Hi, it’s Andres! I have been enjoying being in Sydney, Australia and what has contributed to that has been my learning experience in the classroom. I currently take the following classes: International Marketing, Intercultural Communication, Sydney Film Australian Cinema: Representation and identity, Environmental Debates, and Analyzing and exploring the Global City: Sydney. I have enjoyed all these classes because I have noticed that all the teachers have unique teaching styles. First is in my International Marketing as my professor likes to use stories as a way to convey the material in the textbook. I absolutely love it as it makes the class more engaging and fun as most of his stories come from his personal experiences. Second is in my Intercultural communications class, my professor likes to display images on the board and tries to get us, the students, to figure out why it’s important for the lesson. I have enjoyed this because with the required readings we do before class, I can come up with interpretations that could relate to or hear someone give an explanation different from mine but still relevant to the topic. Third is my Environmental Debates class, a class that is more structured on being conversational and feels less like a lecture while maintaining a safe environment for a difference of opinion. Fourth is my Sydney Film Australian Cinema: Representation and Identity. In this class, I learn the history of Australian film and its evolution from its creation to its existence today. What fascinates me is how we analyze all the aspects of this film that I would never think about which has led me to build a stronger appreciation for movie production. Last but not least my Analyzing and exploring the Global City: Sydney class. I enjoy this class because of the number of trips outside the classroom that happens. From museums and neighborhoods, this class has pushed me to learn more about the culture around me and it helped me feel more connected to the world around me.

To stay updated with my schoolwork and my environment I have updated my calendar using Google Calendar. It is a real help as it sends me reminders and connects directly to my phone so if I forget to do something, an alert will pop up on my phone. I also like to ask questions, especially clarifying questions as sometimes the slang or word choice the professors use is something I have not gotten fully accustomed to. Throughout my time in the classroom, I have noticed that the schooling dynamic is different from Pitt as it is more tailored to everyone, from the teachers to students, who are equal to each other. An example of this is here in Australia most students call the teacher by their first name while in the United States, it is more common to say professor, doctor, or say the teacher’s last name.

Look forward to writing the next blog. Have a great one and thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Andres Vasquez