Re: is commerce better at Usyd or UNSW ??? plz end this once and for all....
I went to USYD and now am at UNSW. It really doesn't make any difference.
Where USYD > UNSW:
- Quadrangle. 'Nuff said.
- Quiet places to study. Fisher >>>> UNSW main and law libraries combined
- Access to desktop computers. You've got the libraries at USYD plus the computer labs and access isn't restricted so that's like what....10? UNSW you're restricted to libraries, ARC if you're a member, and your faculty/subject labs.
- Travelling. Just catch a train to Redfern and walk. If you really love buses every service passing Railway Square will get you to campus (just depends whether it's Camperdown or Darlington end). UNSW--buses come late, buses get held up in traffic, buses are not filled to capacity because some stupid STA guy thinks buses should be sitting room only, or because some stupid guy thinks it's cool to stand at the second door and so the whole back half of the bus is not filled with standing people.
- No ARC discounts for on campus food retailers. USU was good with that.
- Less slow walkers. It's very frustrating trying to walk-run for a bus or class @ UNSW when you're held behind 60 billion slow walkers. If you walked at that speed at USYD, you'd never get to class on time.
- Summer/winter school choices. USYD seems to have much more on offer. But that doesn't really matter unless you're repeating or you want to do some subject which you can't do during normal semester.
Where UNSW > USYD
- OWeek fun. USYD is pretty bland during the day--in other words, it's a nocturnal piss up. UNSW actually has fun stuff to do during the day and yes there's stuff to do at the bar at night if you're into that too. It's really something for everyone at UNSW.
- IT resources (and with that, efficiency). Everything is under the one system. At USYD, we didn't log into library computers using our SID, we used the separate barcode on our student cards. Printing and copying was done with a card separate to our student card, and the print jobs weren't linked to our login, so we had to memorise the number of our terminal at the release station and release it from there. And so much less paperwork at UNSW! Not to mention full control of our timetables.
- C&S and volunteering opportunities. This is purely personal preference, but I found UNSW had more C&S that interested me than USYD. Their volunteering program is also much more extensive. The only problem with that is that they seem to be what interest everyone else as well, so it's far more competitive. So if you want an easy way of getting involved and being recognised for it, go to USYD.
- Uniformity of building architecture. But then again, some people like USYD because it's a salad of old and new. Personal preference really.
-Access to beach. If you're that type of person, which I'm not, so it wasn't something I considered at all.
Where they equal each other
- Amount of walking. USYD you're walking great distances. UNSW you're climbing an insane number of stairs
- Access to major bank ATMs. It seems like a funny point, but @ UNSW they don't have a NAB ATM. Luckily NAB's partnered with rediATM otherwise I don't know how students with NAB survived before that. Conversely, at USYD I don't think they have a Westpac ATM.
- Access to local shops. UNSW you've got Kingsford and Randwick. USYD you've got Newtown and Broadway. Both have cinemas and major fast food outlets, which is really all you need unless you've got the shopping bug (in which case USYD > UNSW).
- Teaching. You get good lecturers. You get bad lecturers. No-one would be able to tell you that unless they repeated the equivalent subject at the other uni. So I'm gonna say they're equal.
Re: Asians. UNSW def has more but it won't really matter unless you're doing commerce.
Verdict: IT DOESN'T MATTER.
