Usyd vs UNSW for STEM (1 Viewer)

[C2H6O]

so now I’m getting to the point where I haven’t been able to make up my mind about what I wanna do since forever but it’s actually gonna matter really soon. I know I wanna do a degree in engineering/science but that’s the extent of it. my dream uni has mainly been usyd bc it’s way easier to get to than unsw, nice campus and i know more people who went/go there than unsw (which i know none). however after finally doing some research i do concede that usyd is more humanities leaning while unsw is the uni that will better support a stem interest. however the LSRs for courses and content seems pretty similar, so I would like to ask anyone with any advice or is in a similar situation whether you think it is worth the longer trek to unsw for the stem?

 

[killer queen]

I know people at both unis for engineering (and one in UNSW science I think) and both like where they are, so if USyd is your dream uni probably go for it - I could ask if you wanted :3

I think both offer plenty of opportunities. I'm much closer to the USyd friend, she does aerospace as a double degree, and she says its quite taxing sometimes, but fun. She said once there isn't that much of a society life in her experience, if that's something you're looking at (though engaging in them helps with internships). It also seems you'll have to find internships yourself at USyd which are super competitive, whereas I think universities like UTS offer pathways, I don't know about UNSW though. There's definitely more in my brain, I swear I've heard more, but yeah. Personally I'm biased towards UNSW but the trek is ridiculous...

Are there any specific careers you're interested in? Or is it just fields?

(It's funny though, 'cause for me I know way more people who wanna go to UNSW than USyd.)

 

[Geniusly]

I think UNSW has always had a reputation for being better at engineering and science. It's ranked higher in most surveys and listings and is typically the gold standard for STEM research and courses. That being said, the best uni for you is the one that unlocks your potential. Going to UNSW will do nothing if you do nothing and going to USYD will be the exact same. At the end of the day, you can do well at both unis. The most important factor is how much effort you apply to studying, networking and gaining internships to succeed. I can't speak from internship experience, but I'd say they would be more likely to hire someone who works hard, is passionate about the field and is always looking to improve, compared to someone who just went to a 'better' uni.

That being said, check what subjects and electives each uni specialises in. For me, USYD doesn't do much in the field I want to study whereas UNSW does.

 

[carrotsss]

it’s also very dependent on your field of engineering and that sort of thing. usyd engineering has definitely had its issues, but things are improving a lot. for science my experience at usyd has been quite good, once again it really depends on what you specifically study, you don’t really take “science” subjects you take subjects for your specific majors eg maths units, physics units etc. unsw also has more group projects which is really annoying lol so that might be a factor

regarding social life my social life at usyd has been great, imo the most important thing is to go to as many classes as possible in person, and societies are pretty good too if you go to the events. there is definitely more of a private school culture at usyd and more of a selective school culture at unsw but that’s sorta personal preference.

not sure what the commute difference is but I’d definitely strongly consider that, a long commute makes it much harder to participate socially. like for me i live super close to uni so i can easily have friends over and head over/leave whenever i want, whereas for people who live like hours away they end up only going in 1-2 days a week, can’t really do things spontaneously with friends and also just learn less because online learning is annoying.

 

[C2H6O]

She said once there isn't that much of a society life in her experience, if that's something you're looking at (though engaging in them helps with internships). It also seems you'll have to find internships yourself at USyd which are super competitive

oml i havent even given a thought to internships

Are there any specific careers you're interested in? Or is it just fields?

nah i havent really planned beyond uni yet
was hoping to figure it out as i go

 

[carrotsss]

oml i havent even given a thought to internships

internships i dont think it rlly makes a difference, both unsw and usyd are good, the main thing companies care about is stuff like ur marks extra curriculars and just how good of a fit u are for the job, like they’re both the same difficulty to get into and similar rigour pretty much

 

[Trial&Error]

It’s worth thinking about the trimester system at unsw as well. Someone I know who does some sort of engineering there says that it sometimes becomes quite overwhelming with the workload. I think they’re changing the trimester system to a “flex-semester” system in 2028 though.

 

[C2H6O]

there is definitely more of a private school culture at usyd and more of a selective school culture at unsw but that’s sorta personal preference.

me who went to a public school

not sure what the commute difference is but I’d definitely strongly consider that, a long commute makes it much harder to participate socially. like for me i live super close to uni so i can easily have friends over and head over/leave whenever i want, whereas for people who live like hours away they end up only going in 1-2 days a week, can’t really do things spontaneously with friends and also just learn less because online learning is annoying.

how close you mean by close enough to participate socially in terms of commute time (i highly doubt driving will be an option)?
also do you live on campus or in uni accommodation? (if you're comfortable disclosing)
would you say a 1hr 15min commute by public transport on a monday morning is too long? tbh the time difference between usyd and unsw is negligible i realised, its just do you prefer bus or light rail where busses are more frequent

 

[C2H6O]

It’s worth thinking about the trimester system at unsw as well. Someone I know who does some sort of engineering there says that it sometimes becomes quite overwhelming with the workload. I think they’re changing the trimester system to a “flex-semester” system in 2028 though.

oh yeah thats a sack to consider as well

 

[killer queen]

Have a look at the course handbooks! I like to browse through them for fun - and knowing the structure of the courses you’re looking at might help! For example, I think USyd doesn’t get general electives (at least my aero friend didn’t) whereas in UNSW I think you do (general elective/education is like 2 subjects from other fields).

It’s worth thinking about the trimester system at unsw as well. Someone I know who does some sort of engineering there says that it sometimes becomes quite overwhelming with the workload. I think they’re changing the trimester system to a “flex-semester” system in 2028 though.

