麥家輝 (社會工作學學士學位課程)
Mak Ka Fai (Bachelor of Social Sciences in Social Work)

 

I really enjoyed this exchange program. It was my first time to go to Melbourne. In fact, I only stayed in Melbourne around three weeks. I hoped I could stay longer in Melbourne and enjoy the beautiful views. I felt interested in this city and I have a good memories of that place. I experienced plenty of different interesting things, it was amazing and exciting for me, I appreciated that I had a precious opportunity to live for a short while in Melbourne. I was very lucky that I could study in the University of Monash, it is a good university with comprehensive teaching facilities in a classic building, which gave me a good impression. Kelly and Lanka, who were our teachers, were very kind and humorous and I had so much fun in their classes. I gained knowledge about business skills such as presentation skills, business culture, business conversations and how to have a good handshake during a first meeting. I discovered that there is a different teaching method between the two countries.  

When I studied in Monash University, we always had group discussions in class, the teachers always gave classmates some time to discuss and share their opinions with each other. After that, the teachers shared their opinions and give feedback to us. Furthermore, we visited two local companies in Melbourne, one was Certified Practising Accountants, and the other one was Dairy Innovation Australia. The most significant thing I learnt when I visited CPA Australia was when the Human Capital Consultant of PwC shared his experience. His name was Daniel Simons, he was so humorous and charming. He shared three tips for interview with us: first, you must know more information about the company you are applying to; second, you must enhance your personal impression and influence on others; third, show confidence and passion. It was very useful and memorable to me so, I can prepare better for future my interviews.

In addition, I was grateful that I had a chance to make friends with some Japanese student, they were so nice and active, I had a lot of fun and smiles with them. Although we talked in different languages and came from different cultures, I tried to use my poor English to communicate with them. We were in class together and there was four different languages in class: Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese and English. Sometimes it was hard to communicate with them when we misunderstood each other, but it was a rare opportunity to share our cultures. We had a good talk in every class, I really enjoyed that time. Moreover, sometimes I felt confused when I had heard four different languages at the same time, that feeling was very interesting and miraculous, but I love experiencing that.

In conclusion, I am very thankful to MPI for giving me a valuable opportunity to study abroad and experience a different lifestyle. I notice that I have changed after I came back I have more courage and confidence to speak in English, although my English ability cannot yet upgrade to a higher level. I am glad that I can expand my horizons in this exchange program. And now I have a goal I want to continue traveling the world and learn from different cultures, making friends with people from different countries and trying my best to improve my English.