While studying architecture in Melbourne, Danny Chong once had a classmate ask him this: “Why would you spend time working on something useless and neglect your studies?”
That “something useless” was him actively participating in Monash University’s Malaysian Society while studying architecture.
While his major kept him very busy, he still carved out extra time for co-curricular activities.
Chong’s retort to his friend’s question was another question: “Why would you spend your entire uni life being stuck in a studio? You spend so much money to study here, you have to make the most out of it.”
But what does “making the most out of it” even mean?
Both Chong and Leong were members of the Malaysian Students’ Society in their university. Source: Malaysian Students’ Society Monash Caulfield
Picking up the local culture
A huge aspect of studying abroad is learning about new cultures.
However, there’s a stereotype that international students tend to stick together. While having that community is helpful and supportive, it might also lead to an echo chamber and prohibit you from experiencing the culture of the country you’re studying in.
That’s why some international students try to do the reverse and only befriend the country’s natives.
“My first year and second year, I tried really hard to blend in with the locals,” Chong reminisces.
He chose to be actively involved in a non-residential college community where it was primarily filled with Australian students. He spent five years participating and volunteering there, but after the second year, he realised it was too hard to relate to them, and began expanding his circles.
The thing is, it can be challenging to make local friends because many of the locals tend to stick together, too. Many come from the same hometowns, have their own lingo, dream of the same life trajectories. It’s not easy as an international student to integrate yourself into that.
But just because you aren’t able to fully assimilate into local communities doesn’t mean you won’t have opportunities to learn about the local culture. The beauty of studying abroad is that oftentimes, just being there gives you perspectives you might not have back home.
“And you will become friends with locals, just not as close as you might wish to be, most of the time,” say Joelle Leong, a friend of Chong and another active member of Monash’s Malaysian Society.
Rather than swinging to either extreme of the pendulum (i.e. only befriending locals, or only befriending those from your home country), both Chong and Leong believe that exposing yourself to all sorts of people is the best way to find connections and learn about the world.
Chong and Leong now run an event called ReHaus, a social club for those who have previously lived or studied abroad. Source: Danny Chong
Gaining independence
Making the most of studying abroad isn’t just making new friends and travelling to new places all the time either, though. Ultimately, it’s about personal development.
“One thing about moving abroad is, it’s kind of like you’re speed running independence,” Leong says. “I went there not knowing how to cook. I didn’t know how to do my laundry because my family did it for me.”
In other words, a core aspect of studying abroad is what happens outside of the classroom. It’s as much about getting an academic education insofar as it’s acquiring life skills in a new environment.
Make your time count
Whether it’s doing your own laundry or befriending a wide spectrum of friends, studying abroad presents so many opportunities.
“Be more intentional about how you want to spend your time,” Chong says. “But at the same time, be flexible.”
Sometimes, though, you can’t have it all. As Chong says, sacrifices must be made.
That might mean giving up precious free time to work on club events or sometimes overexerting your energy because you wanted to join a networking event. That might mean not having the perfect score on your exam because you went on a road trip or missing out on a couple of hangouts because you took up part-time work.
Sacrifices might have to be made, but for some, what you gain in return is worth it.
