International students may also find it challenging to have a very casual and relaxed attitude toward their lecturers and tutors. Generally speaking, students are usually on a first-name basis with academics, and titles are not usually used. Australians believe they live in an ‘egalitarian’ country, which means that everyone is on the same level — even students and academics — and should be treated equally. This does not mean that students don’t have respect for the academics; it just means that it is a more casual relationship than you may see in other countries like Singapore. From my experience, Singaporean students often found it extremely difficult to challenge their tutors and lecturers, and fully participate in tutorial discussion. This lack of confidence and verbal interaction may affect your final mark.