Some general questions for everyone re: Uni life BEWARE may take some time to answer! (1 Viewer)

[Pommy babe]

Hi all I just wanted to ask some general questions to everyone (or anyone who can be bothered) about your uni's. They're just questions that you will all know the answer to and take for granted but me being in london, i wont have a clue so any help is great...

1. When you finish year 12 and start uni as an undergrad how old are you? Cos I'm in year 13 (our final year) in the u.k. and won't start my first year of aus. uni till i am 19, am I going to be ancient compared to fellow collegaues or average age?
2. if you've all got your exam results now does that mean you leave school and apply in august for jan/feb intake? or do you apply for mid-term intake?
3.Are there many U.K. peeps there? (at any uni - just a general scope) - i'm not really looking for them just a curiosity question.
4.Do you find the heat/ humidity is too much and do the uni's have good air cond. or is it constantly like an oven? and sunburn etc. i'm really fair skinned so how much do you spend a year on things like suncream?
5. what are other students like? (i mean is there a lot of theiving/ gun crime knife crime, suicide - we get a lot of this in the u.k.)
6.Do your find the accomodation there ok? Here we have things like en-suite kitchenettes (uni acc.) for about A$ 184 out of london and A$ 345 in london per week is this the case in aus and what sort of standard are they really basic brick walls and iron bed posts or ultra new studio's?
....Side-tracking well done for winning the ashes - we were pants ! ok back to business...
7. Do you find that the work load is really immense or do you have loads of extra time to do other things ie. get jobs? and are jobs easy to get?
8. are there lots of things to do outside of your uni and what are they?
9.Are there good job prosepects upon conclusion of your course and are they widely available?
10. Is it a good environment to be in - i've only attended all girls schools (hence can't wait for uni! ) and the school i'm at now is REALLY bitchy, malicious, snobby and pretentious is it down to earth out there do the girls get along with the boys or is it the same?
11.Is it worth getting a car out there cos i have a u.k. license?
12.Is it quite easy to make friends - that sounds like some really childish question it's not, take it on a serious note, i mean like long term mates/partners?
13. how good is the nightlife?
14. if i'm applying for a course ie BComm then do i have to aply for each unit in it or just generally as a subject i'm looking at USyd/ UQ/ ANU ?
15. Which is better USYD/UQ/ANU?
16. How much are clothes out there any general costs of things you have bought recently ie. tops, flip-flops, shorts, bikini's etc from companies ie. quicksilver, billabong, ripcurl cos in the u.k we can get some ts which are like A$ 4 and the above brands flip-flops A$ 7 and tops A$ 10 - 20 is that av. prices?

You catch my drift i'm a little fish lost in a big ocean like nemo, any other links etc will come in handy.

Thanks guys.

Pommy Babe :wave:

 

[Affinity]

1. 18 usually, you get some 19 year olds too.
2. usually we get results in december, and apply for the fall semester (march - july). I guess you would be going for the spring semester. Apply early.
3. Some
4. It's fine here in NSW. It's usually hot and dry in summer and cold and wet in winter, not quite sure about queensland. The air conditioning should be adequate. as with the sun, use sunscreen just to be safe.
5. Haven't heard about serious crimes and you probably would not encounter such. But there are bound to be some crooks around
6. About the same price near CBD in sydney.. maybe a bit cheaper, not quite sure. but expect to pay more than 185 in the suburbs unless you share accomodation with others. Other cities should be cheaper. Fairly new.
7. work load is reasonable, and it's quite easy to get a job. Depends on the person though. remember to apply for permission to work if you are on a student visa, oh and a tax file number.
8. I guess it's not that much different from london.
9. Depends on what you study. Generally with business you would have less opportunities here than england.
10. I am sure you'll do fine
11. Depends. don't worry until you get here.
12. Depends on your personality. Probably a little easier than UK to know people but a little harder to know them well
13. pretty good in sydney.
14. No, just apply for for the whole program (or whatever they call it)
15. ANU usually tops the ranking tables. but then those are usually based on scientific research.
16. You will have to seriously look around for those prices. In general though your expense should be a little less than london according to surveys.

 

[Testpilot]

Re: Some general questions for everyone re: Uni life BEWARE may take some time to ans

1. average age is 18. Some people defer their place for a year and are older.

