Uni life thread

[Rider_of_Fast]

I just wanted to make a thread about uni life in general for people studying tertiary in 2011 and/or recent graduates.

This is where people can feel free to ask questions, share stories/advice, some memorable experiences and maybe some frustrations with the 'system'... but preferably just general chit chat about things other than specifically course related stuff.

So I'll start... I'm back at uni (UQ) doing postgrad studies, but also have a few classes with undergrads, and have a question as a result of my observations - "Why so hipster?"... It seems like these days being an indie/alternative kid is really just 'conforming' to the majority... Isn't this why ppl dress like hippies/alternos in the first place, to be a minority/conform against the norm? Anyway just an interesting observation I've experienced.

I'd like to know if its common with other universities around Aus? Maybe its just typical of the capital city Unis and less apparent in regional ones? Hmmm *interested*....

 

[whitey89]

So true at USYD as well in regards to fashion.

Im doing my master of architecture, frekin insane amount of work - or maybe thats just because I have a life outside of architecture!

 

[syphon_the_python]

I can definitely relate to the experiene of hipsters.

I'm at MQ in Sydney and the hipsterism is rife. I find it ironic that everyone does their best to look as if they're NOT a university student. It can be fun though.

I'm in 2nd year doing a BA major in philosophy, living on campus. It's my 3rd uni in just over a year...I've transferred my way around a bit, but I'm finally settled here.

My summary would be:

UNSW was awesome uni, but college awful.

UTAS was heinous uni, and college non-existent. And people were inbred.

MQ is awesome uni, particularly for humanities, and college awesome.

My plan is to pursue med postgrad following my BA. It's frustrating because I would've had a chance getting into medicine with my year 12 results, but I didn't know that's what I wanted to do. It took me a year (last year) of studying some law/biology/psychology/english/philosophy etc etc etc to realise that medicine is what I've always wanted to be doing.

My advice for any prospective students is this: you might not know what you want to be studying until after you start, but it's not the end of the world.

I'm going to apply for undergrad med this year, and if I get in, I'll either defer and finish arts, or just go straight into it. If not, I'll have to sit GAMSAT.

On that note, has anyone sat the GAMSAT or UMAT tests? Any advice for a first timer?

My apologies for a largely disjointed and perhaps incoherent response.

 

[cameron_15]

I'm also an aspiring med student. I missed out on Undergrad due to a poor performance in the UMAT (77th percentile, needed 95+) but managed to get an interview at JCU as they don't consider the UMAT. I was unfortunately not selected, which I now think has been for there better.

I managed to get into Biomedicine at Melbourne Uni which at the start of year 12 was something I had deemed out of my league.

Since starting though I've been considering whether medicine is for me. Yes, It would be incredibly rewarding etc, but there is still a lot of good that can be achieved through physiotherapy, dentistry etc and the medical research type of things. My bio lecturer is currently working on a treatment for malaria and making great inroads. If I could be a part of something like that, potentially saving thousands of lives, it would be amazing!

My current plan this year is to resit the UMAT and give Undergrad med another crack interstate (Monash don't accept non-standard entries) and see if I can nab a spot at a good med school. If not, I'm quite content at Melbourne uni with a guaranteed spot in their doctor of physiotherapy course and a realistic shot at postgraduate medicine in a few years.

enough of that stuff, Uni life is quite challenging at the moment, but I'm slowly getting used to it. I live in the outer suburbs of Melbourne and commute about an hour into the city everyday. I went to a public school and I'm the only one that went to Melbourne uni this year. Because of this, I don't know anyone! you can make friends at lectures and in tutes but it's not (yet) the same as my other friends.

The amount of work is enormous, I managed to get a day off mid-week and thought I could work that day at the bike shop. after a month I'm now realizing it's not feasible and that I really should use that day to do some work!

Getting used to everything now though and still loving all the social Barbecues and events that accompany uni life!

 

[Matt H]

I'm now second year economics at UQ. Picked my major in international trade and finance. Some of the econometrics and finance math stuff can be a little bit tricky, but I'm enjoying the bulk of it. Except fuckin' stats...

Also quit hating on the culture. People dress like that because it's fashionable too, not because they're trying to be different.

What's your postgrad RoF?

 

[@nDr3w]

Law/Communications student here. Double degree FTMFL, so much work. However, it is incredibly rewarding. Maybe not as hard/rewarding as medicine, though.
My advice to those of you who are finishing school and are looking at coming to university and doing one of the "prestigious" degrees purely for the sake of it (Law & Med, and there are a lot of kids out there doing this).
A) Don't. Find something you're actually interested in.
B) If you're committed to doing it anyway, choose medicine, purely for the fact that people won't hate you.

 

[Rendog]

It's a ever changing world, and being an indie / alternative, person, as far as fashion goes, is a bunch of crock wankers, trying to be cool by excluding what they consider mainstream faggots, even though they don't realize themselves, that they are the mainstream now. all I can say is, fuck Triple J. I personally blame them.

