Which Uni for '09?

[Ford_V8]

Hey everyone,

Approaching the final weeks of VCE and at the stage where I'm contemplating my preferences for VTAC. Now as you can imagine as a 17 year old just cruising along this whole thing has hit me like a sack of . I've been to a few open days and most unis look pretty sweet, the problem though is that now I am really second guessing my original plan. I had planned on trying for Mech engineering at RMIT and if that didn't work do an associate degree in engineering (pathway) and at worst an advanced diploma or diploma. Now I've seen a few different places I really have no idea where to go anymore, still pretty adamant I want an engineering related course but will consider anything science related. A pool and a decent gym are bonuses, as is a decent footy team/oval and student union. So, if any current uni students can help shed some light on your particular uni and if you're happy with it etc. Basically, any info is good info!

Cheers!

[uranium_death]

If you want a place of great activity, then don't go to Deakin.

Melbourne and Monash would be two that are active.
My friend just finished his Science-Engineering double degree and he said that while the Science Faculty was well organised, Engineering wasn't.

Uni is only what you make of it, because it doesn't make it for you.

I made nothing in my 4.5 years at Deakin. Went to class, went home.

Teaching was full of blonde Big Brother viewers and metrosexuals. ugh.

[phoenix99]

I study Mechanical and Aerospace @ Monash. I have been there nearly 5 years and Monash is great.

Ovals: tick
Pool:tick
Gym:tick
Sport: You name there is a club

Theres always something going on on campus, its a good place to be.

As for engineering first 2 years in terms of the subjects you do your gonna be bored (its all maths and introduction subjects) and wishing you didn't do eng but then it gets much better in terms of projects and stuff.

[XR6_661]

I'm studying Civil Engineering @ University of Southern QLD.

They have been doing engineering courses since the 60s and they have the system down pat perfectly. Can't fault them!

Cheers

[Krakey]

mech engineering at rmit is top s*** but is pretty full on also. make sure u are RIGHT up on your maths before even considering this subject if you want to do half decently.

Krakey

[scottmeister]

I'm chem eng at RMIT, and it's probably the best chem eng course in VIC from what I hear. Melbourne Uni's new system for courses is a bit silly, and guys I know who did eng there and at RMIT were unimpressed with Melb's assessment processes. If you're mech eng you'd be at bundoora so I can't comment, but RMIT city campus is sweet and compact, lots of pool tables and a gym, but the best part is being 3mins from the trainstation and right in CBD so you can go to movies, eat lunch in different places every day etc. You really need to work out where your strengths are, as for any engineering course you really wanna make sure you're quite confident with your Methods level stuff as a minimum...it only gets worse in engineering.

RMIT and Monash are both very good for mechanical. I have friends at both who are loving it.

They've also got a thing called FSAE where you build a racecar from the ground up. You get access to Boeing's fabrication tools and all these specialist services. Sounds like the best thing ever.

Melbourne is obviously good for the name, but the few guys I know at Melbourne all tell me they wish they were elsewhere. I'll ask em why again.

[HLC]

i do Industrial Design at Uni. of Western Sydney, but our new course co-ordinator is from monash

and apparently the Industrial Design course at Monash is awesome.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by phoenix99

I study Mechanical and Aerospace @ Monash. I have been there nearly 5 years and Monash is great.

Ovals: tick
Pool:tick
Gym:tick
Sport: You name there is a club

Theres always something going on on campus, its a good place to be.

As for engineering first 2 years in terms of the subjects you do your gonna be bored (its all maths and introduction subjects) and wishing you didn't do eng but then it gets much better in terms of projects and stuff.

Wow...there wasn't a tiddlywinks club at Deakin. :

[dandandandan]

Do anything engineering or science related at RMIT.
I'm doing Applied Science in Surveying there and its rad.

Spent 2 years at Deakin... Worst. Did meet rad chicks to get it on with though...

[Ford_V8]

Thanks for all the comments. Seems RMIT is probably the place to be for engineering. Surprised at the comments about deakin, was there on Sunday and thought pretty highly of it, definitely noticed the whole big brother factor though. Is anybody familiar with the RMIT bundoora campus?

[Powdered Toast Man]

Have a look at Swinburne for Mechanical Engineering as well, very highly rated Uni for engineering degrees especially. Also good science. Not highly rated for anything else though. Used to be easy to get into as well if you dont have a great TER but it changes every year. Did my Mech Engineering bachelor degree there.

Not great for the social scene and doesn't have much as far as amenities, well it didn't when I was there from 1996 to 2002. Something was always under construction though.

The syllabus includes 12 months of work experience in the middle of the course. They also compete in Formula SAE (shounak mentioned it) which is actually a world wide competetion between uni's to build the best race car.

I would also say RMIT is the best place for engineering though as far as reputation goes, and the campus is the size of a small town!

[JMO]

I'm doing electrical eng at rmit. Don't do it!!! the lecturers suck! Go with mech, my brother does it and as has been said is pretty full on, but you can relate to it much more and according to my bro, the teaching staff is a lot better.

