Exchange Student Report

Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

Trimester 1, 29 February – 14 June, 2019

Student: Benazeer Turkmani, 4 semester – Computer Science

Table of content

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Deakin University ................................................................................................................................................ 7

Campus ........................................................................................................................................................................... 7

What classes/study experiences did you find the most rewarding? Why? ............................................................. 8

Thinking technology and design .................................................................................................................................... 8

Data science concept: ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

Robotics Studio ............................................................................................................................................................... 8

Game Fundamentals ...................................................................................................................................................... 9

What classes would you advice other KEA students going to the receiving school to choose or not to choose? ..... 9

What challenges did you experience culturally while being abroad? .................................................................. 10

How helpful was the receiving school in this process? ...............................................................................................10

The language ................................................................................................................................................................10

How was the application process?...................................................................................................................... 11

Social and cultural experiences .......................................................................................................................... 11

What advice would you give other KEA students going to study abroad at the receiving school? ...................... 12

Arrival ...........................................................................................................................................................................12

Accommodation ............................................................................................................................................................12 On campus accomodation ......................................................................................................................................12 My thoughts on campus accomodation ................................................................................................................12 Of campus accommodation....................................................................................................................................13

My mistake ....................................................................................................................................................................13

Burwood ........................................................................................................................................................................13

BUGS and Animals!! ...................................................................................................................................................14

Weather - very bipolar ..................................................................................................................................................15

Groceries .......................................................................................................................................................................15

Prices .............................................................................................................................................................................15

Budget ...........................................................................................................................................................................15

My adventures................................................................................................................................................... 15

Queensland-roadtrip: 800- 1000 AUD ........................................................................................................................16

Great barrier reef - 120 AUD for a day tour ...............................................................................................................17

Fraser island - 135 AUD for a day tour.......................................................................................................................17

Uluru – total coast: around 1000 – AUD ....................................................................................................................17 Kings Canyon ..........................................................................................................................................................18

Western Australia .........................................................................................................................................................18

Bali, Indonesia ..............................................................................................................................................................18

Camping/ hiking in Australia ......................................................................................................................................19

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................................... 20

Introduction I have been on many vacation trips with friends and family outside Denmark, but mostly I stayed in

Europe and would not dare to venture further away since I’m really afraid and scared of being lost

and not making it on my own. Previously all my trips abroad had been for monetary reasons and been

limited to shorter trips. But not long before I applied for the exchange semester, I told myself that

whenever the deadline for the application came at had to apply in order to satisfy a deep desire to

study abroad or going on a challenging journey on my own.

Even before heading down to Australia I felt like time went past so fast like a flash,

from the moment I decided to study abroad until I was heading to the airport to leave. This trip was

very special to me since I had to rely on myself and transport myself to Melbourne from Denmark all

on my own. Beforehand I had absolutely no experience with this sort of travel, making sure every

paper was in order and getting the tickets and getting to the airport on time etc. Previously I found

myself relying heavily on my parent’s advice and suggestions, without ever questioning their

judgment. No told me how to pack and what to pack and this was a fun experience since I really did

not research the weather before packing my bags.

To be completely honest, I’m not sure where I should begin, this experience has been a

very daunting but at the same time a very life-changing and most likely the best thing that has

happened to me. To relive these past few months and to write all my experiences down is a fun task

but an almost insurmountable task to overcome. I’m at a loss of words but I would like to state

something first of all. Taking all the things I have been through under consideration; this exchange

semester abroad is probably the best decision I have made. I knew from the beginning of my degree,

that when the opportunity to study abroad came, I would take it and apply without any hesitation. My

goal someday is to work abroad, at least for a while, and this was an excellent opportunity to test my

abilities and try it out.

