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Essay Writing Stressed me Out--My wonderful Uni Life in Australia(3)
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What a wonderful flashback my favorite 2 songs 13 years ago: “Zui Mei” by YuQuan, “Ni De RouQing Wo YongYuan BuDong” by ChenLin. I am still listening…
My IELTS score was a bit lower than the requirement from Latrobe Uni, therefore I was offered a 15-week language course from Latrobe Uni Language Centre. I didn’t realize how important it was until now I would like say it is necessary to have such a short course as it helped me prepare writing academic report and making presentation for the Uni subjects which we have never been taught in China.
Each class was in a small size, about 12 students or so, half students came from China, while the others from Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, occasionally there were students from Columbia, Korea etc..
It was said that our language centre was the most difficult one in Melbourne as one English teacher was called “Killer Mark” by students, who was famous for failing half students in his class. In the end, he or she had to repeat 5 weeks. “NO, NO, NO, God bless me!!! please don’t send me to his class.” I was really scared if I couldn’t pass the exam, what would happen to me: I had to wait one more semester entering the Uni. I couldn’t imagine if I failed, I would have to buy an airplane ticket return back to China, where could I store my luggage? I had to pay extra money for 5 weeks’ language course. Most important thing, my time was limited, I was much older than other students, I was gonna apply PR after graduation. If I missed one semester for Uni, the immigration policy might be changed, I wouldn’t have enough points to get PR.
When language course 4B started, reading and listening were all right for me, grammar was too easy for a student from China, presentation was not that hard, but I would never expect high marks from a teacher. I wasn’t realize until I entered the Uni, I was wondering, did the teacher kidding us for not giving us a reasonable mark in speaking English as the marks of my presentation in the Uni were much higher than language centre I got. It seemed the lecturers in the Uni were much kinder, which brought me a lot of confidence in oral communication.
Report writing was the hardest part as I had no idea how to write, I had never written one single English essay in China, and it was subjective, I would have no clue whether the teacher liked my essay or not. Every day I was under tremendous pressure how to cope with report writing, the only thing I told myself: “I don’t have choice, I have to pass”.
My accommodation was only 7 minutes’ walking distance from the language centre, after arriving my room around 5pm or something ,I started cooking and doing assignment, I can’t remember what exactly I did, but one thing was on my mind- report writing. Reading was essential. I was supposed to find a lot of academic articles which were written by professionals in order to support my opinions in the essay I wrote. I had to write down with my own words: according to someone, in which article, which sentence supported my opinion, eg….that was time consuming…
My sleeping habit was completely destroyed since then. I was too stressed to write down one clear word or sentence on my laptop until after 12:00AM the next day. I knew if I didn’t start by that time, I could never finish it, I understood well what would happen to me. Suddenly, my brain was refreshed, I concentrated on my essay. Yeah, eventually, I finalized it. I looked at clock, it was 4 AM , there were 4 hours more for sleep.
Every day I turned on the radio: 101.1 . How beautiful English pop songs!!! Internet was not so popular that time, no facebook, I didn’t use any media for chatting in order to save data and it was not really common. I listened to Chinese songs which were downloaded into my laptop, most of the time I called my family after 12:00 AM at a very cheap rate.
One night, I was listening to one Chinese song 10 times without figuring out how to start writing first English sentence for my Essay. I heard noise from the kitchen, it was one handsome young guy and his parents visiting my neighbor- a beautiful European girl from Denmark. Everyone was on school holiday in December, only a few left who was attending summer school. I was wondering whether my neighbour would be mad at my listening one song from the laptop: over, over and over. Fortunately, no one knocked at my door told me: “stop it”.
Luckily, I was
not a student of Killer Mark, 15 weeks later, I passed 4B, 5A and 5B. Wow, I
was so sooooo happy (the happiest moment ever) the last day when I received the
report from the teacher: Congratulations, you have passed every section of
English. Haha, I was very proud myself to be a Uni Student. 
Having Graduation BBQ party at English Teacher's house--me( front left)
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Post comment Comment (9 replies)
- Reply chuanjiacai
- sometimes when we meet a problem about how to did the best about study english, it's really very hard. thanks for your story and shared.
- Reply sweetolive
- I don’t think learning English is easy, it takes time. However, if you really wanna improve your English, it depends on what your goal is, and how much time and effort you have put. There is no reason you can’t reach a level you desire if you have spent enough time on it. I can guarantee you will be there one day. Have a lovely weekend
chuanjiacai: sometimes when we meet a problem about how to did the best about study english, it's really very hard. thanks for your story and shared.
- Reply sunnyv
- Those English requirements are very stressful for students as it can completely derail the university education for a student. English knowledge is certainly important as all teaching material and research is in English. English is the foundation of all studies. However, some teachers are excessively demanding and set unreasonably high standards for passing. There are also some teachers who seek advantageous recognition through tough markings and grading.
