ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => General University Discussion and Queries => Topic started by: Joseph41 on May 09, 2017, 04:52:00 pm

Title: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Joseph41 on May 09, 2017, 04:52:00 pm
Yoooo wassup? Welcome to ATAR Notes! ;D

In this thread, you can ask your questions about what to study next year and beyond at university level.

We're not career experts - but a lot of us are (or have recently been) uni students, so we know a thing or two about different courses! ;D

If you're finding things a bit overwhelming and want some input regarding potential universities and courses, ask away! :) Just hit us up with some background information about your interests or what have you. :)

---

NOTE: To post in this thread, you'll first need to register an ATAR Notes account. It's free, and should take like four seconds! Then, just scroll down to the bottom of this thread, and ask your questions in the "Quick Reply" box, as shown below. :)

(http://i.imgur.com/1rD8v2V.png)
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Quantum44 on May 09, 2017, 05:57:46 pm
What's so special about the Biomed scholars program at Monash and what are the prereqs?

I'm just curious as it seems like an interesting alternative to Biomed at Melbourne.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Harris Ahmad on May 10, 2017, 07:39:47 pm
I wanted to know, if I want to do medicine and become a doctor, what's the best course for me from Monash out of Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences and Bachelor of Medical Sciences? Also, why is it that a lot of people drop out of Biomed and choose Sciences instead?
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Sine on May 11, 2017, 03:16:20 am
What's so special about the Biomed scholars program at Monash and what are the prereqs?

I'm just curious as it seems like an interesting alternative to Biomed at Melbourne.
Really just networking events and other perks (nothing much ahha)
The prereqs are the same as normal biomed but you need 40+ in chemistry and 40+ in meth or spec
I choose it over biomed @ UoM because it meant there was an extra uni I could do med at (graduate monash only takes monash students and UoM takes from any uni)
Also monash is much closer for me.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: brenden on May 11, 2017, 11:29:53 am
I wanted to know, if I want to do medicine and become a doctor, what's the best course for me from Monash out of Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences and Bachelor of Medical Sciences? Also, why is it that a lot of people drop out of Biomed and choose Sciences instead?

Hey! Really great question.

What's "better" for you... well, it probably doesn't make that much difference. A certain proportion of students accepted into Monash Med MUST come from their Biomed program, so that's one factor... however, if you want to do postgrad Med, you won't just be applying at Monash.

The three important factors (not in order of importance) for med entry at a postrgrad level are as follows:

1. Your Uni grades.
2. Your GAMSAT score (usually).
3. Your interview performance.

You'll notice that "degree" isn't part of the criteria. You could get into Medicine after doing undergrad law, or Arts... so long as you had the prereqs.

So, in some sense, the answer to your question is, "whatever the hell you want". So long as you get good grades in it, it doesn't matter.

Why do lots of people drop out of Biomed? I'm not sure if that's a true assumption, but... Biomed is a very specific degree with not a lot of flexibility or choice. Most of the units, from what I've heard, are programmed into it for you. Whereas Science has a bit more general choice and flexibility... and Biomed doesn't offer much of an advantage over Science degrees in terms of Medicine entry so, I guess some people just say "fuck it"?
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Matisse08 on May 13, 2017, 11:00:39 pm
Hey, so I want to study medicine at Monash and am wondering now that methods has been taken off the prereq list if I should still do it? I'm a straight A+ student in all my other subjects but am scoring fairly average in methods, is any of the course needed in my degree or should I drop it for further?
Also, I don't really understand how all the specialising in medicine works? What kind of post grad  would I have to do to specialise in pediatrics and how long would that be?

Thanks :)
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Joseph41 on May 14, 2017, 12:05:50 pm
Hey, so I want to study medicine at Monash and am wondering now that methods has been taken off the prereq list if I should still do it? I'm a straight A+ student in all my other subjects but am scoring fairly average in methods, is any of the course needed in my degree or should I drop it for further?
Also, I don't really understand how all the specialising in medicine works? What kind of post grad  would I have to do to specialise in pediatrics and how long would that be?

Thanks :)

Hey Matisse! Welcome to ATAR Notes! ;D

What other subjects are you doing at the moment? :)

I don't have personal experience with the MBBS (so take this with a grain of salt), but some people very close to me are currently taking it. Obviously, there are people better equipped to answer this question, but from what I know, Methods isn't particularly needed content-wise. The logical assumption would be that if it were, it would still be a pre-req.

Regardless, that shouldn't be a reason in and of itself to drop Methods. What do you see as the pros and cons in switching to Further?
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Sine on May 14, 2017, 01:49:13 pm
Hey, so I want to study medicine at Monash and am wondering now that methods has been taken off the prereq list if I should still do it? I'm a straight A+ student in all my other subjects but am scoring fairly average in methods, is any of the course needed in my degree or should I drop it for further?
Also, I don't really understand how all the specialising in medicine works? What kind of post grad  would I have to do to specialise in pediatrics and how long would that be?

