Today marked the end of week 8, week 8 out of 12 at the University of Melbourne. I think I can therefore say that I have some idea of how life is like when studying at this university, and I would like to share some insights with you today :)
First, let me give you some insights into what my schedule looks like at this uni: on Monday I start class at 15:15 and finish at 18:15, Tuesday consists of class from 10:00-11:30 and 14:15-16:15 and on Wednesday I am in class from 10:00-12:00 and 15:15-17:15 after which my weekend starts! Yes, I have a FOUR day weekend!!
How is that possible when taking four subjects at the same time, compared to the average of three subjects in Leiden? Well, compared to back home, classes here are really short. Where a lecture or tutorial would take 2 hours in Leiden, here they average around 1-1,5 hours, making it easier to plan multiple classes on the same day.
So what subjects am I enrolled in?
- Punishment and Social Control analyses life in prison with a focus on vulnerable groups like women or Aboriginals, discusses theoretical perspectives on why we have prisons and how life is like after prison. This is my favorite class and sparks very interesting discussions that make you look at imprisonment and support in prison with a very new view (For more information: click link)
- Order, Disorder, Crime and Deviance focuses on the many theoretical accounts on whether we are deviant or criminal based on our own decision, on our own free will, or whether society shapes us in such a way that we are bound to commit a crime. Though I expected a bigger focus on crime, I think this course is very interesting as it shows how people can have very different ideas of what deviance is and how deviance comes about (Want to read more: click here)
- Law, Justice and Social Change tries to highlight the interactions between law and justice and law and social change by analysing how changing law is not enough to achieve justice of any kind, but that society must be changed as well in order to really achieve something. Topics that are discussed include homosexual marriage, homelessness, women in poverty and refugees; contemporary topics that are really interesting to compare with the Netherlands (More info: see here)
- Public Trials analyses how the public influences famous trials, like the OJ Simpson trial or the famous Australian trial surrounding the death of Azaria Chamberlain. It discusses how the time and place of a trial influence its outcomes and how it is presented to the public. Learning about Australian trials and how they affect and are affected by society really gives me more insight into the Australian history (Read further: click this)
In comparison to Leiden, students have quite a chill life here. Next week is our mid-semester break; in total Melbourne students have 2 mid-semester breaks, a 4-week winter break and a 2-month summer break. My psychology program back home gives us a 1-week Christmas break and 2,5 months of summer holiday. Also, before exam week starts, students get a 'reading' week, a week without classes in which you can catch up with your readings, something unimaginable back in Leiden. Exam week is three weeks long for four courses (one semester), in Leiden I have six exams in one semester, spread out over just two weeks. Furthermore, while in Leiden every course has an exam, here a lot of courses have final essays or take-home exams.
Consequently, a lot of students do not do their readings, because they will not be tested on it anyway. Also, there are hardly any participation grades, so discussions are mostly limited to a few interested and engaging students. Due to the short time we have in tutorials, discussions remain rather superficial as every time we want to discuss something a little more into-depth, the hour has already passed and it is time to go home. I do really miss the discussions we have at Leiden University, as it makes it so much more interesting to engage with the materials and to think about the information when you also hear someone else's perspectives next to your own. However, due to this, studying here is way less stressful for students, and it encourages students to think on their own rather than just memorizing facts from books to pass a test. And I really don't mind a four-day weekend of course!
The University of Melbourne Campus is quite big, and there is even a 'Lost on Campus' app to help students find their way in a maze of buildings. This, however, provides a lot of flexibility on where you can study. My favorite study spots are currently the Law Building (which has a very comfortable couch to crash on) and the Victoria State Library, which is intimidatingly pretty (see picture). As coffee capital of the world, one cannot ignore the amazing cafés as well, and those are really fun if you do not have too much pressure to actually write an essay!
I hope this gave you some insights into my life here on campus. Though I am a little critical, I am very happy with my choice and am really enjoying my time here are UniMelb!
