Supporters at the Richmond vs Essendon game last year. Photo: Charles Van den Broek via flickr

This weekend, 140 international students will witness their first Australian Football League game when Essendon takes on Richmond at the MCG. The students are part of 913 refugees, migrants, and students getting their first glimpse of AFL through Essendon Football Club’s GLoBALL program.

According to Essendon FC’s multicultural officer Kashif Bouns, providing students and migrants with free tickets to Essendon games is just one way GLoBALL tries to get them to engage with AFL. GLoBall also has clinics with current Essendon players, as well as six-week training programs and organised matches of AFL 9’s.

GLoBALL’s ultimate goal is to try and assist students take up AFL at a local football club.

“Ideally we want to run things at universities to get them to play a game and then get them into a local competition,” Mr Bouns said.

Mr Bouns said GLoBALL is committed to helping students get into club teams, and have already assisted some students in making contact with local clubs. But to be truly successful, he said GLoBALL needed the help of universities to raise awareness about them.

“It is just not possible for us to go to universities without them asking for us to do it. Someone from the university has to take leadership because the market is so scattered,” Mr Bouns said.

RMIT University, one of GLoBALL’s founding sponsors, said facilities and time are the two major factors that have prevented international students from playing AFL.

Nicole Lane, RMIT Link’s sport and recreation officer, said the limited space at RMIT’s city campus makes it hard to run events, which means most programs end up being held at Bundoora. Still, Miss Lane encourages students from other universities to register as a team or an individual, via the RMIT Link website, to participate in RMIT’s AFL 9’s challenge on September 16.

Other AFL clubs have followed Essendon’s lead with Carlton hosting its first clinic for international students a few weeks ago.

To register your interest with GLoBALL, email info@globall.com.au.

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Failing to address the question 

Failing to adequately address the essay question is the number one mistake students make. Always read the question a couple of times to make sure you’re addressing all the components. For example, if a question asks you to outline a theory…and apply to an event and give critical analysis, be sure you answer all three parts.

No clear argument

Another common mistake is the absence of a clear argument. Some students might have an idea of what they want to argue but they don’t express it clearly. Try to have a clear one-sentence argument in the introduction and not leave it to the end of the essay. Additionally it’s a bad idea to write hoping to find some sort of argument along the way ather than having your argument organised prior to writing the essay. Always have your argument clear in your head before you start writing.

Describing rather than analysing

It’s one thing to describe, and another to analyse. It’s easy to get caught up in talking about a subject matter without analysing the information you’ve got on hand. Most essays will ask you to engage in the question in some way, so being descriptive is never enough, you have to agree, disagree and offer an educated perspective.

Not using reliable references

Wikipedia is good to get an overview of a topic, but it’s just a starting point. Also be careful when using internet sources as academic articles carry a lot more weight than an article you randomly found on the internet. So do your own research outside of Wikipedia. Academic references are core. While reading academic articles, you should look at the citations and find the articles being cited.

Related story: Top tips for essay writing success

Quoting without understanding

You don’t show you’ve done thorough research and engaged with a topic by lifting whole chunks of text from an academic article to quote in your essay. Demonstrate understanding by paraphrasing and using your own words to explain the concepts as well. Use a mix of both direct quotes and your own reworded indirect quotes when writing your essay.

Inflated and overly-elaborate style 

Most students tend to overwrite and inflate their essays with big complicated words. You’re much better off keeping your language plain and using short sentences. After all, it’s the ideas that are important, not the number of complicated words you use.

No clear introduction

A good essay has a clear introduction that indicates you know what your argument is and how you are going to argue it. The reader should be able to get a clear framework for the points you intend to elaborate on in the rest of your essay.

Not supporting statements with evidence

It’s not enough to have a point of view if you don’t  have evidence to back it up with. You have to substantiate your arguments by drawing on your research.

Incorrect referencing

Forgetting to include page numbers or submitting an incomplete bibliography is the easiest and silliest way to lose marks. Writing up a complete bibliography doesn’t take long. You should reference all the statements in your essay that have been drawn from other sources to avoid plagiarism. Try to update your bibliography as you write, that way you don’t have to go back at the end and try to figure out where you got all those references from.