I never understood why the trimester system was bad, though I’m glad they’re changing it. Could you explain plz

Also, I’ve heard of exams on weekends…

me who went to a public school


how close you mean by close enough to participate socially in terms of commute time (i highly doubt driving will be an option)?
also do you live on campus or in uni accommodation? (if you're comfortable disclosing)
would you say a 1hr 15min commute by public transport on a monday morning is too long? tbh the time difference between usyd and unsw is negligible i realised, its just do you prefer bus or light rail where busses are more frequent

For me UNSW is a longer commute but also a more convenient commute, idk if this info helps but here it is

 

[idkkdi]

so now I’m getting to the point where I haven’t been able to make up my mind about what I wanna do since forever but it’s actually gonna matter really soon. I know I wanna do a degree in engineering/science but that’s the extent of it. my dream uni has mainly been usyd bc it’s way easier to get to than unsw, nice campus and i know more people who went/go there than unsw (which i know none). however after finally doing some research i do concede that usyd is more humanities leaning while unsw is the uni that will better support a stem interest. however the LSRs for courses and content seems pretty similar, so I would like to ask anyone with any advice or is in a similar situation whether you think it is worth the longer trek to unsw for the stem?

depends on the science/engineering. usyd has certain science departments which are pretty strong
engineering i would say unsw is probably better overall

It’s worth thinking about the trimester system at unsw as well. Someone I know who does some sort of engineering there says that it sometimes becomes quite overwhelming with the workload. I think they’re changing the trimester system to a “flex-semester” system in 2028 though.

trimesters are almost certainly easier. think about it logically. 4 subjects 13 teaching weeks vs 2.67 (round it up to) 3 subjects 10 teaching weeks. Subjects at unsw are also smaller, because the subjects were shortened from the semester to trimester switch. Then comes exam blocks, 3 exams in 2 weeks or 4 exams in 2 weeks.
So effectively, you have more time per subject, shorter subjects, and more spread out exam blocks

the bigger difference is you cant fly to europe for a summer holiday

 

[gammahydroxybutyrate]

so now I’m getting to the point where I haven’t been able to make up my mind about what I wanna do since forever but it’s actually gonna matter really soon. I know I wanna do a degree in engineering/science but that’s the extent of it. my dream uni has mainly been usyd bc it’s way easier to get to than unsw, nice campus and i know more people who went/go there than unsw (which i know none). however after finally doing some research i do concede that usyd is more humanities leaning while unsw is the uni that will better support a stem interest. however the LSRs for courses and content seems pretty similar, so I would like to ask anyone with any advice or is in a similar situation whether you think it is worth the longer trek to unsw for the stem?

do a few labs in the chem building at usyd and you'll wish you went unsw for stem

 

[gammahydroxybutyrate]

depends on the science/engineering. usyd has certain science departments which are pretty strong
engineering i would say unsw is probably better overall

idk why everyone complains about trimesters. trimesters are almost certainly easier. think about it logically. 4 subjects 13 teaching weeks vs 2.67 (round it up to) 3 subjects 10 teaching weeks. Subjects at unsw are also smaller, because the subjects were shortened from the semester to trimester switch. Then comes exam blocks, 3 exams in 2 weeks or 4 exams in 2 weeks.
So effectively, you have more time per subject, shorter subjects, and more spread out exam blocks

the bigger difference is you cant fly to europe for a summer holiday

for the people that have friends, trimesters are not great because other people will be on holidays for several months at a particular time, and you will be on holiday for a few weeks at definitely not that time.

 

[idkkdi]

for the people that have friends, trimesters are not great because other people will be on holidays for several months at a particular time, and you will be on holiday for a few weeks at definitely not that time.

that i agree with. workload argument is bullshit

 

[carrotsss]

me who went to a public school

I went to a poor school in the country and I was fine, like you’ll still fit in it’s chill but yeah it’s just different culture

how close you mean by close enough to participate socially in terms of commute time (i highly doubt driving will be an option)?
also do you live on campus or in uni accommodation? (if you're comfortable disclosing)
would you say a 1hr 15min commute by public transport on a monday morning is too long? tbh the time difference between usyd and unsw is negligible i realised, its just do you prefer bus or light rail where busses are more frequent

there’s no real set in stone amount it’s lowkey just the shorter the better. you can still participate socially with a long commute it’s just annoying, I have friends who live like almost two hours away, they usually just have to leave hangouts/parties early and stuff like that and it’s just a lot of time spent on public transport if u wanna attend uni most days, but you can always do stuff on the train/bus I guess. I live very close to campus since I moved for uni, but it’s quite expensive so I wouldn’t rlly recommend it for a commute which is 1hr 15mins

 

[fishyjar]

I went to a poor school in the country and I was fine, like you’ll still fit in it’s chill but yeah it’s just different culture


there’s no real set in stone amount it’s lowkey just the shorter the better. you can still participate socially with a long commute it’s just annoying, I have friends who live like almost two hours away, they usually just have to leave hangouts/parties early and stuff like that and it’s just a lot of time spent on public transport if u wanna attend uni most days, but you can always do stuff on the train/bus I guess. I live very close to campus since I moved for uni, but it’s quite expensive so I wouldn’t rlly recommend it for a commute which is 1hr 15mins

if you're renting could you give an estimate of prices + what you get for that price, if that's chill?

 

[C2H6O]

do a few labs in the chem building at usyd and you'll wish you went unsw for stem

yeah going to the open days I’ve realised that usyd’s old hogwarts aesthetic boosts the humanities while nerfing science with them 18th century alchemy by candlelight labs