Glad to hear that you passed with flying colors. I can see the extreme stress you were under at at that time. That success was certain important as it is ''all or nothing''. You would be back at square one if you failed. You had made an important achievement.
Seems you had a wonderful graduation party there and that picture conveys a warm and friendly situation. Keep it up.
- Reply sweetolive
- Thanks, Sunnyv:
sunnyv: Those English requirements are very stressful for students as it can completely derail the university education for a student. English knowledge is ce ...
I enjoy reading your comment by using idioms: “flying color, be back at square, all or nothing.” They sound really nice, very short phrase can express a lot of meaning. I do need improving my English writing by using Idioms, though it is not easy for me at all as I don’t know what content to put in.
I know the teachers in the language centre intended to give us very low mark, which discouraged me a lot. In the university, presentations were easy, I could get high mark compared to the language centre, report writing was not that hard in the Uni, though I had to handle a lot of other difficult subjects：eg, law, taxation , auditing etc which broke me down, I will write later….anyway, 3 and half years in the uni, I went to bed at 4:00Am every day….a tough period. But I enjoy that time most!!!
Yeah, when I added that photo yesterday, I was thinking about my English teacher, I really wanna say hello to her, unfortunately, I have lost contact with all the people in the photos!! What a pity!!
- Reply teadrinking
- Those old songs accompany you all the time. They are your support to go on when you are alone and tired which make you refreshed by listening to them for a while. Sometimes I also choose to listen to some songs which make me energetic again.
As the English study that you have done well. Anything we want to master should be required much time spent on that. There is a saying about 10,000 hours to study and learn a thing if we really want to master it.
Supposing that we have spent 2 hours everyday on the English study, that has us to spend more than ten years to master the English. Of course, if we want to shortern the course, we have to spend much time than 2 hours per day. If we spend 3 hours everyday, it could be reduced to nine years of English mastering.
There is no shortcut to success. What we have learnt at school were just those basic knowledge, while if we really want to master that, we do have to sacrifice our personal time on the studying.
I can sense that you were really suffering that huge pressure at that time in the language class. Time is always limited and life is brief, while you were elder than those students which was the disadvantage pushed you to the verge of desperation. While everything has its two sides. The disadvantage become your advantage to drive you forward, since there was no turning point. Sometimes we really do not know how much energy that we really own and how far that we can really be at. We just underestimate our potential. Finally it turns out we can do something as long as there are actions and plans, and doing that without any hesitation.
When I was in the college, I spent much time doing Engish studying though I was not so sure if it was really beneficial for me in the future. Even after graduation, I still keep it almost everyday. The reason is that I do not want to give it up back since I have studied for so many years and another reason is English as the internationl language should be useful since so many people are using it everyday. Later, I found it helpful for me. I could communicate with foreigners and wrote Emails to them. It benefits me from both of my work and life.
I still remember that I have spent much time on that English learning. Even now, I leave myself alone to study it for hours per day, espeically on weekends and holidays. I gradually find it much better to understand it well.
Congratulations and come on.
P.S. You were with smile in the picture which made you released after a long and constant hard studying. Finally you passed it and now you are more proficient to use English in writting.
- Reply sunnyv
- Teadrinking. Actually, at your present level, you do not need to ''study'' English in a formal and mechanical manner. You have already attained sufficient writing power and you can express yourself at ease in English. All you have to do is to read and write more so as to be able to write more professionally and efficiently. So long as your writings are well organized clear and pleasant to read, it is good enough.
teadrinking: Those old songs accompany you all the time. They are your support to go on when you are alone and tired which make you refreshed by listening to them ...
P.S. Teadrinking is not a proper name and there is no English name in your profile. I wonder how your overseas customers address you by name? Perhaps you can give yourself a proper English name. A classic British name would be nice.
- Reply sweetolive
- Thanks, Teadrinking:
teadrinking: Those old songs accompany you all the time. They are your support to go on when you are alone and tired which make you refreshed by listening to them ...
It is a wise choice for you keep writing English blogs, no matter how good marks one got in grammar, multiple choice, true or false and filling in the blank, they will no longer be used in daily life.
After staying in Australia for many years, I realize actually writing is the most difficult part, is it harder than speaking. I mean, if you wanna writing letters or reports in a professional level.
When I started teaching myself pronunciation of English, I would have no clue that one day I would work with Aussies in Australia, and now it is the reality.
Therefore, please do what you really enjoy as you have already benefited from your English writing, one day, there might be amazing thing happen which you have never expected.
PS: as you said: it takes about 10000 hours to achieve 1 thing, I have just figured out, it will take me 20 years to master English writing, I will be a grandma then,haha.
- Reply sweetolive
- Absolutely, in a certain level, reading is the most important element for improving written English as native English speakers can't write efficient English without doing a lot of reading.
sunnyv: Teadrinking. Actually, at your present level, you do not need to ''study'' English in a formal and mechanical manner. You have already attained suffic ...
Agree.