PAUL: Hello,Kira,how are you?
KIRA: Fine thanks,Paul,how are you?
PAUL: Well,thanks.It's good to see you.It must betwelve months since you did our course?
KIRA: That's right.It's nice to come back and sayhello.
PAUL: What course did you enrol in?
KIRA: Actually,I went straight into third year Pharmacy.They credited me with two years,whichprobably made it more difficult for me.
PAUL: On the other hand,you were lucky to be granted credits.Is that why you chose thecourse?
KIRA: Yes.And,as I'd already finished a course in it in my country.I thought it would be easier ifI studied something I already knew.
PAUL: I didn't realise you went into third year.I thought you started in first year.No wonder itwas so hard!And what do you think is one of the big differences between studying at auniversity here and studying in your country?
KIRA: Well,I've found it very difficult to write assignments,because I wasn't familiar with thataspect of the system here.The main problem is that the lecturers expect you to be critical.Thatmade me feel really terrible.I thought "How can I possibly do it?How can I comment onsomeone else's research when they probably spent five years doing it?"I think a lot of peoplewho come from overseas countries have similar problems.But after a while it became easier forme.People expect you to have problems with the process of reading and writing but,in fact,it ismore a question of altering your viewpoint towards academic study.