Recommendations not drawn from analysis

If you give recommendations that don’t relate to your analysis you could get yourself in a lot trouble. While it’s good to form your own thoughts and opinions, you should always base your recommendations on the research you’ve done and make sure you explain where your recommendations come from.

Conclusions are not forward looking

A good conclusion is more than just a summary – it looks backward and forward. For example, a good conclusion in a business essay explains not only the history, but the future of the organisation you’re discussing.

Making assumptions

If you’re making assumptions, back them up with academic references and if possible direct quotes from notable academics.

Poor data collection

Business, science and math essays need to be supported by data. Business disciplines in particular require data, i.e. the link between strategy and organisation and how it affects the bottom line.

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Spend some time planning and conceptualising

As a guide, University of Melbourne Academic Skills Unit Manager Guido Ernst says students should start working on essays of 2000-3000 words at least three to four weeks prior to the due date.

He insists the earlier you start, the easier it will be to write a good essay, especially if you set some time aside to plan.

“It’ll be very difficult if you don’t have a plan,” he says.

Of course, if you have more than one essay to submit then you’re going to want to start even earlier.

Monash University has resources on essay planning. Flinders University’s resources are worth a read as well.

Go to your university’s learning unit

Attending essay writing workshops and reading resources on essay writing are some of the fastest ways to improve your writing skills.

Media and Communications lecturer Nick Sharman advises students to get assistance from their university’s learning unit. For example, The University of Melbourne’s Academic Skills regularly runs workshops for students and RMIT’s Study and Learning Centre provides essay writing sessions for students.

Read, read, read

If you want to be a good essay writer, learn from examples. Mr Erst recommends finding other students’ essays and reading them. Reading books and articles from academic reviews can also be a good way to see how a well written essay is structured.

Keep an eye out for how they construct components like a good introduction, clear arguments and a consistent referencing style.

You can also ask lecturers and tutors for sample essays.

In fact, plenty of academic essays are available from your university’s digital library.

Help each other

Peer reviewing and workshops with other students are good tools to improve your writing skills.

All the university professors we spoke to agree that getting together with other students to discuss an assignment and brainstorm ideas can help you better understand the question and how to tackle it.

Just don’t copy each other’s work as that could get you in trouble for cheating.

Take a stance

Being critical and being able to substantiate an argument is at the crux of good essay writing. Whether an essay asks you to analyse or discuss, nearly all of them will require you to look at both sides of the issue and formulate your own point of view.

James Cook University has resources on critical essay writing.

Pay attention to details

Dont underestimate the importance of paying attention to detail – and it shows when a student has done his/her research, Mr Sharman says.

“After you’ve read lots of essays, you can differentiate between someone who has gone to a lot of trouble and paid attention to details,” he says.

“Also, if the essay is not so good in some areas, people may make allowances for those if the essay is well-researched and if the student pays attention to details. Those will overcome other limitations.”

And finally… work hard

Talent will only get you so far, and the rest is dependent on the focus effort you’ve invested into getting the work done.

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Human Rights Arts & Film Festival
May 15 – 27, Around Town
The Human Rights Arts & Film Festival returns to Australia for its fifth year debuting in Melbourne this week. Melbourne is lucky enough to be hosting the festival for nearly two weeks of films, music and events all around the city. This weekend, a highlight will have to be Rhythm & Rights at Abbotsford Convent this Sunday. Concession tickets cost $10 for a day of live music, workshops and crafts – Tinpan Orange are on the bill and they’re worth more than $10 alone. Check out the full program at www.hraff.org.au.

Write a letter of enlightenment on the leaves of the Bodhi Tree.

Buddha’s Day and Multicultural Festival
May 19 – 20, Federation Square
This weekend’s free celebration promises plenty of entertainment for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. You can write a message of enlightenment on a leaf of the Bodhi tree or watch the traditional Bathing of the Buddha on the main Buddha’s stage. There’s also a range of talks on over the weekend with Saturday’s 1pm talk on Living in Multicultural Multifaith Melbourne, and aimed at engaging a youth audience. For more information, visit www.buddhaday.org.au.

Brigit Heller won last year's Moonee Valley City Council Award.