2. We apply in August (we get our year 12 results in December). See UAC for more info. Note that UAC is NSW only.

7. Jobs are fairly easy to get in supermarkets etc. But you have to apply online, basically joining a waiting list. Otherwise just go to the local shopping centre at hand out CVs. Make sure your visa allows you to work!

11. This depends on several factors including distance to uni from accomadation, access to public transport etc.

16. Take into account the exchange rate too if you're getting sent money.

Thats all i can help you with as i haven't started my uni course yet.

 

[hellomike]

Re: Some general questions for everyone re: Uni life BEWARE may take some time to ans

Hi all I just wanted to ask some general questions to everyone (or anyone who can be bothered) about your uni's. They're just questions that you will all know the answer to and take for granted but me being in london, i wont have a clue so any help is great...

1. When you finish year 12 and start uni as an undergrad how old are you? Cos I'm in year 13 (our final year) in the u.k. and won't start my first year of aus. uni till i am 19, am I going to be ancient compared to fellow collegaues or average age?

Most people are 18/19 anyway. There are a fair few who defer to work for a year or doing something else and there are also mature age students.

2. if you've all got your exam results now does that mean you leave school and apply in august for jan/feb intake? or do you apply for mid-term intake?

Everyone applies in August but at this time, your final exam results won't be finalised until December. During this time, you make choices about your careers, what courses you want to do at university.

3.Are there many U.K. peeps there? (at any uni - just a general scope) - i'm not really looking for them just a curiosity question.

There is bound to be a few somewhere at any university.

4.Do you find the heat/ humidity is too much and do the uni's have good air cond. or is it constantly like an oven? and sunburn etc. i'm really fair skinned so how much do you spend a year on things like suncream?

All the universities have the standard air-conditioning for all rooms and classes.

5. what are other students like? (i mean is there a lot of theiving/ gun crime knife crime, suicide - we get a lot of this in the u.k.)

I've never heard of this at any university myself. Guns are illegal and bringing knives to university is stupid and would bring the university's reputation down.

6.Do your find the accomodation there ok? Here we have things like en-suite kitchenettes (uni acc.) for about A$ 184 out of london and A$ 345 in london per week is this the case in aus and what sort of standard are they really basic brick walls and iron bed posts or ultra new studio's?
....Side-tracking well done for winning the ashes - we were pants ! ok back to business...
7. Do you find that the work load is really immense or do you have loads of extra time to do other things ie. get jobs? and are jobs easy to get?

It's different for everyone. Many people manage well and they have a part-time job in retail or some choose to study part-time of their degree and work more. The work load for some courses will be a lot, as expected.

8. are there lots of things to do outside of your uni and what are they?

If you study at a university close to the city/cbd, you can go around shopping or whatever like in London.

9.Are there good job prosepects upon conclusion of your course and are they widely available?

Depending on your choice but I think overall, good job prospects.

10. Is it a good environment to be in - i've only attended all girls schools (hence can't wait for uni! ) and the school i'm at now is REALLY bitchy, malicious, snobby and pretentious is it down to earth out there do the girls get along with the boys or is it the same?

I don't think the boys treat the girls this way in university.

11.Is it worth getting a car out there cos i have a u.k. license?
12.Is it quite easy to make friends - that sounds like some really childish question it's not, take it on a serious note, i mean like long term mates/partners?

How isn't it? If I had a brit friend, it would be well good talking about the football innit?

13. how good is the nightlife?

Well we can't compete with the clubs in the uk but there are a number of good club venues across the city.

14. if i'm applying for a course ie BComm then do i have to aply for each unit in it or just generally as a subject i'm looking at USyd/ UQ/ ANU ?

If you wanted to to a particular course, you just apply for that course at which university you preferred to. You can 9 preferences and the top one is the one you want to do the most.

15. Which is better USYD/UQ/ANU?

Well where are you going to stay? If you live in Sydney then USYD is closest.

16. How much are clothes out there any general costs of things you have bought recently ie. tops, flip-flops, shorts, bikini's etc from companies ie. quicksilver, billabong, ripcurl cos in the u.k we can get some ts which are like A$ 4 and the above brands flip-flops A$ 7 and tops A$ 10 - 20 is that av. prices?

In general, you can buy much more with your pounds.

