On Friday 28 August, our senior international students visited the Monash University Clayton Campus for a special campus tour organised by Monash University.
International students from Years 10, 11 and 12, together with students from our English Language Centre (ELC), had the opportunity to explore the Clayton Campus and experience university life first-hand.
Our day began at Robert Blackwood Hall, where we were warmly welcomed by the Faculty of Education. Students participated in a presentation delivered by Monash staff and current students, introducing the Education courses and pathways available at Monash University.
This was particularly inspiring for many of our FHS international students who are interested in becoming teachers in the future. Current Monash Education students shared their own experiences of studying at university and explained what students can expect throughout the four-year course, including the opportunity to undertake teaching placements each year.
Following the Faculty of Education session, we divided into two groups for a guided tour of the Clayton Campus led by the Monash team. The campus is enormous, and although we did plenty of walking, we were only able to explore a small part of it! It gave our students the opportunity to see and experience for themselves what studying at a world-class university can look like, including the learning environment, student life and facilities available.
We also had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with some of our Footscray High School alumni, who are now studying at Monash University’s Clayton Campus. It was great for our current international students to see former FHS students continuing their study journey at university and to hear about their experiences after graduating from Footscray High School.
After the campus tour, we enjoyed lunch together at one of the cafés on campus and greatly appreciated the warm hospitality provided by Monash University.
After lunch came another highly anticipated part of the day, our visit to the Faculty of Engineering.
Current Monash Engineering students divided us into three smaller groups and guided us through some of the Faculty’s incredible facilities and learning spaces. Even from our brief visit, our students were amazed by what they saw. They learnt how university students can work together in teams, use workshop spaces, design and build new ideas, recreate and improve existing products, and participate in engineering competitions with other universities across Australia and around the world.
Our students also learnt more about the opportunities available beyond university study, including industry placements, practical experience and pathways towards their future careers.
The entire visit was a wonderful and inspiring experience for our international students. It gave them a much clearer picture of university life and encouraged them to think about their future study and career possibilities.
A huge thank you to Monash University and everyone involved in organising and hosting our visit. Our students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the day, and we hope to have more opportunities like this in the future.