I find myself asking the question if all of this was even worth it? And I came to the

conclusion that I absolutely loved every aspect of this trip down under, whether the memories are the

bad ones or the really good ones that really made this trip absolutely worth it. Visiting Australia and

seeing the country and experiencing the culture from a different perspective than a tourist has a mind-

blowing experience. Every part of this country is truly beautiful and worth seeing at least once in

your lifetime. I really felt amazing to explore a new country and be exposed to such a different culture.

I absolutely loved learning about the history of the aboriginal people and learning the history of

Australia again. The different sights I visited around Melbourne, and the travelling I did in between

my studies, was beyond doubt the most stunning and wonderful destination I have been to. I honestly

visited so many cool places these past few months and probably have made memories and friends

that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

My advice: “DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND GO ON EXCHANGE, DON’T MISS OUT ON

THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO GO ABROAD”

Experiences at the host university

How helpful was the receiving school in the process of choosing classes and settling you in?

Deakin has no say in the process of you choosing the units. It is mainly you and your coordinator or

teacher at Deakin. I recommend that you talk to the staff about the units and let them guide you in

order for you to choose the right units. Deakin University is very helpful and provides a lot of help

to those that need help to settle in and adjusting to life in Australia. The university has a lot of different

student-run clubs that provide prime opportunity to meet other people. (includes parties and other

activities) I highly suggest that you sign up for these clubs because you will meet people with the

same interest as you and maybe you will find and make tons of new friends.

The clubs I signed up for:

• Deakin study abroad club – This is also a good club to sign up for since you get to meet all

the other exchange students through this club

• Deakin outdoor club – If you like the outdoor stuff and would like to see and experience

another side of Australia. They arrange activities such as hikes and camping trips (highly

recommend this club)

• Deakin visual arts – I signed up for the arts club because I like drawing and find it relaxing

• Deakin University Women in Tech

During the first week you are introduced to everything and get time to familiarize yourself with

everything, before all the classes commence. Orientation week is filled with guided tours around

campus and lectures for exchange students and international students, where they inform you with all

the important things you needed to know to get through the semester

During my time here Deakin arranged a 2 days-trip for all the exchange students before the orientation

week. When you sign up for the application, they offer you to attend the beach welcome trip. This a

trip is about to getting to learn some of the other exchange students and is your first chance to make

some new friends. I reckon that attending this trip is highly important if you would like to make some

good memories and meet new people and possibly find some good mates. I met most of the people I

talked to for the rest of my stay in Melbourne and went on trips around the country with on this trip.

The trip might seem expensive, but everything is included, accommodation, food (you might have to

buy lunch one of the days), the activities: surfing, mountain biking, hiking, yoga.

Deakin University

Campus I choose Burwood campus because I wanted to be close to the city. When you apply to study on

Deakin you can chose which Campus you would like to study at. This means that you can either

choose to study near Melbourne or if you like to be close to the beach you are able to choose one of

the other campuses which are closer to the beaches. If you like to surf and go on hikes or camp during

the weekends, I suggest Geelong Campus since it’s near the ocean. I found one really cool surfing

beach 30 minutes away from Geelong. (Ocean Grove).

What classes/study experiences did you find the most

rewarding? Why?

Thinking technology and design This unit has taught me to critically think. In my case, I have learned to critically assess which

scientific articles I can use and which I should not use to support my research papers. I have learned

about some fundamental principles and methods I can use to assess the issues I encounter along the

way. This unit emphasizes on technology and how it is used in our daily lives. You are taught about

the skill of thinking critically no matter the situation you are put into. The workload for this unit is

normal, not too much or too little. During this unit, you have to write 2 assignments which are based

on what you have learned during the lectures. 4 quizzes and the final examination.

Data science concept:

This unit was the most challenging out of the 4 units I did. At KEA you learn to programme to solve

real problems in companies and they don’t emphasize the mathematical context. This unit has no

requirement in regard to math, but I suggest you only take this unit if you are good at math. I

personally struggled a little during some of the lectures. This unit is about learning a lot of theory in

relation to machine learning, cluster algorithms and other data science concepts.