You catch my drift i'm a little fish lost in a big ocean like nemo, any other links etc will come in handy.

Thanks guys.

 

[treelovinhippie]

Re: Some general questions for everyone re: Uni life BEWARE may take some time to ans

4) You will probably find it pretty hot over here and it may take some getting used to. Temps in summer can easily get up past 30C and climb to 40C on some occasions. But usually the temp is around the 20-25C mark.

15) Had a look at UOW?

Depends what sort of place you like.

USYD<>Sydney... big, bustling city

ANU<>Canberra... big cityish, colder (so might be easier to adapt climate-wise), no beaches (in case you wanted to experience that in Aus)

UQ<>Queensland/Brisbane... very beachy, pretty hot (as in temperature)

UOW<>Wollongong... kinda in between being a city and a large country town, very laid back, beachy

Feel free to correct me on the above anyone

 

[Pommy babe]

Hi everyone, thanks so much for your replies, they have been very helpful!

Cheers

Pommy Babe :wave:

 

[neo o]

Re: Some general questions for everyone re: Uni life BEWARE may take some time to ans

ANU<>Canberra... big cityish, colder (so might be easier to adapt climate-wise), no beaches (in case you wanted to experience that in Aus)

Actually Bateman's Bay is quite close, around an hour away. Also, Canberra is stinking hot in the summer, and very cold in the winter.

ANU Specific Responses:

6. The quality of the on campus accom depends on how much you're willing to pay. A single room will cost you ~$140AU self catered or ~ $220 catered p/w. Rooms with ensuites and kitchens are available at some colleges like Bruce but usually have preconditions attached (age etc) and cost ~ $180AU p/w. Off campus you can rent a 2 bedroom house close to the university for ~$300AU p/w. Personally I think the accom is good and most colleges have great sporting and common room facilities.

7. Class takes up ~ 14-18 hours a week with ~ 6-14 hours of studying a week depending on your degree. Work is easy to get and its easy to balance work and study (for most people anyway )

8. There is heaps to do, whether at college, at uni or in the city.

11. It's not worth getting a car in Canberra. If you live in the inner north (near university and the CBD) pretty much all the places you'd want to get to are close by. If you want to go on day trips up to Sydney you're better off catching a bus. Alot of people own bikes too, they're a good way to get around uni and there are heaps of bike tracks throughout the city. The public transport in Canberra is reliable but relatively infrequent (as opposed to Sydney where it's frequent and completely unreliable )

13. The nightlife isn't as good as Sydney's but the booze is insanely cheap (you don't get $2 jugs or many 2 for 1 nights in Sydney proper ), there are no cover charges and there are heaps of different clubs and pubs which cater to different people.

Oh and I only know one Brit at college. Most people are Malaysian or Chinese, with a few Europeans and Americans thrown into the mix.

 

[ObjectsInSpace]

I will answer your questions for you. I will not, however, resort to using pink text. You're probably looking a a Sydney or Newcastle university, but I will answer in line with my uni, that of New England.

1. When you finish year 12 and start uni as an undergrad how old are you? Cos I'm in year 13 (our final year) in the u.k. and won't start my first year of aus. uni till i am 19, am I going to be ancient compared to fellow collegaues or average age?

I deferred a year and so didn't start until I was 19 and I didn't feel "ancient". Sure, I was older than half the year above me in and around college, but I didn't feel ancient. The only people I felt any disconnection to were the younger ones because I was as many as 18 months older than them.

2. if you've all got your exam results now does that mean you leave school and apply in august for jan/feb intake? or do you apply for mid-term intake?

It depends what you want to do. Some people will go straight into university from school, others defer for a year. I'm from the second school of thought because I needed the money to get government assistance as I was moving away from home. I know of a few people who stayed out for six months because they couldn't get on-campus accomodation until halfway through the year.

3.Are there many U.K. peeps there? (at any uni - just a general scope) - i'm not really looking for them just a curiosity question.

There's only one I know of at my college. Everyone's willing to overlook the fact that he is from the UK when he plays cricket, because he actually can play.

4.Do you find the heat/ humidity is too much and do the uni's have good air cond. or is it constantly like an oven? and sunburn etc. i'm really fair skinned so how much do you spend a year on things like suncream?

