Academic Rigor in Australia

February 23, 2017

A huge influence in my decision to study abroad was so that I could see what the higher level education system is like in Australia. In most regards, it is pretty similar to America, although it is a bit more lax in terms of students coming to class, and there seems to be less ‘busy work’ assignments and more high importance assignments that count for a higher percentage of your grade. In terms of support staff, there is actually a Student Learning Support Centre here at Bond that employs people to help students out with their assignments. To get help here, you must book an appointment online with the center and you are then allotted a half hour of time to meet with someone to discuss your assignment. So far, I have only used this support system once but it was incredibly helpful and made me feel much more comfortable about submitting my assignment. Additionally, a couple of the professors that I have this semester have made themselves available to be contacted by students to set up meetings to discuss assignments, which I have also taken advantage of.

My favorite professor thus far is my Buddhist Philosophy teacher, as he is so full of experiences and life. He and his wife are both committed Buddhists, they attend meditation retreats all over the world, and he teaches his own meditation as well. He has also been filmed in a documentary about using meditation in schools to help kids deal with stress. Every time I go to class I am excited to see what story he will have to tell us and how he will inspire me that day. Every time I hear of another adventure that he has gone on, it makes me want to become more adventurous myself, and it makes me realize that I still have so much of the world to see and experience.

Claire Celestin

I am a premedical student interested in pursuing medical school after I obtain my undergraduate degree, and in my past few years at Northeastern University, it seems that I have gotten stuck in a routine of sorts. My days consisted of classes, volunteering, and studying in Snell library until I could not hold my eyes open anymore. Although all of this studying did allow me to maintain a high GPA, I have begun to feel trapped. Growing up, I had always dreamt of traveling, exploring, and immersing myself in different cultures and ways of living. I wanted to join the Peace Corps, build houses with Habitat for Humanity, and volunteer as a medical provider in impoverished countries. These are all things that I still want to do. My post graduate plans all point towards medical school and becoming a health care provider where I intend to serve not only those in the United States, but most importantly those areas where good doctors and health care are hard to come by. I believe that this study abroad opportunity will be a stepping stone into my future of world travel. I intend to take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to me while I am abroad. I will say yes to sky diving, snorkeling, and hiking into beautiful sunsets. In between all of that I will also try not to scream when facing Australia’s notorious gigantic spiders. I hope to travel around Australia every chance that I get, take surfing lessons, wake up in time for the sunrises on the Gold Coast, and still ace all of my exams. I intend to say yes to all of these experiences and more and upon my return I then want to share my experience with other students like myself. I want to show other students like me, who are afraid to push the rigid boundaries of pre medical studies that it is okay to take a break from the pressures that they have set upon themselves.