The unit was divided into practical classes and lectures. Since this university is very

hands-on, most units are divided into a practical class which involves a lot of python coding. They

teach everything from the beginning, and you will learn everything from the bottom. The workload

for this unit is high, you have 3 assignment (one of them is a group the other 2 are individual), 3

quizzes, in addition to that you have to read a bit for each lecture. Luckily this unit has no exam.

Robotics Studio I really enjoyed this unit. For this subject, we had 3 hours of scheduled learning activities pr. Week.

This unit introduces you to the fundamental paradigms of robotic systems (sense-reason-act) in the

context of a hands-on, studio-based learning environment using the Nao robots. We were taught

event-driven programming methods within Choreographe, the visual programming environment for

the Nao robot. Some of the subjects and problems we tackled during the semester where such as

animating movement, responding to encouragement, and creating meaningful behaviours in

constrained environments. During the practical’s we investigated the robot’s capabilities and

limitations, as well as the design and development of programmatic solutions. The workload for this

class is minimal, you don’t have to read anything for the classes. During the 12 weeks, you have to

do 3 reports on 3 modules, you have to write 1 research essay and the final project and demonstration

which is about you showing what you learned.

Game Fundamentals

This unit was fun and very different from what I would usually study if I had a choice. Even though

I don’t really like games or even don’t play any, I really liked the idea of putting myself in a situation

where I would be forced to learn something new and challenging. This was a very demanding unit in

the sense of you building a game at the end of the semester. I had no real experience in developing

games, and everything is taught during the tutorials in class. I recommend this unit if you like games

and would like to study the concepts that define the design and development of games. This unit has

a combination of practical classes called tutorials and theory. You will learn all about the

fundamentals of designing games with a focus on engaging.

If you have a deep knowledge of games and how it has changed from the arcade games

in the 30ties to present time I reckon you will do well in this unit since you will have to analyze

existing games, learn about current processes of game design and development, and design a game

implementation.

Assignments in this unit:

You have to explain one concept which is covered during the lectures: about 500-600 words.

One written essay on some issues which is covered in the lectures to, this one you can choose yourself:

1200 – 1300 words.

You have to do 4 small and easy quizzes.

Game development and implementation. This is basically an expanded version of the game which

you develop during the practical classes.

In this unit, you have an exam which is much like a multiple choice, but you will also have to argue

why you made this choice and is made up of 2 parts.

What classes/study experiences did you find least relevant or

least valuable to you? Why?

I really found all my units very interesting and challenging at the same time. My favourite unit was

the Robotics Studio, this unit was very hands on. Everything you need to know is learned in class so

if you participate and show up to the classes you will soon get the hang off it. My least favourite unit

was the Data Science concept unit. This unit was very challenging, and I was not prepared for all the

math. I did learn to code in python, but everything is self-thought. I did not like the teacher at my

practical class, he didn’t know the answer to any of my questions and I was forced to sit down and

learn everything on my own.

What classes would you advice other KEA students going to the

receiving school to choose or not to choose?

I really can’t advice people to take the units that I studied. Deakin offers a large array of different

units, and it is up to the individual person to decide what they want to study and like. You should do

a little research on the units and find the ones you find interesting.

What challenges did you experience culturally while being

abroad?

How helpful was the receiving school in this process?

Deakin and the student-run clubs that offer help to every single exchange student in order to help

them settling in and find friends. I recommend that you sign up for some clubs since this is a great

way to meet new people with the same interests as you.

What was the best cultural/personal experience during your studies abroad?

In my opinion, Australia is clearly closer to the US than any European country, but these countries

are very different when it comes to culture and unwritten rules and what is accepted and what is not.

