Phuong Anh Hoang - Vietnam, 16 January, 2024
Australia has always been one of my dream destinations to study at and I’m now living my dream. A few of my colleagues have studied here, which inspired me to pursue my postgraduate studies at QUT. The nursing field and research in the health sector is highly concentrated in Australia so I felt this place was right for further my career. The great weather and affordable living cost was also one of the top reasons I choose to come here. As QUT is one of the top universities for nursing, I reached out to the supervisor team, and they agreed to accept me to start my research journey here.
Doing my research
During my first year, I’ve learnt skills in advanced research, especially qualitative, which has enhanced my knowledge, assisting me in my research. It was a difficult skill to learn at the start as it’s not like doing numbers which I’ve done in health statistics. I kept reading and learning with great support from my supervisor team which gradually gave me a better understanding. The skillset and theoretical knowledge learnt in qualitative research inspired me on how to design my research.
I chose to focus my research topic on a very cultural-related topic among Vietnamese migrants in Queensland as Vietnamese people are ranked 6th among nations migrating to Australia. Further reason is that Vietnamese people have a diverse heritage cultural background and I wanted to find out if these cultural norms follow Vietnamese migrants when moving to a new country and how it may interact with their health behaviours.
Doing research is never easy for anyone, but it's very rewarding, There’re always new things to learn and discover. I spend most of my time finding reading materials and supporting references to ensure it all make sense. This can be a very tedious process, but it's necessary. However, I’m very lucky that I’ve been progressing quite well thanks to great support from my supervisor team, which I’m very grateful for.
A normal day for me is usually spent in my office doing my research, but sometimes I like to have a break from work, and I love to go to the backyard near R-Block and E-Block at Kelvin Grove campus. I really enjoy the view a lot and would highly recommend all fellow QUT students to go and relax here.
What I love about QUT
As a research student I was really impressed with the QUT student services, and the international student support provided via emails, workshops, and events such as the special international students orientation at Welcome Week and the HDR (Higher degree research) orientation workshop. Undertaking research is a bit different from normal coursework studies because you spend most of your time studying on your own. I don’t have any classmate for my units; however, I have connected with various HDR networks which QUT supports. For example, I subscribed to the QRSnet (QUT Research Students Network), and I have received a lot of useful information. Even though I have not joined in many gathering events due to a conflicting schedule, I really appreciate what QRSnet does and the support they provide research students.
I also really appreciate the dedicated preparation and all amazing facilities provided for research students and especially the study environment where I can seek assistance if I need anything. All the staff at the Graduate Research Centre and School of Nursing have been very supportive. I don’t believe I could have overcome my first year without their help when it comes to explaining QUT policy and the administrative processes.
Enjoying student life
When I’m not studying I normally go out with my friends or visit the local markets on Saturday. Sundays are usually my rest day when I’m taking it easy and recharge my energy after a busy week. I also like to attend cultural festivals and events such as the iconic Brisbane EKKA. This was such a fun event and the famous strawberry ice-cream sundaes were amazing.
I like to explore the surroundings of Brisbane and Queensland. I love the “sea vibe” that Queensland offers! I did a trip to the Gold Coast and Stradbroke Island with my amazing friends. This is a great place to do some teambuilding games with your friends, have some fish and chips after swimming, or simply do a walk along the beach. Just imagine if you could take a deep breath from the sea after an exhausted day at work. Wouldn’t that be superb!!
The most memorable trip I’ve done so far is the bushwalk to Mt Nebo with fellow QUT HDR students. This was the first time I have bush walked for such a long way. The natural vibe was fabulous, nothing could compare to that at home. I was so proud to finish the 15km trekking, what an accomplishment for the very first time trekking ever in my life.
Living in Brisbane
I enjoy living in Brisbane as it’s not as crowded and busy as my home city, which gives me a more peaceful feeling. I also immediately felt a real sense of belonging when arrived.
The best thing about Brisbane is 100% the weather. Queensland is known as the Sunshine State, and I really enjoy the “sunshine vibe” here. I don’t like cold weather, so having warm days throughout the year is the best for me. Also, a fun fact is that your photo will always be better if it’s sunny 😊
During my first weeks in Brisbane, I struggled with all the walking. An interesting thing I found difficult in the early days is that all the traffic is on the left side of the road, which is totally different from my home country. It took me a while to switch over my thinking of this new direction 😀 Also I was not used to walking at home because I use my scooter all the time. However, I am now getting around Brisbane much easier with lots of transportation options. I use public transport when going to university and getting around the city. I use my Go Card (electronic transport ticketing card) to pay and my phone to keep track of the timetables, it’s fantastic. Opening hours is also a strange thing for me which takes me a couple of weeks to remember that most shops will close around 6pm and even earlier in the weekend. After all, I admitted being very lucky to have support from my friends based in Brisbane before I arrived.
Moving away from home isn’t easy for anyone, especially settling into a new country. However, I did have some previous experience living abroad through an exchange program when I was doing my undergraduate course, so I didn’t find it too difficult. It took me about two weeks to get used to all the new things. I also connected with my Vietnamese friends studying in Brisbane who helped me and introduced me to everything here. This was a great support.
My advice to prospective students
Brisbane is a great study city with QUT ranked as one of the top young leading universities. I can definitely recommend you coming here and become one of my HDR mates at School of Nursing or at another faculty at QUT. The research pathway is never stress-free for anyone, but at QUT you will be supported all throughout your study journey. If you are planning to undertake your research at QUT, don’t hesitate to contact a potential supervisor or email the Graduate Research Centre if you have any concerns or questions. Be open-minded, be progressive, be curious, be ready! I am sure you will have the most memorable time of your life at QUT.
