Melbourne #3

Imperial vs UniMelb

Since starting my final year at the University of Melbourne, I've definitely noticed some differences in the higher education system between the UK and Australia. Having studied for 3 years at Imperial College London, it's given me a good opportunity to compare both systems and highlight their disparities:

Timetabling - At the University of Melbourne (or UniMelb for short), you enrol individually into your subjects (called 'modules' in the UK), and it is your responsibility to build your timetable to avoid any clashes. This means that there's added flexibility in terms of when you can attend your lecture, tutorial or workshop, and allowed me to adjust my timetable to fit around the other things I do. Back home at Imperial, the timetable would be given to you, with no alternative options for classes. I think the added flexibility comes as I'm studying at a masters level, where I can choose all my subjects (none of them are core requirements). Currently I don't have any classes on Monday, which gives me a long weekend :)
Teaching style - My initial thoughts are that at UniMelb for the subjects I'm taking, there's a lot more independent study and reading required compared to Imperial. The lecturer will often send out pre-reading that needs to be done in advance of the class, and will spend some time discussing the findings and key points from the paper. It's taken some getting used to, but becoming familiar with research papers and literature will be handy as I also complete my final year research project (aka. my dissertation) over here. I also find that the classes are more informal, with a more conversation style of discussion with the lecturer. This has made it easier to settle in, and I'm enjoying the more relaxed style of teaching. That doesn't mean that the modules are easy, it's more about the way they are delivered to students.
Campus size - UniMelb is huge compared to what I'm used to at Imperial. By area, I think the main campus here in Parkville is over 5 times larger than Imperial's South Kensington campus! So it's taken me a while to get my bearings, and also my classes are all in different buildings, unlike in the UK where you'll usually have all your teaching in a single building. There's about 65,000 students at UniMelb (vs 20,000 at Imperial), with people studying all sorts of courses, not just STEM.
Facilities - being a bigger campus university, UniMelb offers some great facilities. I'm liking the fact that a lot of their sports stuff is on campus (including an athletics track, hockey pitches, swimming pool, gym, squash courts etc) - At Imperial space was limited due to being in Central London, so you had to travel to do most of the activities. There are periods during the week where you can use the facilities for free, which is great.

What I get involved with in my free time

Academics aside, I wanted to make sure that during my year abroad I make the most of Melbourne (and Australia) and what it has to offer, try out new things and get involved with opportunities. I'm quite sporty, and with Melbourne being the sports capital of Australia it's perfect for me. I've decided to join Melbourne Uni Ultimate, the university ultimate frisbee team. I've never played before, but had heard of the game back in the UK - I'm so glad I gave it a go! I've been playing for about a month now, and I'm really enjoying it and learning about the game. It's a good combination of being social and chill, but also with opportunities to take it more seriously if you want to in a competitive scenario. Training is up to three times a week, focussing on various aspects of the game (throwing technique, defence, team formations etc), and along with going to the gym I'm finding sports to be a great way to destress and unwind from studies.

At UniMelb I'm staying in one of the residential colleges, which comes with a whole range of other things to get involved with. My college organises regular events for the grads, including sports, cultural and social, so I'm finding that a great way to meet a whole load of people outside of my degree. The community is really international and diverse, so I like to learn about other cultures and traditions from around the world. You can also volunteer for things like the graduate committee and be a barista at the student café, both of which I am doing :)

Moving across the world obviously leaves lots of scope for exploring your surroundings, which I'm trying to do when I get a chance! Even within Melbourne there is so much to see and do, and often I find myself exploring parts of the city as a consequence of doing other things (such as going grocery shopping, playing frisbee etc). So I've found that you don't always need to explicitly go out and 'explore the city', it will happen if you take the opportunities and experiences that come you way. Australia is huge, and I think I'm only now comprehending the size of this country (and continent). There's so much to see and do, so I'm glad that I'm out here for a year to do that.

Settling in on a Year Abroad

Why bother doing a year abroad? Having completed 3 years of studies at Imperial, I had my found my friends, was comfortable in a city that I grew up in, and was settled at university. So from time to time it can feel like a big jump into the unknown, where everything you were comfortable with is left back in the UK. But from that I think comes a whole load of learning how 'life' works, confidence building and independence. It can be daunting at first, but I was surprised at myself how quickly I settled in and got going. I think putting yourself in an environment where you know you have to do something, and there is no back up option has been a great experience for me so far. Staying in contact with family and friends back home is important though (I'm not saying to cut everyone off!) - video calls have defo made people feel closer than they geographically are.

If there's any particular insights you'd like to hear about during my year abroad, drop it in the comments section below!

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