First, let me give you some insights into what my schedule looks like at this uni: on Monday I start class at 15:15 and finish at 18:15, Tuesday consists of class from 10:00-11:30 and 14:15-16:15 and on Wednesday I am in class from 10:00-12:00 and 15:15-17:15 after which my weekend starts! Yes, I have a FOUR day weekend!!
How is that possible when taking four subjects at the same time, compared to the average of three subjects in Leiden? Well, compared to back home, classes here are really short. Where a lecture or tutorial would take 2 hours in Leiden, here they average around 1-1,5 hours, making it easier to plan multiple classes on the same day.
So what subjects am I enrolled in?
- Punishment and Social Control analyses life in prison with a focus on vulnerable groups like women or Aboriginals, discusses theoretical perspectives on why we have prisons and how life is like after prison. This is my favorite class and sparks very interesting discussions that make you look at imprisonment and support in prison with a very new view (For more information: click link)
- Order, Disorder, Crime and Deviance focuses on the many theoretical accounts on whether we are deviant or criminal based on our own decision, on our own free will, or whether society shapes us in such a way that we are bound to commit a crime. Though I expected a bigger focus on crime, I think this course is very interesting as it shows how people can have very different ideas of what deviance is and how deviance comes about (Want to read more: click here)
- Law, Justice and Social Change tries to highlight the interactions between law and justice and law and social change by analysing how changing law is not enough to achieve justice of any kind, but that society must be changed as well in order to really achieve something. Topics that are discussed include homosexual marriage, homelessness, women in poverty and refugees; contemporary topics that are really interesting to compare with the Netherlands (More info: see here)
- Public Trials analyses how the public influences famous trials, like the OJ Simpson trial or the famous Australian trial surrounding the death of Azaria Chamberlain. It discusses how the time and place of a trial influence its outcomes and how it is presented to the public. Learning about Australian trials and how they affect and are affected by society really gives me more insight into the Australian history (Read further: click this)
In comparison to Leiden, students have quite a chill life here. Next week is our mid-semester break; in total Melbourne students have 2 mid-semester breaks, a 4-week winter break and a 2-month summer break. My psychology program back home gives us a 1-week Christmas break and 2,5 months of summer holiday. Also, before exam week starts, students get a 'reading' week, a week without classes in which you can catch up with your readings, something unimaginable back in Leiden. Exam week is three weeks long for four courses (one semester), in Leiden I have six exams in one semester, spread out over just two weeks. Furthermore, while in Leiden every course has an exam, here a lot of courses have final essays or take-home exams.
Consequently, a lot of students do not do their readings, because they will not be tested on it anyway. Also, there are hardly any participation grades, so discussions are mostly limited to a few interested and engaging students. Due to the short time we have in tutorials, discussions remain rather superficial as every time we want to discuss something a little more into-depth, the hour has already passed and it is time to go home. I do really miss the discussions we have at Leiden University, as it makes it so much more interesting to engage with the materials and to think about the information when you also hear someone else's perspectives next to your own. However, due to this, studying here is way less stressful for students, and it encourages students to think on their own rather than just memorizing facts from books to pass a test. And I really don't mind a four-day weekend of course!
The University of Melbourne Campus is quite big, and there is even a 'Lost on Campus' app to help students find their way in a maze of buildings. This, however, provides a lot of flexibility on where you can study. My favorite study spots are currently the Law Building (which has a very comfortable couch to crash on) and the Victoria State Library, which is intimidatingly pretty (see picture). As coffee capital of the world, one cannot ignore the amazing cafés as well, and those are really fun if you do not have too much pressure to actually write an essay!
I hope this gave you some insights into my life here on campus. Though I am a little critical, I am very happy with my choice and am really enjoying my time here are UniMelb!
2 reactions
He Celine,
ReplyDeleteWederom leuk om te lezen hoe het je vergaat. Maak er wat moois van je bent niet elke week down under !
Grtz Peter Z
Dankjewel Peter!
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