Hey, I go to university in Armidale and the only place you're going to get burned if if you work the kitchens. The metro unis are all on the coast, but there's more than a few inland, and contrary to popular belief, we're actually good unis. And by "good", I mean "better than a fair few metro ones".

5. what are other students like? (i mean is there a lot of theiving/ gun crime knife crime, suicide - we get a lot of this in the u.k.)

I generally found I fell in with people like myself at university. The only crime I know of was committed either under the influence or by outsiders.

6.Do your find the accomodation there ok? Here we have things like en-suite kitchenettes (uni acc.) for about A$ 184 out of london and A$ 345 in london per week is this the case in aus and what sort of standard are they really basic brick walls and iron bed posts or ultra new studio's?

It's about AUS$300/week in Sydney for accomodation and 3 meals a day. I pay about AUS$220/week because we're not in the city.

7. Do you find that the work load is really immense or do you have loads of extra time to do other things ie. get jobs? and are jobs easy to get?

Work load depends on your course. Some, like Science and Education, demand a lot of wo/man-hours at the campus proper. Others no so much. Jobs are difficult to get in Armidale because the town it totally dependent on the university. Two friends who live in town said the city dies when the term is over, so the jobs market is very competitive.

8. are there lots of things to do outside of your uni and what are they?

Not so much outside the uni - unless you count the dozen or so pubs in town, but the colleges regularly compete against one another in sports and drama/music/art/misc cultural events.

9.Are there good job prosepects upon conclusion of your course and are they widely available?

Some universities - and I know UNE does - offer a program for graduating students so they can walk into a job.

10. Is it a good environment to be in - i've only attended all girls schools (hence can't wait for uni! ) and the school i'm at now is REALLY bitchy, malicious, snobby and pretentious is it down to earth out there do the girls get along with the boys or is it the same?

Generally speaking, we're all older and most of us are mature. But you'll also meet just about every single person there is to meet, and while there are a few who are the bitchy type (and I've had probelms with them ...), when you're living on-campus you get to know everyone.

11.Is it worth getting a car out there cos i have a u.k. license?

Depends where you live. I need a car because I have to travel 250km to uni.

12.Is it quite easy to make friends - that sounds like some really childish question it's not, take it on a serious note, i mean like long term mates/partners?

See above. You'll meet just about every type of person there is to meet and naturally fall in with people like yourself. Unless you're me; I still ahevn't achieved that yet.

13. how good is the nightlife?

In Armidale, it's excellent. I mean, there's 12 pubs (14 counting the two on-campus) and there's regular college functions and shindigs.

14. if i'm applying for a course ie BComm then do i have to aply for each unit in it or just generally as a subject i'm looking at USyd/ UQ/ ANU ?

If it's a degree - and it is - you apply for the degree and then take individual units within that degree.

15. Which is better USYD/UQ/ANU?

I'm going to say UNE. I might be biased, though.

16. How much are clothes out there any general costs of things you have bought recently ie. tops, flip-flops, shorts, bikini's etc from companies ie. quicksilver, billabong, ripcurl cos in the u.k we can get some ts which are like A$ 4 and the above brands flip-flops A$ 7 and tops A$ 10 - 20 is that av. prices?

I have no idea as I am male. The only thing I'm good for when sopping is carrying bags.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

Re: Some general questions for everyone re: Uni life BEWARE may take some time to ans

1. When you finish year 12 and start uni as an undergrad how old are you? Cos I'm in year 13 (our final year) in the u.k. and won't start my first year of aus. uni till i am 19, am I going to be ancient compared to fellow collegaues or average age?

Most people start uni in the year they turn either 18 or 19. So you won't be out of place.

2. if you've all got your exam results now does that mean you leave school and apply in august for jan/feb intake? or do you apply for mid-term intake?

Applications open in August of each year for a March start date. There are limited places available for mid-term intake, but many courses only offer yearly intake, and mid-term intake is a bit inconvenient.

You apply for yearly intake through the Universities Admissions Centre in August. Exam results for high school leavers don't come out until December sometime, but you submit preferences in August and you can adjust them online throughout the following months, even right up to December.

3.Are there many U.K. peeps there? (at any uni - just a general scope) - i'm not really looking for them just a curiosity question.

I haven't come across very many, personally. There are more Americans then English students, and more Asian (foreigners) than Americans.

