Words can’t express all the feelings that come with going to a place like Melbourne. It was by far one of the best experiences in my life, partially because of what I saw but also because of what I did and the people I got to share it with. I have to express my sincere thanks to Macau Polytechnic Institute for giving me the opportunity to participate in this Global Professionals Program (GPP). I have improved a lot over the past three weeks, including things such as communication skills, presentation skills and teamwork skills.

The first thing I want to highlight is what I achieved during this program. For instance, I developed my English proficiency in a business context and gained an understanding of what qualities and skills employers are looking for in a newly graduated student. It’s vital for me because I have a better understanding in where I need to improve. The teaching style is totally different from China and the lessons tend to be more interactive. We acquired knowledge via cooperation, collaboration and playing the games. We also built friendship with peers that from Shanghai and Japan.

We also gained an insight into Australian workplace practices and business challenges through training and company visits. There were two Industry Engagement Activities, which were CPA Australia and Ford Company. I was impressed by those companies that we visited. In the first week, we visited CPA Australia, which is one of the world's largest accounting bodies. During this event, there were some talented workers who shared their past experiences with us. Their words inspired me a lot, and they made me realize that the harder you work, the luckier you will be. Then, we visited Ford Company. The staff explained the processes of car production to us. Later, they gave the presentation about the company background and a Q&A session. In a word, this program broadened my horizon since it gave me new ideas of how corporation operate and allowed me to realize what qualities they are looking for.

It was my first time living in a homestay, which enabled me to gain real insights into how people live in Australia. Before I arrived at my homestay, I felt excited and nervous. There were a total of six members in my homestay, the mother, father, two kids, one visitor and me. The mother who came from Japan is a housewife, and the father is from Hong Kong and works as a financier. They live in a really big house with a backyard. They were really nice and treated me as a part of the family, and not as a guest. Also, I appreciated that I could eat rice everyday rather than bread or cereal.

I was so glad to have the opportunity to study with my classmates from different countries or a different city. We exchanged our past experiences and hung out together. In addition, we visited a lot of landmarks, such as The Great Ocean Road and Mount Buller. The most unforgettable tourist attraction had to have been The Great Ocean Road, where we spent two days. The scenery there was marvelous and stunning. After two days of exploring, we felt so happy to be there. I believe we all had an incredible experience.

Thanks again to this Overseas Study Program, which was held by MPI. I really enjoyed the time we spent in Melbourne.