La Trobe Uni

As I had decided to live off campus, I saw La Trobe University’s extremely large campus for the first time during the registration and orientation week. Registration was a long and tiring process, which required a lot of waiting. Luckily, true to the Australian spirit, La Trobe never fails to provide a free BBQ. Just to emphasise how big La Trobe’s campus is, the university owns a wildlife sanctuary and a golf course. On campus are various coffee shops, restaurants, convenient stores and shops to choose from. There is even a hair-dresser, who will also do body piercings for the more venturesome students. During the end of my exam period, after being a La Trobe student for 12 weeks, I found an entire lounge and cafeteria area I had never seen before. I therefore highly recommend future exchange students at La Trobe University to take part in the campus and library tour during orientation, (which I clearly did not). 

Lectures and tutorial run differently than at QMU. While my QMU lectures are one hour, and the two hour tutorials at QMU allow more student input, La Trobe chose to give two hour lectures with only one hour seminars. I had missed the intensive group discussions and one-on-one time throughout the semester. Because of the vast student body at La Trobe University, I had the feeling that I did not get to know my course coordinators as well as I would have liked to. I enjoy the intimate atmosphere at QMU, but am happy I got to experience the contrary. 

I thought it was extremely interesting to learn about my course from an Australaisan point of view. I recall a class discussion on industrialisation. As one of my modules at QMU touched on Glasgow’s industrialisation, I proudly joined in with precise facts and educated hypotheses about the developing industries in Scotland, trying to sustain the compelling conversation. When in response I got blank student faces, the lecturer wondered whether I could give an example closer to ‘home’. I realised how Europe-focused, and even myopic my academic mindset has been in past years. The plunge into a different culture definitely opened my eyes to a variety of approaches and opportunities, and thus had a tremendous academic value for me.

The student-run exchange club at La Trobe offered support and activities, giving me the chance to make friends from all around the world; friends for a lifetime. It was definitely exciting to see so many international students come together in such a fantastically cosmopolitan city. Before I arrived in Melbourne, I was contacted by the exchange club president. His welcome email introduced a group of domestic students, who would be our ‘buddies’ for the semester. My buddies helped me in every life situation, from bank accounts to accommodations to academics, before I had even arrived Down Under. I am thrilled to use the La Trobe Exchange Club as a template for the new Exchange Club society at QMU.