Thai student Cherry Yang shares her experiences from Trinity College and the University of Melbourne
Cherry Yang says moving to Melbourne to join Foundation Studies at Trinity College was the biggest decision she ever made on her own. But it also turned out to be one of the best decisions.
Are you trying to scam me … or are you just being friendly? This thought would go through Cherry Yang’s mind regularly when she first moved to Australia to start Foundation Studies at Trinity College.
Growing up in Bangkok, Thailand, and completing some of her schooling in Singapore, she wasn’t used to the unbridled friendliness of Australians.
‘Moving to Australia was a big shift from a pretty conservative society to a very open, individualistic society in Melbourne. I was shocked by how friendly everyone was,’ she says. ‘You go into a cafe and everyone starts talking to you. But now I'm used to it, I really like it. I prefer it this way because in Singapore everyone's so busy. They're always rushing somewhere and just mind their own business.’
Cherry admits she was a bit of a rebellious kid growing up, and jokes that maybe that’s why she was sent to study in Singapore. The experience of moving, however, taught her how to get along with different people and to accept different cultures, which came in handy when she moved to Melbourne – a very multicultural city.
That didn’t mean it was easy though.
‘Moving to Melbourne was the first big life decision I ever made on my own. And then moving here by myself, it was pretty lonely at the start. I knew no one, no one at all, so I just roamed around the city. But then everything helped – the people, the environment – everything was nice.’
That said, there were a couple of things that surprised Cherry when she arrived in Melbourne. One thing was the weather. ‘When people say it's like four seasons in a day, I didn't expect it to be this moody,’ she laughs. ‘But I’ve come to actually love it. You can dress however you want in Melbourne.’
Another initial shock was that places closed earlier than she was used to in Bangkok. ‘I feel like in Bangkok, it's always busy. Day or night, people are always out there doing something … But in Australia, I feel like everyone's day ends at five. At first, I couldn’t get used to it because I’d go out in the evening wanting to buy something and everywhere was closed … but when I started working myself I began to really appreciate the work-life balance.’
Cherry says studying at Trinity College offered good balance, too.
‘I would say Foundation Studies was one of the best years of my life. It was really a good balance between life and study, and you get a lot of support from the teachers, who are beyond supportive … Everyone encouraged each other to speak up, to express themselves more. Subjects like drama, which, initially, I didn't understand why I needed to do it, really helped me a lot with my social interactions and stuff like that. Everything made sense in the end.’
Cherry learned of Trinity College from a high school friend, and when she looked into it further, she realised that studying at Trinity would help her get into the University of Melbourne, which she knew to be a top-ranking university. ‘I knew about Trinity, but then I had also heard about Melbourne Uni, and then everything fit perfectly.
After graduating from Trinity College Foundation Studies, Cherry went on to study commerce, majoring in management and marketing at the University of Melbourne, though she didn’t choose her majors until her second year of study. ‘I felt like the flexibility of the course [at the University of Melbourne] allowed me to try different subjects and then decide my major later in my degree.’
Cherry also got involved with the Melbourne University Thai Student Association (MUTSA), where she serves as vice president. Through organising events and connecting with other Thai students, she says Australia feels more like home. ‘[Since joining MUTSA] I don't feel as homesick as often, and you feel like you always have this community to support you.’
Interested in joining Trinity College and the University of Melbourne? Find an agent in your area https://eap.ascentone.com/trinity
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