Artecycle Exhibition
May 17 – July 8, Incinerator Gallery, Moonee Ponds
The city centre has a lot to offer, but sometimes it’s worth heading out a bit to discover a new suburb and a smaller exhibition. Artecycle is taking over the Incinerator Gallery and showcasing pieces of art exploring the themes of environmentalism and sustainability using recycled materials. Entry is free plus you get to tick another suburb off your ‘To Visit’ list.

You can star in the pilot episode of Bingo Unit as part of the festival. Image: Dara Gill.

Next Wave Festival
May 19 – 27, Around Town
It’s pretty hard to avoid culture in Melbourne, and with the Next Wave Festival kicking off this weekend, it’ll be even harder. There’ll be dance, visual art, performances and parties taking place over the next week with free events taking place everywhere from Footscray Arts Centre to The Wheeler Centre in the city centre. It’s hard to sum up the variety of events showcasing new talent in one small piece so check out the Next Wave Festival website to discover more.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Owl Eyes at The Toff In Town
May 20, The Toff in Town
Continuing our push to get international students acquainted with Melbourne’s musical talents, do check out Owl Eyes as she takes to the stage this Sunday right here in the city. She’s been regarded as one of the big names to watch in 2012 and is launching he latest released ‘Crystalised’ alongside this tour. Tickets are $17 plus booking fee in advance or $22 on the door.

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Photo: Martin Boulanger

Can men and women be friends? Sure they can… but wait a minute, just friends? Nothing more than that? Well in that case, maybe not.

Men think differently than women. They have different kinds of needs, different kinds of perspectives and at most times, different ways to express their love and affection. It’s these differences that make platonic relationships between the sexes almost always an “epic fail”.

You’re probably asking how I came to this harsh conclusion. It’s elementary my dear friends – I just observe my surroundings.

While the ladies I know express their affection and care towards fellow ladies by holding hands, hugging or even spending hours on the phone chatting about boys they really like, boys are doing nothing of the sort. In fact, these practices are just not, well, practised in the world of men. We fist bump, throw punches of encouragement and only hug occasionally… and when we do, it’s a man hug, and man hugs are far more manly than girl hugs.

Of course, I’m not saying all men are creatures with a heart of steel. We men love to be cared for too and we like it when there is someone there to support us emotionally. We’re just not going to go out looking for this kind of “support” from a fellow man.

That’s why you don’t see men calling one another up at all hours of the day and night to share our feelings. That’s why you don’t see two men hugging and telling each other that everything is gonna be alright, while holding each other’s hand. If we want that sort of support, we’ll seek out our girlfriends, the gentle and supportive yings to our yangs.

This is the natural order of things. It’s just the way it’s meant to be… until one fine day when a certain girl decides to show up in a guy’s life. Being the nice girl that she is, she decides she’s going to treat him as a friend in the way that she treats all her other female friends.

Now, the poor guy, whom we won’t name for posterity’s sake, has never been treated in such a way before. He starts to see the signs of friendship as something more, or so he thinks. This might happen instantly or it might take time.

Just imagine, this female friend answers his calls late at night to listen to him pour out his feelings. She randomly texts him to say she is bored, or she’ll asks him out to lunch or dinner. A date? No. It’s just two friends casually going out for dinner, or so she says. Can you blame him for getting the wrong idea?

We men mightn’t be the brightest things on the planet, but this all sounds like the actions of a girlfriend, not a girl friend, to us. Why else would she be messaging us out of the blue or listening to our feelings? Our guy friends don’t do that. It’s such a foreign concept to us that we can be forgiven for thinking that when a girl does it, she wants to be more than friends!

I guess there is a thin line between being a friend and being a best friend with someone from the opposite sex.

I mean, there’s nothing wrong with having a friend who’s the opposite sex, but when the two begin to fall into such a comfortable friendship, supporting one another just like a couple does, it’s inevitable that one of them will begin to fall under the gravity of attraction.

When that happens, not only will the friendship crumble, but there will be heartbreaks all around too.

So platonic relationships, do they exist between the opposite sexes? We guys say rarely. Most of the time, it’s almost impossible amigo.

Do you agree with Hadi? Can guys be best friends with girls? Share your thoughts below!

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