Surviving Overseas – Part 1: University
This post is part of a 3-part series that revolve around my 4-year period of university in New Zealand. To give a brief background, I'm a Malaysian who went to New Zealand for my undergraduate degree (3 years) and later Masters (1 year). The culture in Malaysia is vastly different from the culture in New Zealand, which is often the case for most international students as they leave their home country to study in another country of different culture values and traditions.
I would recommend exploring on your own, especially once the schedules and locations of the classes are released. This becomes vital when you have back-to-back classes and you have only 5 minutes to sprint to your next class in another building. In my second year I had a morning class at one end of the campus, and I had to run up the slope and cross several streets to get to the next class on the other end of the campus. Sometimes, when the lecturer in the first class is overtimed, I end up missing the last few minutes of the lecture because I have to leave or else I can't make it to the next class.
This is also true for exam halls. Exams can be held anywhere in the university, which means you may have your exams in the Chemistry building even though you are not a Chemistry major and your exam is definitely not a Chemistry exam. Again, once the exam schedule is out, scout out the location and make sure you be there at the time you are required to be there.
Aside from university itself, you may want to familiarise yourself with the town you moved into, which may or may not be close to the university. Important stores like grocery shops and banks should be marked, as well as nearby take-away places and convenient stores should also be noted. Make use of the free time that you have to explore so you know where to get what you need at the right time.
While international students like me have the struggle of adjusting to a new environment, us and local/domestic students alike share a common obstacle – the transition from high school to university. In this post I will share my experience on how I dealt with university life, and also some important things that I've missed out – but you don't have to! While my experience is unique to New Zealand, this also applies to university students everywhere in the world.
(Note: Different countries and universities use different terms for the same things. An undergraduate degree takes 3 years in New Zealand, where each year the student has to select papers or courses that will make up the credits required to pass the overall degree. All first year students tend to have overlapping general papers, and will gradually be degree-specific as students progress to second and third year. Honours in New Zealand is on equal standing to a Masters, which is different to the UK education system where undergraduate students study for 4 years and graduate with a Bachelor of Honours.)
#1 – Getting familiar in the new environment
University is a huge place, which is especially true if you attend one that spans across a town! There's a reason why first-years are always advised to arrive a few weeks before orientation begins – you get time to explore! Don't be that person who ends up being late to class (or just missing class altogether) because you can't find the lecture hall, do your research! Often on orientation week there are scheduled campus tours available, but these tours are often more general – i.e. they will just point out the buildings and that's it.I would recommend exploring on your own, especially once the schedules and locations of the classes are released. This becomes vital when you have back-to-back classes and you have only 5 minutes to sprint to your next class in another building. In my second year I had a morning class at one end of the campus, and I had to run up the slope and cross several streets to get to the next class on the other end of the campus. Sometimes, when the lecturer in the first class is overtimed, I end up missing the last few minutes of the lecture because I have to leave or else I can't make it to the next class.
This is also true for exam halls. Exams can be held anywhere in the university, which means you may have your exams in the Chemistry building even though you are not a Chemistry major and your exam is definitely not a Chemistry exam. Again, once the exam schedule is out, scout out the location and make sure you be there at the time you are required to be there.
Aside from university itself, you may want to familiarise yourself with the town you moved into, which may or may not be close to the university. Important stores like grocery shops and banks should be marked, as well as nearby take-away places and convenient stores should also be noted. Make use of the free time that you have to explore so you know where to get what you need at the right time.
#2 – University is NOT high school/secondary school
In university (especially first year), classes are huge as students of different degrees often share similar first-year papers. With lecturers and teaching assistants outnumbered by the number of students in the class, the lecturers and staff are not able to monitor the individual performance of students to see if students are keeping up with the course. So it falls on you to keep yourself on top of your lessons.
Sick and missed a lecture? Inform your lecturer (if class attendance is part of the course grades), go to a clinic, and don't forget to get notes from a classmate. Not all universities record their lectures, and sometimes they only do recordings for courses that have many students. Don't understand today's course material? Try forming a study group with your fellow classmates, you'll be surprised how much you can learn. If nobody understands either (doubtful), check the availability of the particular lecturer in question and make an appointment to see them. Take a proactive stance in getting those answers; staying quiet and decide to suffer in silence will only make things worst, especially when you step into the working world later on.
