and that is the most important thing.
I did follow a language course at the language centre in Tilburg before I went on exchange, I
did not follow language courses during my exchange.
Personal Development
Well, I must say that my experience did not affect me from a cultural point of view. My parents
love to travel and with them I have visited many different countries with different cultures. I
love meeting new people from other cultures, and talking about our differences.
I became more social during my exchange, you have to make new friends and the Australian
people love the small talk. When you travel on your own you constantly make new friends.
By living in a different country half way across the world for half a year I proved that I am
adaptable. My English has much improved during my stay there. I backpacked through
countries which greatly enhanced my social skills and development as a person. I have a
better self-esteem now, so I can promote myself better. I reckon that this experience is good
for my future career possibilities.
I did not learn that much from other people, more that everyone has their own way of living
and everyone has other things that make them happy. You can do the same thing, and both
enjoy another aspect of that thing. I already knew this, but here I could see it clearer.
My exchange was perfect I would not have done anything differently. My best experience was
my skydive. Before I went to Australia I would not dare to do it, and now I can only say that I
want to do it again. The worst experience was during the Western Australia trip. We were with
12 people (1 Brazilian, 1 American, 1 Canadian, 2 Dutchies, and 7 Germans). Every night, the
Germans spoke German to each other. For me and the other Dutch girl it was not a problem,
but for the Brazilian, American and Canadian it was rude. I asked them often if they could
speak in English, but it did not help anything.
What I never will forget are the awesome people that I have met, and Australia itself. I love
that country.
The most important lesson I have learned is to live without stress, just be chill and relaxed,
and your life will be so much better.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
It makes sense that all the courses are offered in English. I took the courses trends and
controversies in sports: so it was more about the problems in sports, like the money the
Brazilian government put in the world championship soccer while there are so many poor
people in that country. Is it ethical to put the money in a tournament instead of in the people?
How can we stop the bullying in the physical classes at schools? My second unit was sports
coaching and development, how can you use sports to improve development? How can you
make sports available for people with a disability? My third subject was about the indigenous
people, I learned about their culture and about the difficulties of the reconciliation. I learned
that education can play an important role in this matter. The last subject was experiencing the
Australian landscape. It was a kind of a meditation course, where you focus on the micro; like
a rock pool, instead of the whole beach. The fieldtrips were fun, but I did not learn that much
from this unit. I do recommend the other units if you are interested in the sociology of sports
and in the indigenous culture.
The workload in Australia is much higher than in the Netherlands, because of all the
assignments you have to do. I had to do an internship as well. I think the level is the same,
but it is a different way of teaching. I prefer this way of teaching more than the way they teach
in Tilburg. Now I can remember what I have learned. The teaching style is more practical,
than in Tilburg, however overall it’s a primarily theoretical teaching style.
You have lectures and seminars for every class. During the seminars you have to discuss a
lot, or you have to give presentations. During the lectures you just have to listen and take
notes.
The relationship between the students and the teacher is more informal than in Tilburg. As
mentioned before I had to call my teachers by their given name or nickname.
I am happy with my academic achievements. I learned a lot of different things and other
things than psychology. I think it has broadened my knowledge and my views on things.
Exams
I was lucky that I did not have to do any exams. I had a lot of assignments instead.
Other
The library has the same system as in Tilburg, so it was easy to access the resources you
needed. There were many public computers available, as a Monash student you can work on
every campus and the computers are of a good quality. They were all Apple products.
Description of Courses
Course name
Controversies
and trends in
sport
Sport coaching
and
development
Indigenous
issues
Experiencing
the Australian
landscape
Prereq.
None
Exam
Assignments &
presentations
Major at BI
Bachelor, 6
ects
Approved as
extra
None
Assignments,
presentations
and internship
Assignments,
essay
Essay’s
Bachelor,
ects
6
elective
Bachelor,
ects
Bachelor
ects
6
extra
6
extra
None
None
Comments: all the subjects were theoretical except sports coaching which had a practical
element (an internship). All the subjects were doable; they were neither easy nor difficult. For
me only sports coaching was relevant, because I would like to do the master in sports
psychology. Everything else was as an extra, just to broaden my knowledge.
Tips for the future students
I recommend an exchange period. You will have the time of your life and you will learn a lot
about yourself and other people. You will learn how to take care of yourself in a completely
different way. Now you may already live on your own in a student accommodation, but living
on the other side of the world is a wholly different kind of independence. You meet so many
nice people. I do recommend Monash, the atmosphere is so informal, and everyone is so
friendly and helpful. The first day at Monash I made a bunch of friends. The Australian people
are very open and welcoming. They are amazing!
I reckon it does not matter where you are going to on exchange. You will have the time of
your life anyways. Just think what kind of an environment you are looking for and if you want
to do specific subjects, focus on the subjects as well. I went to Australia without any
expectations and I think that is the best thing you can do. Just go with the flow and
experience a lot!
As a preparation, just fill in all the forms, arrange an accommodation or at least some phone
numbers of landlords, make sure your visa is fine and off you go. Just remember: no worries!
Blog
esmeegoingdownunder.waarbenjij.nu
Contact details:
E.M.Pluijmers@Tilburguniversity.edu