After getting my results for the HKDSE examination in 2019, I was very anxious and worried about my future pathway as I always wanted to pursue a career in the field of veterinary. I was lost and undecided about whether I should study abroad or not. Luckily, AAC offered me great advice and I started studying in the IES Foundation program in Brisbane in 2020. The program helped me to get used to university life and has fuelled me to interact with people from other countries. This has also forced me to speak more native English with my peers, which helped me improve the speaking and listening skills, hence helping me to get my desired grades in the IELTS test.
With the emergence of Covid-19, 2020 became a very difficult year for all of us. Not only were we required to practice social distancing, we also studied online by zoom during the quarantine months (March to June). These months were quite devastating to me as I was not able to meet my peers and many of them went back to their home countries, therefore most of us studied by ourselves in our accommodations. However, as I did not need to spend time travelling to school every day, this means more manageable revision time periods and I was able to allocate my time properly, maintaining a work-life balance effectively.
The Foundation program was not difficult for me, as the staff from the institution and my peers provided much assistance to me. I chose Biology, Chemistry and Economics for my three elective subjects since I studied them during my secondary school years. Students were mainly assessed through examinations, reports, essays, presentations and field trip workshops. Professors and tutors would provide various comments on our drafts for reports, essays and presentations so that we can amend our work and give our best writing for better grades. The questions in examinations are quite straightforward, doing more practice and revising the materials given would be more than enough to get good grades. Although some may think studying in foundation could be a waste of time and money, I would say it is an easier way to get into your desired university program or even more prestigious majors. I was so glad that I chose this pathway and got the opportunity to study veterinary science in the University of Queensland.