<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffeeshop Chit Chat - I love studying in Australia...</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt22 <NOBR>
</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>3:26 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 8) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>18226.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>Aug 3, 2009
MY LIFE OVERSEAS
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Finding fresh air & fresh perspective
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Tabitha Mok
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->FIVE years of studying in Australia have far removed me from my previous 17 years plugged into the Singapore system.
I had long heard of Australia's world-class education, beautiful landscapes, favourable climate and slow pace of life, but experiencing it is a different ball game altogether.
As a medical student at the University of Western Australia, I found most professors and clinicians very approachable. Rather than sit in an ivory tower, they offer peer mentoring and prefer to be addressed by their first names. This came as a shock to me as I grew up in Singapore formally addressing my teachers. Such a culture has encouraged me to approach lecturers with questions without feeling intrusive or silly.
My university also has an active student union, where students can bring up an issue if they feel that they have been unfairly treated or graded. It is common for students to actively partake in university politics by conducting protests or initiating motions.
We are free to express our political, social and religious rights without fear of any reprisals.
Out of campus, Australians admirably embrace the simpler things in life - picnics on sunny days, sitting in the park during lunch and coming together during national events like the Melbourne Cup.
I have come to appreciate such a lifestyle without the hustle and bustle I had grown used to in Singapore.
Moreover, a vacation away from the city is a stone's throw away, with many nature reserves, beaches, vineyards and coastal scenery within driving distance.
Finally, family time is of paramount importance in Australia. The Fair Work Act, passed this year, protects workers from long working hours, hence encouraging them to spend time with their families in the evening.
Similarly, most shops are closed before sundown and extended business hours are frowned on.
Such conditions may be tempting for someone like me, who enjoys the simpler things in life.
Nonetheless, after my time is done in Australia, I will look forward to returning home to Singapore - I have ironically learnt from my Australian friends that family is an important component of one's life, and my family is still very much based in Singapore.
To all prospective students who are keen on studying in Australia, my advice is: Leave Singapore with an open mind. I hope you cherish your experiences and lessons during your stay as much as I do.
The writer, 22, is a fifth-year medical student at the University of Western Australia
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
MY LIFE OVERSEAS
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Finding fresh air & fresh perspective
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Tabitha Mok
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->FIVE years of studying in Australia have far removed me from my previous 17 years plugged into the Singapore system.
I had long heard of Australia's world-class education, beautiful landscapes, favourable climate and slow pace of life, but experiencing it is a different ball game altogether.
As a medical student at the University of Western Australia, I found most professors and clinicians very approachable. Rather than sit in an ivory tower, they offer peer mentoring and prefer to be addressed by their first names. This came as a shock to me as I grew up in Singapore formally addressing my teachers. Such a culture has encouraged me to approach lecturers with questions without feeling intrusive or silly.
My university also has an active student union, where students can bring up an issue if they feel that they have been unfairly treated or graded. It is common for students to actively partake in university politics by conducting protests or initiating motions.
We are free to express our political, social and religious rights without fear of any reprisals.
Out of campus, Australians admirably embrace the simpler things in life - picnics on sunny days, sitting in the park during lunch and coming together during national events like the Melbourne Cup.
I have come to appreciate such a lifestyle without the hustle and bustle I had grown used to in Singapore.
Moreover, a vacation away from the city is a stone's throw away, with many nature reserves, beaches, vineyards and coastal scenery within driving distance.
Finally, family time is of paramount importance in Australia. The Fair Work Act, passed this year, protects workers from long working hours, hence encouraging them to spend time with their families in the evening.
Similarly, most shops are closed before sundown and extended business hours are frowned on.
Such conditions may be tempting for someone like me, who enjoys the simpler things in life.
Nonetheless, after my time is done in Australia, I will look forward to returning home to Singapore - I have ironically learnt from my Australian friends that family is an important component of one's life, and my family is still very much based in Singapore.
To all prospective students who are keen on studying in Australia, my advice is: Leave Singapore with an open mind. I hope you cherish your experiences and lessons during your stay as much as I do.
The writer, 22, is a fifth-year medical student at the University of Western Australia
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Last week, we had Thai dinner..marvelious ! The week b4, we were up in the mountain, tobogganing.. Loving it !
