Life in Victoria
Pursuing an education in Victoria is paying off for international student Calvin (Jiaxing) Gu, whose newfound passion for film making has earned him an award. Calvin is one of five international students who won the ‘A Day in the Life of an International Student’ video competition. These students made engaging, creative short films showing us what it’s like being an international school student in Victoria through their eyes.
Calvin Gu came to Frankston High School in 2015. He lives in a homestay with helpful Frankston local “Mrs Sharon” and chronicles his life in Victoria on his YouTube channel, using a drone, time-lapse filming and other creative film techniques. He says support from his ‘kind and funny’ Media teacher Miss Long encouraged him to pursue film making. ‘This is one of my reasons that I want to have a media career in the future, and my interest is increasing every day,’ Calvin says. Calvin is completing his VCE this year and hopes to study Film and Television at university.
World Class Education
Calvin is from Guangzhou, the second biggest city in China. He dreamed of experiencing life in another country. He heard from others who had visited Australia that Victoria is ‘the best place to study’, so Calvin bravely decided to move abroad and complete his secondary education here.
Although learning another language and adjusting to a different culture is challenging, Calvin says the school welcomed him by helping him learn English and teaching him how to play AFL football.
‘My favourite thing about school in Australia is that the teachers and the local students here are so friendly, and also the quality of the education is really great,’ Calvin says. ‘That makes me want to live here forever.’
But there’s more than grades to Calvin’s school experience in Victoria. ‘The most interesting thing I learned from school is not knowledge — it’s how I learned how to interact with people and culture,’ Calvin says. ‘I hope to have a future in Australia.’