Experience of being an International Student in the PhD programme at UQ

Introduction:

As I know that the university is very keen to attract international students, also very keen to provide very good services in education and that’s the way to attract students from overseas.

Having many International students is good for UQ (University of Queensland), financially and for its reputation,
I’ve been here for doing my PhD for 2.5 years and I am very happy to share my personal experiences.

I am going to talk about the first six month I was here. It is important because it is a very critical time. After that I am going to make some more general comments, about how to fit in and engage in study across in language & academic culture, such being exposed to such a huge resource.


During the first 6 months….

Difficulties

• Language struggles: My supervisor talking too fast, and I was feeling too nervous to ask her to slow down or explain things. Concerned that when I went to meet my supervisor I would not be able to explain my ideas clearly.
• Having to use a foreign language for all day-to-day interactions as well as academic work. I was struggling to understand some Australian English speakers.
• Missing my family back home, especially my husband (Pak Ihsan-see jepretannya here) and two small daughters (Fika & Fida).
• Getting used to the university campus and living in Brisbane.
• Having to learn to be proactive and take initiatives. Example: enrolment experience: “Everyone here is busy. Don’t think everything will just automatically run well.’
  
  A special challenge after the first 3 months
  Three months after I arrived in Brisbane my husband and two small daughters joined me. For the next 2 months I had to put my studies completely on hold while I helped to settle them in and learned how to cope with all the necessary household tasks that I employed someone to do back in Indonesia when I was working fulltime. The move was a huge cultural shift for the whole family. Even my husband had to rely totally on me because he couldn’t speak English.
  
  Academic challenges
  When I came here I had no clear idea of the focus I would take for my research. Before I left Indonesia, all my time and energy was taken up finishing my job, arranging to leave for Australia, and organising things for my family. I expected that once I got to Australia, I would have access to lots of resources to help me choose a focus. This was the case, and was a positive experience.
  
  However, there was a down side to this as well. In Indonesia it was very difficult to get access to professional academic resources. Here it was the opposite – an overload of information, like making one’s way through a jungle and trying to arrive at a small clearing!
  
  
  Positive experiences
  The person who really helped me during this period was my supervisor, and especially having the same supervisor for a 6-month period. She gave me personal support, respect and encouragement, as well as advice about my academic work. I felt embarrassed trying to express myself in English, but she always affirmed my ability to say what I wanted.
  
  The other important sources of support during this period were the Brisbane Indonesian community and the Indonesian students’ association. I could always turn to these groups for help with all kinds of university-related and practical problems. The university should be prepared to fund the association because of the services it provides.
  
  I also found SSS (student support services) very useful, not only helping with the writing but also they usually helped me in clarifying my ideas. UQ student support services is just great.
  
  Since that early period – being an international PhD student
  
  Some areas of difficulty
  Department staff expect that PhD students will attend morning tea. But it often happens that the Aussies stick together and others feel like a minority group. It’s not enough just to say, ‘Hello, how are you?’ in order to initiate a conversation. In addition to feelings of inadequacy regarding language, it’s hard for students from some cultural backgrounds to ask questions or talk about problems.
  
  I have been very lucky to have a sensitive and understanding ‘office mate’. She always encourages me to say if I have a problem, even to phone her at home. If I make mistakes in English, she always helps me to clarify the meaning of what I want to say. Some staff are also very caring of international students because they themselves travelled or worked in other countries and know what the experience is like.
  
  One very difficult thing in communication across languages and cultures is recognising the non-verbal ‘signals’, especially when the person doesn’t come out with a verbal statement.
  
  For Indonesian students coming to Australia another issue is the ‘academic culture.’ My experience in Indonesia, there’s not a strong emphasis on independent research and study. So, when there’s no course work, Indonesian students here can feel at a loss or even ‘on holiday’. It needs time and effort to help them develop good research and independent study habits.
  
  A special problem
  I heard, a very bright Indonesian student dropped out of the PhD programme and returned home after 2 years. I wonder Why? Students need to have clear information about what their options are in cases like this.