A famous Chinese proverb goes, ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’. It seems that, to us humans, the mythical single first step is an object of much worship. Why else would parents spend their precious time waiting to see their little angel’s first step? And why else would the whole world celebrate Neil Armstrong’s first contact with moon soil?

The force of mystery that the ‘first step’ exudes ultimately brings us a sense of accomplishment when we dare to take it, knowing that we have initiated something bigger than us, something that we simply cannot wait to discover. Or at least, that was how I felt when I began my first semester in the Professional Communications program at RMIT University, just this Monday.

My first class on Monday was called 'Making Media'. The classroom was nearly packed with students the moment I entered it, all looking fresh yet a bit reserved. Window seats are my favorite, so while still possible, I jumped at the chance of sitting at the front next to a line of windows

This was a computer-based lab room, so being the techie that I always am, I failed to log into my Mac three times in a row. I whispered a beloved thanks to the computer when I could finally log in on my fourth attempt, grateful that I did not have to embarrass myself asking the lecturer for help. I truly believed he had better things to teach me than my own student ID number.

Speaking of my lecturer, his name was Jonathan Felix and he was a fine-looking one from Trinidad and Tobago, with a beard that I can only ever dream of. His speech carried an accent, but not much, while his tone was always calm and easy to follow.

With his presentation, we were guided through the introductory session and given some useful information about what’s to come next. One lesson from Mr. Felix’s slides: teamwork is key here at RMIT, and just as important are independence and pro-activeness in your learning. By the end of semester 1, students in this class are expected to submit 3 assignments, which includes making a podcast, creating a magazine, and writing a blog. The first two are to be completed as a group.

Personally, I am most excited about the magazine assignment, given my experience writing for Maze Vietnam - an online travel site. This time it was a little different, however, as we not only have to write the articles but also take care of the layouts and covers. Challenging? Yes. Eager? Still!

Another interesting part of the class was the networking period, which allowed every student to mingle with each other and form a team for the upcoming group assignments. Without too much effort, I found myself a lovely pair of teammates - Vy and An. Vy is an adorable girl from District 9, who also happens to be my clubmate in our university’s AIESEC club - a club that specializes in conducting exchange trips to develop leadership capabilities for youths. An comes from An Giang and loves photography and video editing.

With this duo by my side, I hope the coming semester can be, if anything, a smooth ride. Afterwards, the three of us had a little bonding session at La Catina, before meeting up at the Student Lab for some real work. And of course, we didn't forget to take selfies.