Prestige or the course? (1 Viewer)

[iTz Osky]

By humanities you mean interacting with people then yes. If you don't enjoy science especially biology you won't like the course because the course itself doesn't let you get into humanities on a regular basis until 3rd year +. Comm/law requires a totally different set of thinking and perception that's why people who wouldn't mind doing comm/law wouldn't make great doctors in most cases.

as i have said many times i don't mind doing science, and i have never studied biology to form an opinion. And anyway, as you can probably tell from my hscresults, I pride myself on being a jack of all trades, and master of none. I'm always willing to give something a red-hot go, and I sure as hell want to do medicine, for my own personal reasons. Anyway, thanks for your input, I'll keep that in mind. =)

 

[study-freak]

So anyway I got my ATAR of 95.40... and my top four preferences are (with 2009 cutoffs):

B Science (Adv Maths) - Sydney - 98.00
B Science (Adv Maths) - UNSW - 96.40
B Science (Advanced) - Sydney - 95.00
B Science (Advanced) - UNSW - 94.00

Now based on this I can only get to my third and fourth preference. Obviously, I'd really like to get into my Advanced Maths course preference. However, I was nominated by my school for the UNSW Academic Award so I can get into my second preference.

I talked to a current Sydney Uni student and he said to me: "Don't go to UNSW! Sydney is prestigious! Prestige! Prestige! Go for the prestige!"

So my question is: should I go for the prestige (thereby taking the Science Advanced and 'ensuring' - somehow - I get admission into Advanced Maths by superior marks in my first year) or should I go for the degree (that is, taking the AAA offer and going into UNSW that way)?

Now the UNSW course for Advanced Maths is 4 years and Sydney's is 3... and that confuzzles me because to my mind: "Same degree name. Same stuff." But others, actual university students, don't seem to share that sentiment. And so I get confuzzled... <_<

Also, sorry if this is in the wrong place...

I would recommend you to choose the uni you wish to go to.

I can't say much about UNSW courses but at Usyd, you can quite easily transfer to adv maths from adv sci, i think, so it doesn't really matter if you get into adv sci or adv maths.

Course wise, at usyd, the only diff between the two is that in adv maths, you are forced to do a maths major and electives which you can use to do a 2nd major.
In adv sci, you can do the SAME thing. It's just that there's no restriction that you need to do maths except in the 1st year (1st yr maths is compulsory for 1st yr sci students).

and I have never studied science at UNSW but in my honest opionion, usyd sci is pretty solid, good courses and challenging tests/exams
and TSP program (which unsw is said to have copied so they have it too but oh well) [i can't guarantee the truth of this myself but usyd academic said it lol, with evidence, although can't remember the evidence]

I'm sure unsw has good courses too although there's apparently this compulsory component for adv sci which comprises something quite useless (heard from a friend at unsw, can't remember details, but think it might have been about scientific method? not sure), but except that, from my observation of youtube unsw elearning channel, etc, they seem great.

oh yeah, another thing, honours is optional at usyd, compulsory at unsw, it doesn't matter if you were going to do honours anyway, but if you may do something else after 3 yrs of sci, may be a problem.

Both should be awesome anyway.

and finally, i acknowledge that I would have positive bias towards usyd coz i go there but at least gave true statements lol
time for unsw sci students to have a say about why unsw is better

 

[Shadowdude]

Okay study-freak, but I think the deciding factor for me is that I seem to recall you getting 99.95 ATAR and thus you are my idol =P

Also, I suppose in having compulsory honours - it appears that does explain why UNSW Adv Maths is 4 years and Sydney's is only 3. Makes sense.


And from the thread, I think there's an overwhelming pro-Sydney stance. That probably comes from Sydney awesomeness perhaps instead of lack of UNSW support...

 

[omgmynameislong]

If I remember, I recall someone you had to do a teaching elective or something in UNSW adv science. I'm not sure about it lol.

 

[Shadowdude]

Teaching... elective?

/me silently switches UNSW Adv Science to #9...

<_<

>_>

=)

 

[omgmynameislong]

http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2011/3972.html

dunno :\

 

[Shadowdude]

That's Advanced Science however... I removed that from all my preferences.

EDIT: Ah, I see where the confusion is now. I removed UNSW's Advanced Science from all my preferences. My bad!

 

[sikhman]

SCIF 1121 at UNSW is a ridiculous course, but I wouldn't use it as a distinguishing factor. Check out the faculty as well, and see what kind of research they're doing. Productive faculty is often a good sign.

 

[Shadowdude]

How do I 'check out the faculty'? The university's websites are always large, confusing and wordy with lots of vague spots or - if we're lucky (unlucky?) - we'll get an embellishment of technical terms... <_<

 

[sikhman]

Email, look for honours handbooks, go to department websites as opposed to the standard uni website.

 

[Shadowdude]

Email? I'm scared. They might take note of my name and blacklist me =P

Honours handbooks and department websites... well, I hope the handbooks are in PDF form and can be accessed over the interwebz!