The people are generally more informal, in regard to your studies its closer to Denmark. In Denmark,

it is common to call the lectures by their first name, and this is what they do in Australia too. They

don’t really care if you call them professor or by their name, it’s all about a relaxed and comfortable

environment. Even though they have a relaxed and friendly approach to life and most situations, it is

still appropriate and considered good manners to say “please” and “Thank you”. They treat everyone

equally and respectfully regardless of age, colour, gender and sexual orientation and this is a

testimony of their multicultural society. Australia is very multicultural, around one-quarter of the

population born overseas. This has resulted in plenty of opportunities to find food and traditions from

all around the globe across a large array of different cultures.

The language

Don’t be ashamed or confused if you don’t understand the Australian accent or slang right away.

Even people who grew in an English-speaking country has trouble understanding the Australians.

The Australians use A LOT OF DIFFERENT SLANG even in their professional life and on the

workplace. In case you don’t understand someone just tell them very politely, most of the time they

don't even realize they’re using slang and the best part is that they won’t be offended if you ask them

to explain something in a different way.

Some heads-up:

• They drive on the other side of the road(left)

• Basically, everything is turned around and done the opposite way

• Be very careful when you cross the road. LOOK TO THE RIGHT NOT LEFT!!!

• SLANG! Basically, their language is made up by slangs, brace yourself:

o Arvo – afternoon

o Bottle-o – liquor store

o G'day, mate – hello

o http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html - Check this link out

How was the application process?

The application process is very straight forward. The coordinators and people on KEA are very

helpful no matter where in the process you are stuck. In order to apply for the international

exchange program, you have to write a motivational letter in which you state why you want to go

abroad and everything you want to gain from this experience. You will have to attach a CV and

your grade sheet. Furthermore, you should make a budget or an estimation at least. I highly suggest

that you attend the information meeting that the KEA exchange coordinators have before the

application date starts.

Once you have been chosen for the exchange program, you will have to fill out the

application for Deakin University which requires you to fill out the essential information for that

particular university. In my case, I had to take a language test before I could apply, in order to

determine my English skills e.t. Before applying you should make sure that you have the right

credentials and marks to make sure you are able to get through the semester.

I sent the application to KEA round the 20th of September 2018 and received the mail

that I was chosen a few weeks later. With the approval of Kea and my internal application being

approved, I had to write another application directly to Deakin University. The Deakin University

application had a fixed online form that I had to follow. In addition to that, I also had to attach my

transcript from KEA to prove that I was an active student. I was quickly accepted into Deakin

University, but this process was a bit more demanding than just the acceptance e-mail. After being

accepted, I had to get specific health insurance (OSHC), this was provided by kea once I paid the

fees, every student is required to have this health insurance if they wish to study in Australia. The

application process for the student visa was a bit confusing but it’s a fixed online form which you

are supposed to follow and fill out.

If you need any help everything is described in detail on the Deakin University

website, which had all the necessary information I needed when applying. I really liked Deakin

University and it was a very good place for a semester abroad and my exchange program. The

University brand themselves as being an international university which you will soon realize once

you get down here.

Social and cultural experiences

What advice would you give other KEA students going to study

abroad at the receiving school?

Eating the native animals

Many Australians don’t actually eat the native animals, but I highly recommend that you at least try

it once. I really enjoyed eating emu and kangaroo meat. The emu meat tastes much like a lighter and

less fatty version of beef. And kangaroo meat is kind of weird but in a good way. I can’t really

describe what it tastes like, but it was good and given the opportunity, I would eat it again. I also

tasted crocodile meat which was a very fun experience. (Not going to spoil this but I think you should

try it, it’s really strange)

Arrival It can be really confusing and scary when you arrive for the first time but luckily Deakin offers a

pick-up from the airport and will drive you to your accommodation for free. I suggest you take good

use off this opportunity otherwise you will have to take a cap which is going to cost you around(100

AUD) if you are going fare from the airport and otherwise you can take public transport but this is

not recommended.

Accommodation

On campus accommodation

Deakin offers accommodation on campus. It’s close to campus so you don’t have to think about public

transport if you decide to live on campus.

