I am here! said:
I might as well take you up on this! Here goes:
i) This may seem silly, but is there anyway to zoom through the degree in just 3 / 3.5 years? Or would it be a little too hardcore?
this is definitely possible for PhB science, so i presume it would be too for PhB arts. but remember, as the last year of your degree is your honours year, you'll have to have done all 6 of your ASCs
before you start your honours year.
i did a second year maths course in 1st semester, and a third year maths course in 2nd semester. this year (my second year of PhB), for 1st semester i'll be doing
one first year maths course
one second year maths course
two third year maths courses
and for 2nd semester i'll be doing
two second year maths courses
two third year maths courses
so basically what i'm trying to show is that it's definitely possible to accelerate your study. i did one ASC last year, and i'm doing another one over the next month in the summer session, so if i did one in each semester, one during winter session, one during next year's summer session, then i'd have done 6 ASCs by next year. which means i could do honours in 2009, and thus graduate at the end of my third year. not sure if i'll do this, however, because...
I am here! said:
ii) Are exchange trips possible? I mean, would there be someone at the other end willing to do the nonsense associated with the ASCs etc? Has anybody you known done it?
...i want to go on exchange in 1st semester of 2009. looking at somewhere classy, like berkeley or something. not sure yet though.
you don't necessarily have to do an ASC every semester, so if you go on exchange a semester and you don't do an ASC then, you just have to make it up some other time (do 2 ASCs in one semester, or do one over one of the holiday sessions).
some unis that ANU offers exchanges to do have ASCs available. however, it depends heavily on the uni that you apply for and the area in which you want to do the ASC. the best way to work out whether it can be done is to talk to your mentor, to the head of PhB arts, and to people at the info nights for going on exchange.
i don't know anyone personally who does PhB and has gone on exchange, but i know for sure that it has been done before.
I am here! said:
iii) A stab in the dark, but do you know anyone who has done the NUS (National University of Singapore) joint program thing? Just, you know, looking for the inside goss on whether it is worth it or not!
Thanks again!
a couple of my friends were originally enrolled in the NUS, though most have pulled out. word on the street is that it's really not all it's cracked up to be... apparently the longest any PhB student from ANU doing the NUS program has actually stayed in singapore is 6 months (they're supposed to be there for 18 months, for both semesters of their second year, and first semester of third year).
then again, i know a guy from johns who does NUS and is going there next year, and i imagine he'll love it - he's malaysian and has family in singapore.
for the most part, however, all i really ever hear about NUS is of people who were originally going to do it but pulled out before they had to go to singapore...