Tree of life

          In comparing studying overseas in Australia versus studying locally, of course there are advantages – the education system, the experience staying in a place with a different culture… But rather than be too idealistic, it’s good to be practical or realistic – to consider the financial costs as well.   

          If your family can afford it, go ahead. But if u need to take student loans / bank loans and therefore have to pay interest after graduating, do reconsider. Evaluate how much you would earn after graduating & how long it would take for u to pay back the loan? Money is important because u don’t want to be in debt for a long time.

          On the other hand, there are disadvantages as well – not only the culture shock of adapting to another culture, there is the homesickness factor. It’s very normal to feel homesick, that u miss your home, your family and friends & want to return to Malaysia at the end of the 1 year of studying there.

For some of my friends that stayed back in Australia, they do experience times of homesickness especially during holidays like Chinese New Year, where the separation from one’s family is even more strongly felt.

          So how is the Australian education system different? In University of South Australia (UniSA) in Adelaide, where I studied, there are many Student Support Resources – e.g. English support group for students who have a weaker command of English & have difficulty understanding what the lecturer is saying.

The focus of the system is on independent study, where each student does his or her own research / preparation for assignments. Lecturers do help you if you have questions and problems, but you are to the main work yourself. There is very little spoon-feeding as students experience in Malaysia. Even for exams – there is very little tips or none at all, depending on the lecturer.

Of course, you  can have group studies to prepare for exams or even in doing assignments if you want to. For me, my first semester experience was quite hectic – bcos there was 4 assignments (for 4 subjects) – and each requires a minimum of 10 references, which is quite a lot of reading to do. So, I used the smart way – doing assignments in a group – discuss and share resources with other group members when doing individual assignments. Of course, I got permission from my lecturers beforehand.

Luckily or you can also say because of God’s providence, I found very good group members to do assignments with, who could teach me about things I wasn’t that familiar with- especially related to research report format.

This is because I went to Overseas Christian Fellowship (OCF) meetings, join the Magill Prayer Meetings and made friends with 3 other Psychology students who have been there longer. Coincidentally we took some subjects that were the same, and when I asked them whether they wanted to do some assignments in a group, they agreed. So, that was great! I could save time and effort as well…

Why not do group assignment with my friends from TARC who transferred with me from Malaysia? I considered that but all of us would be equally blur on what the lecturer required from us and that would be similar to “the blind leading the blind” – not a wise choice.

Or another option would b e doing the assignment individually. Just that this would be a lot more time-consuming and that would mean a lot less time to experience life staying in Australia. I had quite a good experience – joining activities organized by the University & OCF – such as trips to the McClelland Wildlife Parks (take photos with kangaroos, koala bears…), Morialta Falls (waterfalls), Glenelg beach and other trips with my friends.

One thing I really like about UniSA is they have a buddy system – where an older student takes care and teach the new student how to adapt to studying in the university…. For me, the challenge was mastering the computer system – how to do research, find journals using the database. And having a buddy shortened the time needed to learn that.

Plus having this girl, Zoey as a buddy was invaluable to me – cause I learned more about the Australian lifestyle, culture and history as we exchanged our experiences, opinions and knowledge about our countries.

Another advantage that UniSA offers is a very wide resource database on their computer system and library. Students can access many online journals, journals and reference books (even those from other universities) from the computer pool and library. Students staying near the university area can access the university resource database as well through their computers or laptops.

Plus something I appreciate a lot if their escort service. When it gets dark around 6 or 7pm in the evening, there are security personnel that will drive students back tot heir homes (but within a certain range – around 5 km) from the university. In my first semester, the house where is stayed with some friends was quite far – a 20 minute walk. it was good exercise in the morning. But it may be very hot going back home in the afternoon or cold in the evening. So most of us do make use of this service a lot.

Generally, in comparing a Degree in Psychology with Diploma in Counseling, there is a lot more reading required in Psychology – focus more on theories and research (in assignments) subjects like Research Methods (Statistics subjects) which are a lot harder, while Counseling focus on  more practical skills.

As I think about it, actually reading can be done anywhere – whether locally or overseas – there’s not much difference. But for practical skills – lecturers are quite important and make a difference, because students learn hands-on skills during classes.

Another difference in the lecturers in UniSA give quite a lot of feedback on students’ assignments – whether good or weak areas, which is helpful to the students to improve on their work in the future. that’s why I try to give long feedback to students in TARC when I mark their assignments.

In conclusion, ultimately, learning is a lifelong process. If u have the heart to continue learning, even after graduating – studying either locally or overseas can prepare you to be a good counselor / psychologist. It’s not really your qualifications that influence your future, but you attitude towards your job and people that does. All the best!!