My thoughts on campus accommodation

I have heard that the room are clean and that your flatmates are going to be a mix of different students.

You get to meet and get to know people from different parts of the world. Some people think that the

sharehouse is not clean because people don’t clean after themselves, but this is basically depended

on you and how you decide to handle it.

During this year a lot of people have complained that the fire alarms are too sensitive and that you

basically can’t cook anything because you will risk setting the alarm off, which is going to cost you

1000 AUD every time it happens. In continuation, if the alarms are set off during the night, you are

forced to get out even though nothing happened.

The cost of living on campus is about 300 AUD a week depending on which house you choose.

Of campus accommodation

I decided to live off campus but close enough that I did not have to take public transport. If you decide

on living off campus you can probably get something which is cheaper than campus. Deakin has a

partnership with people who rent out on their places and if you find a place through Deakin you are

assured a nice place where the rules for rental are compiled.

You also have the opportunity to live with a host family while staying here. I personally don’t know

anything about this but the university website has a lot of information on this if you are interested.

Link: Deakin houseme

My mistake

!!You will be jetlagged for at least one whole week!!

I suggest that you travel to Australia at least a month before in order to get to know the different areas

and get comfortable with the place before the trimester commences. This way you will have time to

find a nice place whether you want to live in CBD or near campus.

It is not very difficult to find a place to live if you do some research. Deakin provides a lot of useful

information on their website and you just have to decide whether you want to live on campus or of

campus.

I found a place through a website called flatmates.com which is a good place to start out. I paid 150

a week (600 AUD), which I believe is very cheap considering you live in one of the most expensive

cities in the world. I recommend that you book a room through Airbnb for the first few weeks, this

way you get to know the area a bit and have an inspection before saying yes to anything.

What kind of expenses did you have in general?

Transportation

They have something similar to “rejsekort” in Victoria. If you want to ride any public transport you

need a Myki card. You can get a card on any train station and if you don’t have any when the

officers that check come you will get heavily fined for it. 300 dollars!! Once the semester starts you

can get a cheaper fare by getting a concession card through Deakin.

Burwood In my opinion, Burwood is a shithole. Burwood is the area the campus is located on and this place is

not very nice. At least I did not like it, if you want any good food or coffee paces you have to get to

CBD, Camberwell or Hawthorn, because Burwood is SHIT.

BUGS and Animals!! Before coming here, you have to make up your mind if you are ready to handle and deal with a lot of

spiders, cockroaches, ants, birds (demonic birds that will kill you) and a lot of more dangerous

animals!!!

Ps. Don’t get any splinters, apparently, some three barks are poisonous and your hand will swell up

3 times its normal size.

Weather - very bipolar I recommend that you check the weather before packing your bags. If you are studying during the

end of summer and autumn as I did, you should pack your winter clothes and not summer. The

weather here is very unexpected, and you will experience 4 seasons in one day.

• Autumn – very pleasant, nice and cool temperature

• Winter – Bit chilly

• Spring – WTF is this heat!!

• Summer – yesterday there was a cyclone and floods, today the world is on fire: Welcome to

hell

Groceries In Australia, they have two big grocery stores. One of them is called “Woolworth” and the other is

called “COLES”. They are both located around 3 or 4 km away from campus. Woolworth is a bit

more expensive than Coles, but I suggest you go check them both out before deciding on anything.

I spend between 100 a month on groceries.

Prices To be honest the prices are not that different than Denmark. Some fruits and vegetables are more

expensive, and some groceries are cheaper here. If you want to enjoy the nightlife in Melbourne, you

have to budget for this too because it’s very expensive.

Budget I highly recommend that you budget for this trip. It is not cheap to live here, and you have a lot of

expenses even before you arrive down under. I made a budget of 10000 DKK for each month. And

this covered all my expenses (rent, groceries, clothes, any other unforeseen expenses). Some month

I spend more and other months I still had 2000 left. This highly depended on whether I went out

clubbing or ate out or made supper at home.