While not all universities keep an archive of past exam question papers, take advantage of that archive if your university does! They won't have the answers to those questions, but the questions themselves tell you what sort of answers the lecturers expect from the students, which are often the learning objectives of the course that may or may not be stated at the introductory lecture on orientation week. The study groups also come in handy where you and your classmates can discuss what the learning objectives are, while catching up on contents that any of you are not sure of.
While not all universities keep an archive of past exam question papers, take advantage of that archive if your university does! They won't have the answers to those questions, but the questions themselves tell you what sort of answers the lecturers expect from the students, which are often the learning objectives of the course that may or may not be stated at the introductory lecture on orientation week. The study groups also come in handy where you and your classmates can discuss what the learning objectives are, while catching up on contents that any of you are not sure of.
#3 – Stay healthy
Most people usually think of physical health when the term 'health' is mentioned, even if there's a rise of widespread information on mental and emotional health. Here, health is the physical-emotional-mental health. Physical health is slightly easier to manage – Eat healthy at the right time, Hydrate always (not with alcohol or coffee, I mean water), and Sleep enough. As long as you keep these three things in check, physical health will not be a problem.
As for mental and emotional wellbeing, it's all in the mind. While people reasoned that you can't help negative thoughts come your way, you actually have power over your thoughts. That's right, the ball is actually still in your side of the court! It's up to you whether you want to keep listening to those thoughts, or you voluntarily shut them out of your mind. That's why people say when you find yourself in an abusive relationship, you (not your abuser!) have to choose to walk away. If you think that you alone are not enough to shut those voices, seek help. Help can be in the form of a professional psychiatrist, or a trusted friend/family member.
Remember: Humans are not made to be alone. Like elephants and orcas, we thrive in communities. Yes, you may be an introvert who like alone time to themselves, but our society is built on interaction with each other.
As for mental and emotional wellbeing, it's all in the mind. While people reasoned that you can't help negative thoughts come your way, you actually have power over your thoughts. That's right, the ball is actually still in your side of the court! It's up to you whether you want to keep listening to those thoughts, or you voluntarily shut them out of your mind. That's why people say when you find yourself in an abusive relationship, you (not your abuser!) have to choose to walk away. If you think that you alone are not enough to shut those voices, seek help. Help can be in the form of a professional psychiatrist, or a trusted friend/family member.
Remember: Humans are not made to be alone. Like elephants and orcas, we thrive in communities. Yes, you may be an introvert who like alone time to themselves, but our society is built on interaction with each other.
Again, take all available precautionary measures in safe-guarding your health. But when you do fall sick, get help.
#4 – Managing finance
Here's a fact: university is not cheap. For international students, the tuition or course fees are 3 times the price that local students pay, on top of their living expenses. Domestic students who attend a university in a different state also have living expenses add onto their bills to pay, while local students may save a bit more on living expenses if they choose to stay at home. On a whole, university is the cross-junction of experiencing the independent lifestyle.
When it comes to shopping, see if the store you go to have any student discounts or membership cards for sign-up. Some university clubs would partner with different restaurants to give members of their club discounts, so it's worth checking out and joining a club – even if you have to pay a small membership fee, you may reap back what you paid for when you get those discounts from getting take-outs or a cup of coffee. The university you attend may hold events that they invite different businesses to come set up booths, which is often the case on orientation week, so go with a friend or two and you'll be surprise to see what freebies you can score from that event.
International students, you have to buy student insurance to be eligible to attend the university, so check the coverage on your insurance! Don't be like me, buying an over-the-counter cough drops when my insurance covers both my trip to the student health clinic AND my prescription for cough just because I didn't know better (and probably because I was also shy). Listen, you're not going to get a refund for not using your insurance, so if you need and qualified to use it just go ahead and get that money.
Another concern is renting a place. Rent may be paid weekly, biweekly, or maybe monthly. The amount of rent you pay is subjected to how well-furnished the place is, and (sometimes) the distance it is from the university or town. A well-furnished room will cost you more, and so is a place that is 5-minute walking distance away from the campus. I will elaborate more about renting in my next post, so stay tune for that.
If you find yourself running low on money for whatever reason, consider getting a part-time job. I will also cover this, with tips, in another post. Check also the university webpage for scholarships and funds, you might be eligible to apply for one if you happen to meet the criteria set. My nugget of wisdom though, is to spend primarily on food, rent, and transportation (if you have to). Sure, I'd say go ahead and splurge if you have a little bit extra that month, but personally I would keep that extra aside for the unexpected. You know, like an accident, or maybe your favourite Kpop group just announced their tour dates and one of the location is at a town near you...