4.Do you find the heat/ humidity is too much and do the uni's have good air cond. or is it constantly like an oven? and sunburn etc. i'm really fair skinned so how much do you spend a year on things like suncream?

The temperature of living is obviously hotter than the UK. That's just something you'll have to get used to. I'm of average Caucasian complexion, neither fair nor dark, and personally I never use sunscreen unless I goto the beach. I would not think that the heat would be too much for you at any time of the year except hot summer days. Luckily for you our Summer is over the Christmas holiday period, so most of your time at uni will not be spent during the hottest times of the year.

Generally speaking most of the year the temperature is fine.

About the air-conditioning, as with any classroom, it depends. Some are well air-conditioned and others aren't. Most are at least tolerable. It's really too variable to give you a general idea. You'll find most libraries are well air-conditioned though.

5. what are other students like? (i mean is there a lot of theiving/ gun crime knife crime, suicide - we get a lot of this in the u.k.)

No, other students (at least at USyd and UNSW, the only unis I have experience at) are not like that at all. I see no reason to believe that this would not be the case for other unis.

There is occasional petty theft, but no more than anywhere else in society (eg. leaving your laptop unattended is unwise wherever you are.) There are certainly no gun or suicide problems at uni. (Guns are in fact illegal in Australia, which, although by no means making it impossible, makes it harder for people to acquire firearms.)

The only crime phenomenon you should be wary of is in certain parts of the city (which is limited). But you won't find any problems at uni itself.

7. Do you find that the work load is really immense or do you have loads of extra time to do other things ie. get jobs?

The workload is not immense, in my opinion. This obviously varies between degrees. Science and Engineering students have many more contact hours than Arts or Commerce students. And it depends on how high you want your marks to be too. But a high Credit or Distinction average is quite manageable.

10. Is it a good environment to be in - i've only attended all girls schools (hence can't wait for uni! ) and the school i'm at now is REALLY bitchy, malicious, snobby and pretentious is it down to earth out there do the girls get along with the boys or is it the same?

There will be some people like that anywhere in life, but generally the students at uni aren't like that at all. And Australians are for the most part fairly laid back.

Some say us law students are pretentious. Possibly a higher percentage of us are a bit more prone to intellectual arrogance but for the most part even the stereotyped faculties are friendly and down to earth. If you're friendly you'll get back what you give

12.Is it quite easy to make friends - that sounds like some really childish question it's not, take it on a serious note, i mean like long term mates/partners?

I personally find that it's easy to make acquaintances, less easy to make "friends". But it often depends on how outgoing you are. If you're a friendly girl, unafraid to take the initiative to meet people and actively pursue friendships, you'll get on very well. First years are generally happy to meet new people and experience new things when they get to uni.

I would advise you to try to meet as many people as possible during the first part of your degree, because people will obviously start forming casual friendship circles and whatever. Obviously you can be forever meeting new people, but in terms of finding a few grounding friends you can hang out with, try to meet as many new faces as you can. Better odds of finding someone you really get along with too.

14. if i'm applying for a course ie BComm then do i have to aply for each unit in it or just generally as a subject i'm looking at USyd/ UQ/ ANU ?

You apply for a Bachelor of Commerce - the degree as a whole - through the University Admissions Centre.

Once you are offered a place at the particular university you selected, and you have accepted that offer, you will then be permitted to enroll at that university. Once you have enrolled in your degree program, you will be able to select and enroll in specific subjects. Most of this stuff is done online.

 

[Kyroth***]

Re: Some general questions for everyone re: Uni life BEWARE may take some time to ans

I can't help with everything (I'm a new student too!!!) but I'll answer what I can. You can never have too many opinions!!!


1. When you finish year 12 and start uni as an undergrad how old are you? Cos I'm in year 13 (our final year) in the u.k. and won't start my first year of aus. uni till i am 19, am I going to be ancient compared to fellow collegaues or average age?

In year 12 (or 13 in some states), most people turn 18, so in first year uni if you've just left school, you'll be turning 19 that year (though it's common to be younger or older too). But not everyone goes staight from school - gap years are really common, as is taking a few years off. You'll probably be around average, or maybe a little younger.

2. if you've all got your exam results now does that mean you leave school and apply in august for jan/feb intake? or do you apply for mid-term intake?

