After spending nearly a year abroad during the COVID epidemic, Chang Chai Qi has lots to say about her experience as an international student studying in Australia.
Chang Chai Qi is an alumna of INTI International College Penang.
Chai Qi, who enrolled into the University of South Australia (UniSA) more than a year before the pandemic began, shared that there were naturally a lot of changes in Adelaide since the start of the virus’ breakout in April of 2020.
“Similar to other parts of the world and in Malaysia, my university’s classes were shifted online, tighter restrictions on movements and physical interactions were implemented, and there was a continuous emphasis on maintaining personal and public hygiene,” shared the INTI International College Penang (INTI) alumna.
She added that the epidemic undoubtedly disrupted her educational experience at UniSA too.
“Due to the physical restrictions implemented, I could not make any new friends or get to know more people. Since most of my support system are at home in Malaysia, physical interactions were important for me to build new friendships and unfortunately, the pandemic prevented that from happening,” lamented Chai Qi.
She continued, “I was also unable to work part-time during the peak of the pandemic, which made it harder for me to keep up with my rent payments and bills.”
Despite the struggles, the chirpy 22-year-old student clarified that her time throughout the epidemic was not all bleak for it also brought about several upsides.
“I learnt to better converse with my friends, classmates and lecturers online through our university’s forum. I also became more studious since I was spending more time at home and I even developed my cooking skills, which eventually helped me save up on money too!” said Chai Qi as she recalled her positive experiences.
The young woman shared that she also received $2800 AUD in funds from her university and the Australian government to help aid with her living costs, which lessened the financial struggles she faced.
“It was a fund meant to support all international students living in Australia during the epidemic and I am thankful I was able to receive the assistance,” said Chai Qi.
Chai Qi (middle) with her father, Chang Chee Chiew (left) and mother, Bong Ah Chin (right) in a photograph taken prior to the pandemic.
When asked how she felt about being able to study in a Times Higher Education (THE) World University-ranked institution, particularly during a pandemic, Chai Qi shared that she did not think much of it because what matters to her is how much a student commits to their education.
“A student could enter a “good” university and still fail academically, so I believe it really boils down to an individual’s personal commitment and discipline,” she expressed maturely.
Chai Qi added that she also would not have been able to accomplish the achievements she had so far, without the help of INTI and its staff.
“I personally want to thank Shi Ying Ying from INTI’s University Placement Office (UPO), because she was tremendously helpful and professional throughout my visa application and university registration process,” said the grateful Bachelor’s degree student.
“I loved that my teachers from INTI were also really friendly and kind, and that they were always ready to help me out with any questions I had. I further appreciated the opportunity we had to network with INTI’s alumni who studied abroad, including in Australia, because it helped me decide which university I wanted to apply for before I completed my studies,” added Chai Qi.
Chai Qi concluded that all of these gestures from INTI helped propel her to achieve her educational dream in an established university and she could not be more grateful.
“Studying at a university ranked in THE’s World University Rankings is just the cherry on the top of my dreams,” Chai Qi expressed with a beam.