When it comes to shopping, see if the store you go to have any student discounts or membership cards for sign-up. Some university clubs would partner with different restaurants to give members of their club discounts, so it's worth checking out and joining a club – even if you have to pay a small membership fee, you may reap back what you paid for when you get those discounts from getting take-outs or a cup of coffee. The university you attend may hold events that they invite different businesses to come set up booths, which is often the case on orientation week, so go with a friend or two and you'll be surprise to see what freebies you can score from that event.
International students, you have to buy student insurance to be eligible to attend the university, so check the coverage on your insurance! Don't be like me, buying an over-the-counter cough drops when my insurance covers both my trip to the student health clinic AND my prescription for cough just because I didn't know better (and probably because I was also shy). Listen, you're not going to get a refund for not using your insurance, so if you need and qualified to use it just go ahead and get that money.
Another concern is renting a place. Rent may be paid weekly, biweekly, or maybe monthly. The amount of rent you pay is subjected to how well-furnished the place is, and (sometimes) the distance it is from the university or town. A well-furnished room will cost you more, and so is a place that is 5-minute walking distance away from the campus. I will elaborate more about renting in my next post, so stay tune for that.
If you find yourself running low on money for whatever reason, consider getting a part-time job. I will also cover this, with tips, in another post. Check also the university webpage for scholarships and funds, you might be eligible to apply for one if you happen to meet the criteria set. My nugget of wisdom though, is to spend primarily on food, rent, and transportation (if you have to). Sure, I'd say go ahead and splurge if you have a little bit extra that month, but personally I would keep that extra aside for the unexpected. You know, like an accident, or maybe your favourite Kpop group just announced their tour dates and one of the location is at a town near you...
#5 – Time is not limitless
The fact is, university life is busy. On top of that, students are also required to juggle their own welfare and expenses by finding part-time work, or volunteer at an animal shelter to boost the attractiveness of their resume. So it's important that you learn how to schedule your time wisely when you start your first-year. Don't burn midnight oil needlessly just to finish up your assignment that is due in a few hours when you could have done them in the day in the same amount of time you took to watch a movie. The movie can wait, but the deadline won't.
I have lectures throughout the week, so I can only work on the weekends. Thankfully, I work at a motel (more on this on my job post!), so I work for 4-5 hours in the morning and have the rest of the day free. My free time can be spent working on an assignment, or checking in with a friend and see if they're free to hang out for a bit. A better way to free up your time is starting on an assignment as soon as you're given one – start early, finish early, and you have free time to do other things.
I should emphasise that you need to figure out on your own what kind of schedule suits you best. I personally can only handle studies + work, but I know people who can take on studies + work + volunteer + club activities. My shift at work is fixed on every weekend, which I only ask for leave from work when I have to attend to university matters like field trips. On the other hand I know friends who took time off work so they can focus on studying for a test or finishing up an essay. So really, as long as you know how to manage your time, you can do a lot within the same 24 hours that is given to everyone on Earth.
See you in the next post!
~ RieRie
I have lectures throughout the week, so I can only work on the weekends. Thankfully, I work at a motel (more on this on my job post!), so I work for 4-5 hours in the morning and have the rest of the day free. My free time can be spent working on an assignment, or checking in with a friend and see if they're free to hang out for a bit. A better way to free up your time is starting on an assignment as soon as you're given one – start early, finish early, and you have free time to do other things.
I should emphasise that you need to figure out on your own what kind of schedule suits you best. I personally can only handle studies + work, but I know people who can take on studies + work + volunteer + club activities. My shift at work is fixed on every weekend, which I only ask for leave from work when I have to attend to university matters like field trips. On the other hand I know friends who took time off work so they can focus on studying for a test or finishing up an essay. So really, as long as you know how to manage your time, you can do a lot within the same 24 hours that is given to everyone on Earth.
Final remarks
University can be tough, but it doesn't have to stay that way. I've highlighted the solution mainly for #2 and #3, but a support system is highly valuable when you're in a new environment and you can't rely on your parents. Good friends give valuable criticism that will help you grow, and also be there for you when you need someone to hear you out. Yes, you need to be that strong, independent person – but it gets lonely and tough along the way. All in all, I hope what I've shared will be helpful in your university journey.See you in the next post!
~ RieRie
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