Arcadia Australia

Student Interview: Lee Mintz

PROGRAM: UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, COMPUTER SCIENCE

HOME SCHOOL: University of Minnesota Twin Cities

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE?

I chose UniMelb because of its location in the best city on earth and its reputation for quality education.

What was the most challenging aspect of your transition from American college life to Australian Uni life? (how did you overcome them?)

At times the differences in the underlying bureaucratic processes for course registration and whatnot were a bit frustrating but staying persistent with emailing the people at the uni who could facilitate getting me into the courses I needed got everything solved.

Making new friends and battling loneliness in a new place is always hard. Being sure to stay active when possible and scheduling social activities for myself to get out and meet others was a must. I made a number of new friends.

What did a normal day or week look like for you?

Monday and Tuesdays were busy school days with tutorials and lectures running from 9am until 6 or 8pm. These were the work hard days.  Wednesdays were my free days to go for runs or hikes, explore the city or try new restaurants and pubs!  Thursdays and Fridays I had 1 lecture around 1pm and usually devoted some time to homework before continuing my exploration or spending some time at the beach.  Weekends were anyone's guess. From live music to comedy nights, billiards, video game pubs, art museums and exhibitions, cruising around shopping centres, late night penguin visits, you name it. Melbourne always had something fun and new to do.

What was your favorite excursion with Arcadia?

Going out for an occasional meal with the group was always a good time.

What was your favorite experience in the classroom?

There was a project for my Graphics and Interaction course where the students got into teams and made their own video game. On the last two days of lecture, instead of additional material being crammed in before the exam, we watched demo videos of all the students games. Having my game displayed in front of the other teams and hearing their positive comments was a great feeling.

What is one thing that every student studying abroad should do?

Make time to explore. Don't overload yourself with more work than you can handle and enjoy your time. Find a new favorite food or drink. Don't be afraid to live spontaneously from time to time.

What will you miss about Australia?

The weather. The accents and attitudes. The schooners and espresso. Melbourne is an awesome place to visit and live and I'll miss it a lot, but I'm sure I'll be back.

What are your plans after you graduate?

Continue the pursuit of my musical dreams until I find the right professional job to utilize my computer science knowledge with. Maybe one day work in Australia.

Why would you recommend University of Melbourne other students/ what kind of student would you recommend for University of Melbourne?

The campus is beautiful, the coursework demanding and the resources are plentiful. For the self-motivated and driven student, the University of Melbourne is a great place to work alongside others who care about what they are doing.

How did Arcadia have an impact on your experience?

Having facilitated the study abroad experience and provided a wonderful home for us as students, Arcadia made the transition to life on the other side of the world simple.