Oh and I did go to uni, transferred and deferred, now at Aftrs.

 

['Ross]

Im in my final year of Advertising/Marketing (Bachelor of Communication, not business!) at University of Canberra...I'm glad to say its pretty much a wanker/hipster free zone. Most people here are either normal or completely boring nerds which allows me to get frustrated at more relevant things rather than hating on everyone.
When I was at RMIT (Marketing-Business) the culture was 80% chinese students and the rest were Eastern suburbs wankers (who by now have evolved into hipsters, it wasn't that cool a couple of years ago.)
The best thing about my course right now is I've reached the point where some of the stuff (not all) is both interesting and relevant to my future career! After getting through the basic textbook crap and the 'marketing 101' stuff I am actually doing a few practical advertising subjects. I'm also starting to make my plan for end of this year/next year in regards to getting a proper job...that is quite daunting actually and the Uni work itself is relatively stress free.

 

[Red Rocket]

Journalism at UQ. There's a lot of fucktards with no idea. There's a lot of idiots buying slr's and leaving them on auto. There's a lot of weirdos, and a lot of hopeless lecturers. But who cares right?

 

[RYDA]

2nd year civil engg at UQ.

The dress code for engineers in general is polo, jeans and joggers.

I hate statistics.

I hate traffic flow theory gave us a spreadsheet of traffic counts for every 5 mins of a whole year. Having fun with that spreadsheet.

Oh and yeah I love jumping through the many hoops.

 

[651221]

First year Engineering at ANU.

Should be writing an Engineering Report or programming ants to run in circles right now...

Instead on Facebook and Rotorburn!

 

[Matt H]

Hahahah ryda funny you mention that about the engineering dress code. I love walking from the great court towards the hawken building and surrounding area and noticing the gradual shift from cuffed jeans and trendy hair cuts, to dweeby and awkward looking engineering students.

 

[Joel O]

First year Engineering at ANU.

Should be writing an Engineering Report or programming ants to run in circles right now...

Instead on Facebook and Rotorburn!

I managed to HD COMP1100 without writing a single line of java prior to the final exam. learn how to work the system!

 

[651221]

I managed to HD COMP1100 without writing a single line of java prior to the final exam. learn how to work the system!

Not even up to Java yet, still in Haskell... Teach me your secrets!
Did you have Clem? I love Clem

 

[RCOH]

my uni life, short as it was, consisted mainly of watching a jewish friend eat bacon for breakfast after a big night and be consumed by guilt afterwards - until the next morning after. I can only assume everyone's is/was the same.

 

[hach_bee]

First year (again!) Sport Tourism Management @ SCU
Funny thing is, we're close enough to byron that fisherman's pants, dreds and barefoot is completely normal around here! Love how chilled it all it. Everyone studies sport and exercise though...

 

[AndySTi]

First year Commerce/Information Systems @ UNSW

The majority there seem to dress normally.

The only thing that ruins UNSW is the stairs! Too many of em!

 

[kjf]

Did 2 years of civil engg at UQ and really had to force myself to get into it. I realized that I didn't like engineering at all...The science courses, however I really liked.
As a result I'm now in Law/B. App. Science at QUT (Don't know how law got mixed up in there but I'm loving it!)

Differences for me:

1. There are no high maintenance gardens at QUT...
2. There aren't pretentious wankers wearing skinny chinos and deck shoes
3. The atmosphere is way more "inclusive" if that makes sense

In the first lecture(s) for each subject the lecturer(s) told the us that if we're having any trouble not to hesitate to ask. They actually said "Ask us if you're having trouble and we will help"

Amazing.
However I think I'm enjoying it this year is because I've been a student for 2 years already and I know the workings of the system. Having said that though, it was quite a transition from a campus spread out (..walking 6km from the car park to a lecture isn't fun) to being in a lift/on flights of stairs/above ground 90% of the time. I love it.

I prefer QUT

 

[FlyingOff]

First year Engineering at ANU.

Should be writing an Engineering Report or programming ants to run in circles right now...

Instead on Facebook and Rotorburn!

Good to see I'm not the only one who hasn't finished my ant.

First year Science at ANU. Probably transferring to Engineering next semester.
Got about 23 contact hours = not much life.
Its pretty sad to see all the bikes that have 1000 things wrong with them though.

 

[Robb]

Last year (2 courses to go) in Quantitative Finance and Economics at ANU. Issue for me at the moment isn't uni work, but applying for grad jobs (even though I have been in the public service for 6 years). Kind of dont want to stop studying, and will probably be back to do a CA foundations course if I cant get into an IB/big 4 consulting.
Loved the econometrics/statistics - not so much the more theoretical proofs though, and currently doing continuous time finance(black-scholes etc), have adv. derivatives pricing and applications to do next semester