International students are a big part of Australian universities and Australian culture. In the process of adjusting, these new arrivals may experience some funny moments along the way. I am an international student from Germany and I'd like to tell you a few tales...
As reported by the website studies in Australia, the number of international students who have been enrolled in educational programs in Australia in 2009 increased by 16.8% from 2008 - up to a total number of 631,935 international enrolments in Australia. As the number of international students is increasing every year, many students gain different experiences and adjustments during their studies. As I begin my Masters of Global Communications this year, I am only one of hundreds of international students at La Trobe University and I have just started to adjust more to the Australian lifestyle.
But what does adjusting really mean? And how difficult is it for someone who has grown up with an absolutely different lifestyle to adjust or integrate themselves into an Aussie university? According to the Concise Maquarie Dictionary, the word adjustment derives from the verb adjust and it means “to fit, adapt or accommodate”.
For example, one of the most basic elements of Australian society is completely different to me: the fact that everyone drives on the left-hand side. Ok, this might not be so unfamiliar for those English, South-African or Irish people in Australia, but it certainly is for an American, Italian or German like me. I should mention that I did live in Australia for about ten months in 2008 so I am not as much of a newborn to this Aussie-style world compared to some other people.
About three weeks ago, I landed back on Australian ground and my best Australian friends picked me up from the airport which I was certainly happy about after being on a plane for 22 hours. Starting the adventure of trying to get into the driver’s side, which is here of course on the right-hand side, my friend Jane who was driving the car offered me to drive if I wanted to. Of course I did not want to drive but I had again already forgotten on which side to get into the car. A little embarrassed, I moved myself to the other side of the car and sat down quietly for a moment. I am sure that this has not only happened to me but to many other people before too, I would hope so at least. Of course, driving on the left-hand side does not only include sitting on the other side of the car but actually driving on the left as well. This is very dangerous for someone who’s not used to it- not only for me driving in a car but also when crossing a street on foot or cycling to university. It is very weird when you go to cross a street and don’t know from which way the cars are going to come from. Growing up as a stereotypical German for being known as super punctual, hard-working, a clean-freak and a well educated car-driver, Australians seems more relaxed.
Let me also tell you about an Aussie citizen who has quite a similar experience while visiting me in Germany for a few weeks in 2009. My friend Jenna found herself trying to get into the wrong side of the car, not knowing where to look while crossing the street and getting herself into danger by looking to the wrong side of road while crossing. The only difference was that in Germany everything was on the right-hand side.
More tales are going to be told soon.
Till then, G’day Mate
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