By Karen Poh
THE launch of Victoria University’s new DVD entitled Life at VU has justified the pride it takes in describing itself as “a new school of thought”.
The first copies were sent to prospective students all over the world last month, in time for the first semester intake.
The university has taken a broad approach, working closely with organisations like Tourism Victoria, Victoria Police, Yarra Trams, Melbourne Airport and the Australian Customs Service.
The finished product is a comprehensive but easy-to-understand 16-minute feature, which includes information about everything from pre-departure checklists, tips on what to pack, warnings about customs and quarantine, advice on finding accommodation, finances and budgeting, to academic and cultural expectations and life in Melbourne.
It offered international students a glimpse of Melbourne even before they leave their home country, Victoria University’s senior international advisor, Samantha Thompson, said.
“That was what we wanted to do. We really wanted to help in that transition time when they arrive in a new country.
“We wanted to make it easier not only for them, but also their parents and family, because I’m sure they will watch the video and say, ‘Oh, that’s what it’s all about, that’s what it’s going to be like’,” she said.
It also benefited those whose first language wasn’t English, and were thus less inclined to wade through wordy travel guides and arrival booklets, Ms Thompson said.
The feature also serves to introduce students to what various local accents sound like, Ms Thompson added.
“We’ve got two Australian actors, so that exposes them to that accent, and we’ve also got international students who have different accents as well, so that’s what we’re trying to expose them to.”
For the feature, third-year event management student Yuan Fang enacts a routine baggage check at the Customs and Quarantine counter at Melbourne Airport.
He recalls what it was like when he arrived in Melbourne for the first time as a wide-eyed teenager.
“That was my first time abroad. I had no idea about how to pass through quarantine,” he said.
For Malaysian student Prashanti Marimuthu, it was Melbourne’s cultural diversity that struck her the most upon arrival.
“You can actually come to Melbourne and feel at home,” she said.
An important part of the DVD project was to show students what Melbourne had to offer, such as food and shopping, second-year nursing student Hudson Lim said.
“People from different countries have different shopping experiences,” Mr Lim said.
“The DVD gives students an idea of how trading works here.”
