Today was our first day at school here in Australia. We all woke up bright-eyed and arrived at TAFE ready to experience education on the other side of the world.  This week not only will we learn about our fields of study, but it is also a full week dedicated to recognizing and reconciliation with the natives and the land. We received a full tour of the campus, learned a bit about Australian history and culture, and had a few interactive opportunities as well.

After our tour of the campus, we mingled with students and staff from TAFE in the library to recognize the reconciliation among the people and the land.

We then had an amazing lunch before we went to our meeting room. This is when we met Gary. We had a pop – quiz on Australian culture, learned how to pronounce some common English words using Australian lingo, had some laughs, and broke into groups for some interactive fun.

We met Matt next and learned a bit about employment in Australia.  It always seems best to start instructed learning with a fun short quiz. 

Next, the students were separated into three groups to work on a small “Great White Shark tank” interactive project. This was a great team building opportunity for all us students.

I would say overall, we had an absolutely wonderful experience on our first day as “TAFE students”. I can already tell that this is only the beginning to an exceptional learning, team building, friendship making, and cultural experience! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week will bring. – Angela P.