We go by the calendar year rather than starting school in Sept (as you probaby know). Yr12 students (generally, it differs from state to state) finish school in third term, about october, then do their final exams, are finished that by mid november, and then get their results mid december. Uni offers are made in mid jan, and we start uni in feb.


4.Do you find the heat/ humidity is too much and do the uni's have good air cond. or is it constantly like an oven? and sunburn etc. i'm really fair skinned so how much do you spend a year on things like suncream?

Well, I can assure you, you won't have a problem with humidity!!!!!!! It may be hot, but it's dry as!!!!!!!
Compared to Germany (I spent 6 months there) I'd say Australia has more warm weather and less wet weather. But it depends where you live too - there's a world of difference between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Remember, it's a whole continent!
Sunscreen is just one of those things like moistuiser - you use it or you don't. It's probably a good idea if you do, but it's not that big a deal, unless you're planning on sitting in the sun all day.
And as for aircon - it'll depend, on the uni, the building, and a lot of other little factors. You get used to it though. Don't worry about it.

5. what are other students like? (i mean is there a lot of theiving/ gun crime knife crime, suicide - we get a lot of this in the u.k.)

I don't think so. It's not somethging I'm worried about, at least.

6.Do your find the accomodation there ok? Here we have things like en-suite kitchenettes (uni acc.) for about A$ 184 out of london and A$ 345 in london per week is this the case in aus and what sort of standard are they really basic brick walls and iron bed posts or ultra new studio's?
....Side-tracking well done for winning the ashes - we were pants ! ok back to business...

Again, that varies so much from place to place. It's not even possible to generalize at a uni. Just do a lot of research, and remember, if you hate it you can always change. At ANU, fully catterd rooms are about $250/wk, self catered $150/wk. And the kitchen at the self catered place is seriously fantastic-looking. It's not just bare basics (or doesn't look that way, at the very least).

7. Do you find that the work load is really immense or do you have loads of extra time to do other things ie. get jobs? and are jobs easy to get?

I don't know, but I've heard that jobs (like waitering and stuff) are really easy to come by in Canberra. My Dad's friend was complaining that her daughter seemed to have a new job every few weeks.


11.Is it worth getting a car out there cos i have a u.k. license?

I'm not sure how this works. I know that out-of-state lisences are valid here for a short period of time, and can be easily transferred over to an Australian lisence. However, learner lisences are not. Also, a NSW person cannot possibly earn a full lisence before they turn 20, so if you're not that old your lisence might be considered a learner lisence even if it's not. However, a car is a useful thing, especially if you want to travel outside of your chosen city. Because of the distances involved, going places by public transport is expensive, and the smaller places that you'd want to go (like for the beach or snow or something) won't even have any. But, you can always makesomeone else drive you too.

12.Is it quite easy to make friends - that sounds like some really childish question it's not, take it on a serious note, i mean like long term mates/partners?

Not an easy one, sorry. It works the same as anywhere else. Talk to people, and if you click, great!

14. if i'm applying for a course ie BComm then do i have to aply for each unit in it or just generally as a subject i'm looking at USyd/ UQ/ ANU ?

No, you just apply for the course, then everything else comes with it.

15. Which is better USYD/UQ/ANU?

Haha, you're going to get heartfelt answers here!!!
USYD is the biggest of those 3, meaning the most people want to go there.
ANU however, is the best research uni in Australia, and is THE place for science and international studies. It's also ranked 16th in the world - neither USYD or UQ made that list (in fact I think Monash is the only other one that did).
UQ I know nothing about, so I'll leave that to everyone else.
But also think about the city! Where you want to live is also important!

16. How much are clothes out there any general costs of things you have bought recently ie. tops, flip-flops, shorts, bikini's etc from companies ie. quicksilver, billabong, ripcurl cos in the u.k we can get some ts which are like A$ 4 and the above brands flip-flops A$ 7 and tops A$ 10 - 20 is that av. prices?

Ok, something with a surf brand like that would be $20-$40. Ordinary clothes from Target or Supre would be around $10-$30. And it goes up from there. When I was in London, I got the impression that it was more expensive than in Australia, but I didn't really do a lot of shopping.
(Oh, and we call them Thongs, not FlipFlops. )


I hope I was helpful! At least a little bit, anyway!