Ayako Ida

Tokyo Gakugei University
Exchange to University of Western Sydney, Australia

Studying and living overseas had been one of my dreams for a long time. Finally, the dream came true in 2010 and I gained a lot of valuable experience in Australia. Thanks to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards, I was able to try what I wanted to do and to make my life in Australia more fruitful.

One of the reasons why I chose Australia as a destination for studying abroad was that Australia is famous around the world as a multicultural society, which is totally different from Japanese society. In fact, when I arrived in Sydney, I was very surprised that I could see different people who have different backgrounds. I could also hear different languages on the street, in a bus and in a train, even though Australia is officially an English-speaking country. Moreover, I met many friends who came from different countries. Every time I met different friends, I found that they had various viewpoints and opinions which were cultivated by their own cultures and environments. At the same time, my encounters with their differences made me rethink my own point of view. Although sometimes misunderstandings arising from these differences occurred with my friends, I’m now sure that society in Australia has taught me the importance of understanding and accepting these differences.

My academic experience was also interesting. First, I studied English for academic purposes at UWS College, and then I learned Education for one semester at the University of Western Sydney (UWS). Studying only in English was very challenging for me. It took a long time for me to do everything, including reading textbooks, understanding lectures and writing essays. Additionally, the learning style in UWS was also different from that of my home university in Japan. At UWS, one unit consists of a lecture and a tutorial. On the other hand, I had never experienced tutorials in Japan. I still remember that I was so nervous during my first tutorial. What I was also surprised by was that many students did not hesitate to ask questions and voice their opinions in front of all the classmates, which hardly happens in Japan. However, the attitudes of students in tutorials motivated me to study much harder. In addition, I had more free time to study than in Japan, so I was able to study more in-depth. This kind of in-depth studying was made possible by my lecturers and tutors. I often visited my teachers to ask questions again and again. They welcomed me every time and gave me helpful advice. To be honest, studying at the university was very hard for me, but I did complete all the assignments and exams. This achievement gave me strong confidence.

The most important things I gained in Australia were my wonderful friends. It was the first time for me to live away from my family, my friends and my hometown. Indeed, it was not easy to build up a new community in a non-native language in another country. At first, I was too shy to talk to new friends because I did not have confidence in my English. Yet my attitude changed after meeting one friend who was always friendly to everyone. Although English was not his first language, he had many friends. From his approach, I realised that the important thing to make friends is not fluent English, but the desire to be friends. Thanks to him, I learned how to make nice, close friends. Had I not met my friends in Australia, my study abroad experience would have not have been nearly so enriched.

My one-year stay in Australia was very short to me, but I got a lot of experience and memories with my lovely friends, who taught me many things. Now, my next dream is to be an English teacher and to teach people how wonderful the English language is. I will definitely keep doing my best to make the dream come true, and then I would like to tell my students what I experienced and learned in Australia in the future.

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