Dear readers, I attended the Governor’s International Farewell Function today. It was fantastic to celebrate the whole year’s hard work with other international students. Congratulations to all the award winners, particularly Bruce, one of our international student ambassadors. I was extremely inspired by the winner of the ‘International Student of the Year’ who has GPA 6.95 out of 7. I had the chance to ask these outstanding international students about their study secrets. Here are the valuable study habits I obtained from them. I hope they will be helpful for everyone’s study for upcoming exams, and well into the future. … Continue reading →

  Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋节快乐！According to Chinese culture, the round moon represents reunion of family members. The festival is also celebrated in other Asian countries too.  Last Sunday 22,000 people came to Elder Park (in the Adelaide CBD) with their family members and friends to share this lovely night with the community. This event was timed to coincide with Adelaide’s OzAsia Festival, an annual Arts and Culture showcase which brings professional performing artists from across the Asian region to Adelaide. The Mid-Autumn Festival celebration is renowned for the lantern parade and stunning fireworks display, which is impressive even by Chinese … Continue reading →

Compared to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, living in Adelaide doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket.  I enjoy a comfortable apartment in the Adelaide CBD, which is close to Chinatown.   Compared with other countries, Australian universities don’t tend to offer on-campus accommodation.  There are facilities available from each of the state’s three universities, such as the University of Adelaide’s Village, but you should inquire and book in advance. Living in the CBD, you can walk to UniSA city campus and the University of Adelaide North Terrace. Alternatively, you can make full use of the free transport. 1) The city … Continue reading →

April is the “graduation month”, when every graduate enjoys their academic achievements and shares their achievements with family and friends. Apart from this, as one of thousands of graduates, “what should I wear?” really bothered me. Everyone of course wants to be super pretty and sharp on their “big day”. I sneakily stalked several friends’ Facebook pictures of their graduation outfits and tried to inspire myself. As the gown is (of course) black, some of them keep the dress underneath consistently black. Some girls wear more obvious colours such as blue and white, which are very classy to go with … Continue reading →

Exams come in all shapes and sizes. Some are long, others short, some are tricky, others simple. All make students nervous.    This year was  my first time to  take my exam at the off-site exam hall. I was excited and nervous. Excited, because my friend told me the place would be like China - full of people. I was homesick. Nervous, because I didn’t want to miss the bus or get lost. Being well prepared for your exams is  essential to ensure you enjoy your exam period. Studying in your second language isn’t easy, so I have prepared a short list of tips to  ease the burden around exam time.    Pre-exam preparation   1. Make sure you eat properly, having three meals per day and drinking plenty of water.  2. Write down the all the exam time and arrange the revision schedule according to that. 3. Exchange thoughts and resources with classmates. For instance my classmates set up a Facebook group where we could exchange our ideas from the past exam papers. 4. Prioritize revision by focusing on understanding core concepts, rather than memorizing. Western exams test knowledge application, not ROTE learning. Use past exams to focus your revision and acclimatize to the format of Australian exams.    Tips on exam day 1. Arrive early. G10, W90. W91 are the buses can take you to showground. In fact, any bus stop on that route to the exam venue will stop  on request. 2. Check you have all important items. You will need 2-3 pens or pencils, 1-2 erasers, as well as your student ID. 3. Bring bottled water. No other drinks are allowed in the exam hall.     

The Lord Mayor’s Welcome function on the 28th of March 2012 was a wonderful event for both new and old international students. It was also a special occasion for myself and other five international student ambassors. All the laughtr, singing and applause are still ringing in my ears. On that day, I worked collabratively with Vannessa, using a camera to capture every smiling face and happy moment. It is my pleasure to share my work with everyone! Koalas are the super stars Two Koalas were brought to Town Hall for the welcome function. Their cuteness grabbed a lot of attention! … Continue reading →