 

[FrozenSky]

I'm sort of on the same boat as you...
I can't decide between com+sci @ USYD (despite being 0.65 below cut off...)
or com+med sci @ UTS, i like the course med sci and the work experience @ UTS

But then again... prestige prestige! ><

 

[Shadowdude]

Well, actually FrozenSky - after thinking about it and the responses here - I said 'stuff prestige for now' and figure the real choice is Vibe or Course. So for you, I'd suggest research the university, and think of what you're trying to achieve from it.

I figure I'm going there for the course - but outside of it, between lectures and tutorials, there should be something fun to do. Sydney - to me, from my impressions of its website and what people have said about it - is a university in which there is something to do always outside of the educational experience. Now, tomorrow I'll start work on seeing what the perceptions of UNSW are outside of these forums - especially on their own website, and see what kind of courses and stuff they offer.

For example, for Sydney - Uni Australia (uniaustralia.com.au) is like a BOS type thing that lets uni students comment on it. Their overall rating system lists more obscure categories such as Food, Housing, People, Social Life, Night Life, Accessibility and Parking. Now for me, I'm staying at home - so Housing isn't an issue for me. I'm also quite... well, we'll say 'not extroverted' or introverted - thus people won't be a very large factor for me. Social Life as well. Night Life? Err, not an issue for me - 99% of the time unless I'm dragged into doing something. Accessibility is a factor that really isn't noteworthy (for to me, if you can get there by bus and it's not a horrible walk from the bus stop - it's fine) and Parking is a non-issue at all. Save the planet. Use public transport, even though how crappy it is =P

 

[deterministic]

Just curious is there any real difference between advanced mathematics and normal science degree? Based on the UNSW maths website:
http://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/students/current/ugscienceprograms.html
http://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/students/current/ugadvancedprograms.html

In terms of coursework, there is not much difference apart from the SCIF course, which kinda sounds like a waste of time. One could do a normal science degree/Advanced science with honours in UNSW unless you wanted to do quantitative risk. I'm not sure about USyd though.

 

[ESSJAYBEExD]

Uni Australia (uniaustralia.com.au) is like a BOS type thing that lets uni students comment on it. T

Haha I see you put off FIFA 11

 

[FrozenSky]

Well, actually FrozenSky - after thinking about it and the responses here - I said 'stuff prestige for now' and figure the real choice is Vibe or Course. So for you, I'd suggest research the university, and think of what you're trying to achieve from it.

I figure I'm going there for the course - but outside of it, between lectures and tutorials, there should be something fun to do. Sydney - to me, from my impressions of its website and what people have said about it - is a university in which there is something to do always outside of the educational experience. Now, tomorrow I'll start work on seeing what the perceptions of UNSW are outside of these forums - especially on their own website, and see what kind of courses and stuff they offer.

For example, for Sydney - Uni Australia (uniaustralia.com.au) is like a BOS type thing that lets uni students comment on it. Their overall rating system lists more obscure categories such as Food, Housing, People, Social Life, Night Life, Accessibility and Parking. Now for me, I'm staying at home - so Housing isn't an issue for me. I'm also quite... well, we'll say 'not extroverted' or introverted - thus people won't be a very large factor for me. Social Life as well. Night Life? Err, not an issue for me - 99% of the time unless I'm dragged into doing something. Accessibility is a factor that really isn't noteworthy (for to me, if you can get there by bus and it's not a horrible walk from the bus stop - it's fine) and Parking is a non-issue at all. Save the planet. Use public transport, even though how crappy it is =P

Hmmm... I had the idea of "stuff prestige for now" as I actually wanted to do medical science. However, after talking about my future unis with family friends, it is almost impossible to ignore the factor of prestige. Furthermore... My family will be cheering if I make it into USYD (Asian parents, what can i say?)
And i had a read on the site you linked, i actually found it quite useful. I now know that UTS has a more pragmatic advantage, whereas USYD is more reliant on prestige and theory... I don't really care about parking, transport, or housing either

But URGHH i can't handle that hideous UTS building!?!?!

 

[annabackwards]

Wow retards caring about prestige in relation to UNSW/USYD. Fucking ridiculous. Listen to maycat and stop being ridiculous

And let me tell you, half of you that are aiming for 'social life' at uni will probably never end up doing anything.

QFT.

After seeing how applicants for a job are actually processed the other day, i can safely say that prestige does NOT matter much at all. Marks, your personality and what you do matter.

After you finish your course, it's all about experience. The prestige factor *may* help with getting that first job, but after that it's all about what you have done/can and will do.

 

[sikhman]

Wow retards caring about prestige in relation to UNSW/USYD. Fucking ridiculous. Listen to maycat and stop being ridiculous

And let me tell you, half of you that are aiming for 'social life' at uni will probably never end up doing anything.

Good point - if you're deciding between Harvard and USyd, then ask about prestige.

 

[-may-cat-]

Yeah but parents usually don't know shit about how uni actually works. Honestly, people on this site need to start making the decisions about their lives for themselves, not to fit some view of what their parents think is appropriate.

 

[annabackwards]

Good point - if you're deciding between Harvard and USyd, then ask about prestige.

Ahahaha yeah. and even then, you should take into account the fee prices. Especially since Americans are wondering whether elite/ivy league unis are worth it xD

Yeah but parents usually don't know shit about how uni actually works. Honestly, people on this site need to start making the decisions about their lives for themselves, not to fit some view of what their parents think is appropriate.

+1