I went a little over my budget, but I also travel quite a bit during my stay. I don’t regret spending

more money than I initially intended to since I got to experience so many awesome and cool things.

My adventures

Coming all the way to Australia and not travelling the continent is a big NO NO!! Travelling

domestically is quite cheap, if you buy tickets in advance and not the day before. I decided that while

I am in this beautiful country I wanted to see and experience as much as possible. I did not plan or

budget anything for these unexpected trips.

I went to the following places

Queensland-road trip: 800- 1000 AUD We flew to Brisbane – 100 AUD

Rented a car – 500 – 600 AUD (divided between 4)

Road trip from Brisbane to Cairns

Cairns to Melbourne – 100 AUD

Roo on the beach:

Great barrier reef - 120 AUD for a day tour While we stayed in Cairns, a must thing to experience is the Great barrier reef. This place is slowly

dying off and if you like to see it while you still have a chance you should differently buy a tour and

get out in the water. This trip was one of the best. I have never seen anything like this before, I got to

see a lot of different tropical fish species and got to swim with sea turtles and baby sharks and even

saw a moraine eel (this ell is kinda ugly).

Fraser island - 135 AUD for a day tour I can't stress how beautiful this country is. If you appreciate nature and would like to see another part

of Australia, I highly recommend you go and see this unforgettable place.

Uluru – total coast: around 1000 – AUD I went to Uluru with a girl I meet on campus and this trip was unforgettable and I would highly

recommend that you go see it if you find the time. You get to sleep underneath the stars and get a lot

of knowledge on the aboriginal culture while there. (This trip is only for people who like the outdoors

and long hikes) Hearing the dingoes call in the night, while you sleep in a swag underneath the stares

is a very unique experience.

Kings Canyon

Western Australia • Perth

• Skydiving – Probably the scariest experience in my life, but I made it!

• Quokkas island

• Camping

• National Park Karijini – THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN AUSTRALIA

• Kalbarri national park

• Coral bay – I got to swim with sea turtles, and I saw a whale shark!

• Turquoise Bay

• Pinnacles desert

Bali, Indonesia • Ubud

• Surfing

• A lot of beaches

• Hiking

Camping/ hiking in Australia

Conclusion One of the best parts of my time abroad was the opportunity to travel the continent and see every part

Australia had to offer. I believe that there I no time like the present to drop everything and plan a

spontaneous trip to the other side of the world, regardless of one’s age or where you live. The fact

that you get out of your own country and get the opportunity to discover a new place isn’t the only

upside to going abroad. The biggest challenge might have been the fact that I was forced out of my

comfort zone. Immersing myself in a totally different culture and spend time learning every aspect of

this new strange place is the best part.

Getting new knowledge and learning about a rich new culture and defying every

obstacle that has kept you back all this time is a very special experience, that you can only experience

if you throw yourself at new challenges. Learning to become independent and not tied to one place

has encouraged me to think on my feet and has built a new kind of confidence in me. Learning to

navigate on my own and making my own decisions overseas has been the most awesome experience

and has been strangely freeing in some way.

The people I have met and the new friends I have made since coming here has made

this whole trip worth it. In my opinion, Copenhagen is already a very diverse city and people are very

open and welcoming but finding common ground and commonalities with the unlikeliest of friends.

I have found that people are generally happier and more easygoing when they are travelling and this

has made it easier to meet fellow travellers, even with a local waiter at some strange café place can

lead to a lifelong friend or contact abroad.

The best part of going abroad was escaping everyday life in Copenhagen, I was caught

up with daily routines and a busy schedule and I almost forgot that there is a whole world out there.

Life is to short not to take this chance and get the most epic and awesome trip out of this chance.

Taking time from my studies and going on this trip has been life changing. You will not regret

crossing of Australia of your bucket list.