05 Sep 2024
Yixuan Sun, NBCK 2023 graduate, received pre-admission offers from world-renowned universities such as the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne with three excellent A* grades when applying for A2. In the end, she chose to study at the University of Melbourne, which has sunny beaches, based on her career planning and professional development. This article is an interview with Sun Yixuan, a freshman at the University of Melbourne, in the form of a dialogue. She shares with her juniors the details of the campus life of the University of Melbourne, which is ranked 14th in the world by QS.
"When I first stepped into the University of Melbourne, I understood the specific meaning behind the "study abroad experience" that the Guidance Office emphasized to me when I decided on the university direction. The campus of Melbourne University, from the natural environment to the architectural style, and even the moment when the sun shines through the Clock Tower and the Old Quadrangle, is like the perfect shot pursued in the movie, which makes people feel beautiful and yearning."
In addition to sharing a lot of beautiful campus pictures, Yixuan also recommended the large lawn on campus. "On weekends, I will go to bask in the sun with my friends. Of course, I can also study on the large lawn. I can touch the cute puppies and comfort dogs brought by people. The atmosphere is very good.
Speaking of academic atmosphere, the library of the University of Melbourne is also a topic that Yixuan cannot avoid in the interview.
"There are 11 libraries in the University of Melbourne. I often go to the main library. The academic environment here is very strong. There are many people both during the week and on weekends. Most libraries are very quiet. There is also a library dedicated to rest, called the "non-study library", which has some puzzles and some small board games, where you can relax with friends."
Yixuan mentioned several libraries in the University of Melbourne. In addition to some college-specific libraries, such as the Giblin Eunson Library, the base for business students, the Law Library of the Law School, and the Brownless Biomedical Library of medical students, she often goes to the main library Baillieu Library. This library has about 5 million books and is one of the largest libraries in the Southern Hemisphere. The university also has hundreds of staff in the library who can help students find books and correctly list reference lists, providing very professional support for students.
The "No Study Library" mentioned above is Rowden White Library. The name comes from the slogan "Please do not study" at the door, which also indicates that the main function of this library is to provide students with leisure and entertainment, rather than a traditional learning place, to help students relax and relieve study pressure.
"As one of the world's top universities, the University of Melbourne provides a really good learning experience. The teaching at the University of Melbourne is not to instill knowledge in students. Professors are more inspiring to guide students to think and discuss. Some professors explain in simple terms, which makes people suddenly enlightened; others are good at guiding thinking and encouraging us to put forward our own opinions. I also like tutorial classes. Generally, tutors will try their best to take care of everyone and help summarize the content of the lecture. Sometimes I am unlucky and the lecture professor's lecture is abstract and difficult to understand. On the contrary, I learn more from the tutor and it is relatively easier to make new friends."
The senior also mentioned some very humanistic academic care at the University of Melbourne. For example, if you miss the content of the lecture or forget to take notes, or if you have other things to deal with during the class, the course will be recorded on Blackboard for students who missed it to watch and review.
"From the library search system, online databases and laboratories, staff to professors, and the huge and complete learning resource network, the University of Melbourne's learning resources covering various disciplines are absolutely rich and efficient. The library has a huge collection of books, both paper books and electronic resources, and the environment is comfortable. There are quiet areas suitable for in-depth learning, as well as "non-learning libraries" for relaxation. The online databases and laboratories provide strong support for our academic research, allowing me to explore academic research without worries."
"Of course there is academic pressure. When I first got the grade structure mentioned in the syllabus, including cumulative weighted assignments, quizzes, mid-term and final with different weights, I was really flustered for a while. However, such a course outline also made me realize that Melbourne University attaches great importance to the learning "process". If you want a good grade, you must have a correct attitude from the beginning to the end of the semester and not slack off."
The overall academic atmosphere at Melbourne University is rigorous and focuses on scientific research. The academic pressure caused by this tendency is the "tight requirements" that students usually feel in the learning process. In addition to the requirements at the IQ level, it also examines students' self-control, execution ability, teamwork ability and strong self-planning and drive. If any of the above-mentioned items are weak, it will have a negative impact on the overall campus and study life. And the feedback of this impact will make some juniors who have just entered university feel "struggling with the workload and bad communication" or "isolated most of the time". Just like college students who have just entered the society from the ivory tower, facing social competition and information gap, the inadaptability and sense of being stuck in the new environment and new rules, at this time, they need to complete the transformation of independence under pressure. This is also one of the reasons why NBCK requires students to participate in matters including further studies and future planning in the A2 stage. Reasonable planning and good habits can effectively alleviate this anxiety. Responsibility and exploration of growth are indispensable parts of the independent process. Once you really fall into this situation, you can learn from the senior sister who arranges time every week to review what you have learned this week, and try to summarize the knowledge points in your own words to deepen your understanding. At the same time, actively use the exercises provided by the professor and the questions on the tutorial to consolidate, communicate with the tutor regularly, and clarify the research direction and plan, which is also a good way to reduce pressure.
“My current dream is to continue my studies, pursue a postgraduate degree, and hope to return to China in the future to work in a field related to my major. Whether it is an academic path or a career, I hope to apply what I have learned at the University of Melbourne to practice and contribute my own strength to society.”
“We grow in the esteem of future generations” is a sentence that the senior sister borrowed from the motto of the University of Melbourne to share with the younger students. She hopes that the younger students will charge towards their academic goals with a young heart and fearlessly. She also welcomes the younger students to apply for the University of Melbourne to experience the culture and atmosphere of the University of Melbourne.
