Student profiles
Xuan Yi Zhu For Xuan, like many international students, travelling overseas for the first time was a big challenge. “It was a complex feeling; excitement mixed with dread,” he confesses. The student support staff helped allay any fears in the very first few days. “During the orientation week, they told us everything we needed to know about studying and living in Australia; from finding accommodation to how to catch public transport,” he says. Xuan feels that one week suddenly gave him all the confidence he needed to be in total control of his academic career in Australia. Now, well into his second year studies at Deakin, Xuan says the Waterfront Campus is the most inspiring of places. “The library, which has a spectacular view of the ocean, is the place to delve into the intricacies of the history and philosophy of architecture, graphic and coded communication, and computer-aided modelling,” he says. He is enthused by the approachable nature of his lecturers. “By far they are a group of very patient teachers who would help students in every possible way to get ahead, and for international students especially, improve on their language skills,” he says. Xuan is also pleased with the courses’ flexibility and the scope of innovation that comes with it. “My course work and assignments are more experiential than predetermined,” he says. “All I have to do is support my argument convincingly — I love this approach to studies,” he says.
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