1 Title: Experiences of international student while
2 attending university in Melbourne
3
4 Interviewer: Cheryl Teo
5 Participant: Hanako
6
7 Date: Monday 3rd April 2017
8 Time: 14:10 pm – 14:40 pm
9 Location: Library
10
11
12
13 Int. What’s your name?
14
15 Hanako Hanako
16
17 Int. May I know your age?
18
19 Hanako Umm… 21
20
21 Int. And, your sex?
22
23 Hanako Female.
24
25 Int. And, the country of origin?
26
27 Hanako Umm... I from Japan
28
29 Int. And, your marital status?
30
31 Hanako I’m Single.
32
33 Int. Year of arrival to Australia?
34
35 Hanako Last year
36
37 Int. So… it’s twenty-sixteen
38
39 Hanako Ya.
40
41 Int. what language can you speak?
42
43 Hanako Japanese and English .
44
45 Int. And, what is your highest level of completed
46 education in your home country?
47
48 Hanako High school.
49
50 Int. what is your educational experience in your host
51 country?
52
53 Hanako Hmm… [laugh] hmm… it was hard to study in
54 high school… umm… hard [laugh]
55 Int. What is the name of university in Melbourne
56 you are attending?
57
58 Hanako Victoria University
59
60 Int. And, the name of the course that you are studying?
61
62 Hanako Business
63
64 Int. What year level you are currently completing of your
65 course?
66
67 Hanako First.
68
69 Int. What motived you to study overseas for your higher
70 education?
71
72 Hanako Because…we have to… go Australia…otherwise we
73 cannot graduate in Japan, it’s our duty… we have to
74 study aboard in order to graduate in Japan.
75
76 Int. Was the decision yours or… the decision was made
77 for you?
78
79 Hanako Umm… the decision not mine, university decision.
80
81 Int. Why in particular did you choose Melbourne for
82 study?
83
84 Hanako [laugh] university. I didn’t decide the place.
85
86 Int. What do you hope to achieve from your education
87 and time in Melbourne?
88
89 Hanako Umm…my major is tourism… so I was studying
90 tourism in Japan… and I’m studying business in
91 Australia now.
92
93 Int. What do you think when you first got to Melbourne?
94
95 Hanako Anxious…umm… excited…umm… lonely.
96
97 Int. So, what was running through your mind?
98
99 Hanako I miss my family…family in Japan.
100
101 Int. Ok, how would you describe your academic
102 experience at university in Melbourne, so far?
103
104 Hanako Umm… it is very difficult [paused] but it’s very
105 interesting…because I can learn about tourism in
106 Australia, I can study tourism about Australia in
107 Japan,
108
109 Int. How would you describe your social experience
110 at university in Melbourne, so far?
111
112 Hanako I made a lot of friends…umm… from different
113 countries…like umm… China umm… Cambodia.
114
115 Int. Can you tell what you have found challenging in
116 general, like… while living in Melbourne?
117
118 Hanako Oh… sometimes I can’t tell Australians… what I
119 want to do because my English is not good…so…
120 it is challenging.
121
122 Int. What have you found to be challenging about
123 studying at University?
124
125 Hanako Umm… listening is difficult for me because
126 professor always speak fast… so I can’t listen to.
127
128 Int. How do you think your challenges as an International
129 student in Melbourne would differ if you were
130 university student back home?
131
132 Hanako Yeh…very hard… umm… difficult
133
134 Int. Can you give me some example, like what you find
135 it difficult?
136
137 Hanako Umm…because… Japanese lecture is write one way,
138 professor always speak but… students don’t have to
139 speak and answer [laugh] but here, Australia, student
140 have to…ask professor about… umm… about…
141 two ways communication, so this is different between
142 Japan and Australia.
143
144 Int. what has helped you through the challenges you have
145 faced as an International student?
146
147 Hanako Umm…academic support [laugh]
148
149 Int. Ok, ermm…why do you think this has helped you?
150
151 Hanako Umm… because people from academic support
152 help me to… correct my mistake… such as gramma
153 mistakes and… structure mistake… umm
154
155 Int. Does your university have learning support?
156
157 Hanako Ya.
158
158 Int. Well, have you accessed this service?
159
160 Hanako Umm… yes
161
162 Int. And, how has this aided your study experience?
163
164 Hanako [Laugh] they helped me to correct my mistake
165 such as gramma… yes.
166
167 Int. This is gonna be the last question [laugh], based on
168 your personal experience if you were going to give
169 advice to another International student, what would
170 you say?
171
172 Hanako Umm… be active… because I’m not active… so…
173 I monitor myself [laugh]
174 Int. Ok, we are done…and thank you so much for your
175 time, thank you very much.
Int. = Interviewer Hanako = Participant