If I had my time again I'd probably go somewhere like monash or deakin to have more of a 'university' atmosphere and so i could drive/bus in. I've travelled up to Melbourne uni a few times and the atmosphere is great there. They have trees AND grass! To me, rmit just doesn't have a 'university' atmosphere. You spend most of the time off campus in the cbd and there's only so many rounds of pool you can play...

[Magna]

Originally Posted by uranium_death

If you want a place of great activity, then don't go to Deakin.

Melbourne and Monash would be two that are active.

im at Deakin BCom/LLB and working full time. probably why don't notice much wats going on : I did a few years at Monash but unless ur from some private school its hard to fit in

Originally Posted by uranium_death

Teaching was full of blonde Big Brother viewers and metrosexuals. ugh.

true! 1 thing i noticed at Deakin :

but i have to say the quality of teaching is better at Deakin than Monash. Monash is more sink or swim.

[xy500]

dude, best advice i could give you; take a year off next year, work travel and have a good think about it, you might find you'd be happiest doing something completely different. other than that i don't really know anything about vicco unis, but if you want to come to wa to study i might be able to help

[saber]

Originally Posted by JMO

I'm doing electrical eng at rmit. Don't do it!!!

I'm in my last semester of elec eng at Melbourne Uni, it is a hard slog, do not attempt this course unless you are really into the maths, this is the biggest killer of the course! For any eng degree, there will be a fair bit of math involved, some courses (like software) has less than others.


[/QUOTE]I've travelled up to Melbourne uni a few times and the atmosphere is great there. They have trees AND grass! [/QUOTE]

+1

Great atmosphere, and as others have said, uni is what you make of it!
Has a great gym, pool and oval, and has plenty of sports clubs you can join.

If you are considering going to melb, make sure you read up on the new melbourne model. The way some of degrees are structured have changed, which may suit you better/worse.

[Ford_V8]

Originally Posted by xy500

dude, best advice i could give you; take a year off next year, work travel and have a good think about it, you might find you'd be happiest doing something completely different. other than that i don't really know anything about vicco unis, but if you want to come to wa to study i might be able to help

Funny you mention that, actually considering the GAP year program with the navy, half way through my application, which has been held up in medical for at least the last month and a half (such is the organisational skill of DFR).

I have thought about Swinburne, but really looking for a decent atmosphere/environment as well, spewin' though I missed the RMIT open day :(. Is anybody here at Latrobe? Anyone know anything about their engineering/science related courses (computer sys engineering, nanotech., computer science etc?)

[RJO89]

I'm currently doing Mech Eng at Monash, and hate it with a passion. Doing second year and just wish I had taken a year off, even just a semester off. I was confused about what I wanted to do when I chose my course, which initially was Science/Eng but dropped the science part because it was crap. Still don't know if Mech eng is what I want to do, considering all I want to do is work with cars, and mech eng seemed to fit in the best out of all the courses at uni.
My personal opinion of monash? There are plenty of clubs and people that wanna make new friends. Unfortunately, majority of those people are self-centred and self-involved. You need to be really aware of yourself and love yourself to fit in well with those people, as well as a lot of the clubs and societies available. But, that's just my personal opinion. Your experience could be completely different to mine. There are a lot of people in the same boat as me though. Mates from school and a few people that I've met at uni tend to feel the same way..

[Ford_V8]

Originally Posted by RJO89

I'm currently doing Mech Eng at Monash, and hate it with a passion. Doing second year and just wish I had taken a year off, even just a semester off. I was confused about what I wanted to do when I chose my course, which initially was Science/Eng but dropped the science part because it was crap. Still don't know if Mech eng is what I want to do, considering all I want to do is work with cars, and mech eng seemed to fit in the best out of all the courses at uni.
My personal opinion of monash? There are plenty of clubs and people that wanna make new friends. Unfortunately, majority of those people are self-centred and self-involved. You need to be really aware of yourself and love yourself to fit in well with those people, as well as a lot of the clubs and societies available. But, that's just my personal opinion. Your experience could be completely different to mine. There are a lot of people in the same boat as me though. Mates from school and a few people that I've met at uni tend to feel the same way..

Hearing this story alot lately, seems alot of people do the same thing and up in the same boat. I'm second guessing doing engineering now as I am continually being raped by maths methods (although most white people are lol). Anyway I've got 2 more I want to look at, Latrobe on Sunday then RAAF base williams next month (RMIT aviation program).

Anyway, thanks for your help everyone. I'll definitely take it all on board when doing my preferences and might post again early next year with what I have decided to do with my life. If you have any final advice for a year 12 student in his final weeks fire away!

[xbgs351]

I would highly recomend Swinburne for Mech Eng. Small lecture sizes make it easy to make friends and get feedback from lecturers. Spending a year out in the work force makes a great break from study, allows you to earn some money and gives you an idea about what engineers actually do.

I would stongly advise against Monash. Crap lecturers and high failure rates.