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 Japan.
MBA
I had no real difficulty with culture shock but I found it a challenge to act
more independently. It is also important to develop the art of negotiation.
In Australia things are quite flexible. For example, if a rule states you cannot
do a certain thing sometimes you can get around it if you put forward your case
in a convincing way. I have friends who are Australian and friends from other
countries but I found that most of the Australian students do some kind of work
when they are not studying, so it is difficult for them to find time to do things
out of class because they are very busy. Most of my friends were international
students because they are studying full-time.
Japanese universities are much more passive than in Australia and there is
only one exam per semester. I found the assessment items more demanding and
they are treated very seriously. I had to do a lot of reading and writing in
Australia, which was quite difficult when compared to Japanese universities.
I had a lot of difficulty with essay questions because of my limited knowledge
of English grammar. When writing assignments I was quite careful about referencing
and followed the referencing suggestions in the study guides. The university
is also quite strict about plagiarism because it is very easy to copy on-line
notes and so on from the internet.
I only realized later that your academic record is quite important. In Japan
employers are mainly concerned about which university you attend and don't worry
too much about your academic record. Employers in Australia however check your
academic transcript which was a bit of a surprise to me.
I somehow managed to enjoy my life as a student but there was a lot of hard
work.
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