Thanks :)
You never know if you are going to change your mind (I know a lot of people who did during yr 12 - got enough for med but decided otherwise. For example choosing commerce @ UoM or a double degree @ monash) so I would just keep it in case you do so.

Additionally med is super-competitive and getting a great ATAR isn't always enough to get in (UMAT + Interview is 2/3 of the criteria).

A popular fallback from med is usually biomed @ monash or UoM and both require methods as a prerequisite so keep that in mind.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: shaan on May 17, 2017, 04:21:47 pm
Im looking to do either Science then engineering ar Melbourne or monash engineering. What would be a better pathway to a better career? Im looking at either software or chemical engineering? How are the jobs for software or chemical engineers in Australia and how are their salaries?
Also after doing this i would also try go into management consulting at a big 3 so answer keeping this in mind.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Sine on May 19, 2017, 08:15:15 pm
Im looking to do either Science then engineering ar Melbourne or monash engineering. What would be a better pathway to a better career? Im looking at either software or chemical engineering? How are the jobs for software or chemical engineers in Australia and how are their salaries?
Also after doing this i would also try go into management consulting at a big 3 so answer keeping this in mind.
It's possible to do engineering/science @ monash which takes the same time as the pathway at melbourne. UoM pathway isn't guaranteed however is relatively easy to get into. Something like 65+ WAM i think with some prerequisite uni subjects.

I would think if you are 100% set on engineering monash would be the way to go - you'll be doing engineering stuff from day 1.

Hopefully someone can help on the engineering careers part :p
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Rasika on May 20, 2017, 12:26:25 pm
I have no idea what to study in uni. But I want to go to ANU-- it's the school for me! I was thinking of doing Bachelor of Law but I don't know if I'll get in
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: AngelWings on May 20, 2017, 05:52:44 pm
I have no idea what to study in uni. But I want to go to ANU-- it's the school for me! I was thinking of doing Bachelor of Law but I don't know if I'll get in
Have some faith in yourself! Nothing is set in stone even when you get your ATAR... there are plenty of ways to get in, like SEAS or bridging courses.
I would recommend that you look at going to Open Days, checking out ANU courses on their website (most unis have a future students section set up for people such as yourself) and talking to people you know who are studying at uni, people who know you well or people who do jobs that interest you and how they got there. Besides that, check out your Careers Teacher or equivalent at your school for some guidance as to what you like and what you're good at to continue on as a possible career. If everything seems to suit you, try a broad degree like Arts or Science to get a large range of subjects to choose from.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: zhen on May 20, 2017, 06:29:08 pm
Right now I honestly don't know what I want to do when I finish year 12, but my parents are pushing me to do medicine (like most asian parents). So, I'm wondering what studying medicine is like in university. Is it interesting and is there a lot of math and chemistry involved (these are my favourite subjects at the moment)? I don't think that my grades are good enough to get into medicine and I'm not good at umat and interviews, but I just want to see what the hype is about and whether or not I should consider doing it if I magically get a high enough umat and atar.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: AngelWings on May 20, 2017, 06:50:30 pm
Right now I honestly don't know what I want to do when I finish year 12, but my parents are pushing me to do medicine (like most asian parents). So, I'm wondering what studying medicine is like in university. Is it interesting and is there a lot of math and chemistry involved (these are my favourite subjects at the moment)? I don't think that my grades are good enough to get into medicine and I'm not good at umat and interviews, but I just want to see what the hype is about and whether or not I should consider doing it if I magically get a high enough umat and atar.
I can't answer from experience, though I know some people that do. I hope someone more fitting sees this and answers this for you. The hype is usually situated on reputation rather than actual content; I'd imagine it'd not be too dissimilar to other health science/ biomed /science courses, depending on the subjects (we call them units) you pick. Seeing some of the posts you've previously typed, I can assure you that you'll be fine, no matter the ATAR, UMAT and interview outcome!
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: K888 on May 25, 2017, 09:31:19 pm
I can't answer from experience, though I know some people that do. I hope someone more fitting sees this and answers this for you. The hype is usually situated on reputation rather than actual content; I'd imagine it'd not be too dissimilar to other health science/ biomed /science courses, depending on the subjects (we call them units) you pick. Seeing some of the posts you've previously typed, I can assure you that you'll be fine, no matter the ATAR, UMAT and interview outcome!
Agree with AngelWings here, but I think another important point of consideration when you're thinking about doing med is - would you like to be a doctor? Are you passionate about working with people, interacting with them and helping them? Stuff like that. Maybe it's not the best course to consider if you're not so interested in that aspect :)
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Sine on May 25, 2017, 09:43:13 pm
Right now I honestly don't know what I want to do when I finish year 12, but my parents are pushing me to do medicine (like most asian parents). So, I'm wondering what studying medicine is like in university. Is it interesting and is there a lot of math and chemistry involved (these are my favourite subjects at the moment)? I don't think that my grades are good enough to get into medicine and I'm not good at umat and interviews, but I just want to see what the hype is about and whether or not I should consider doing it if I magically get a high enough umat and atar.
there isn't much math - if any (i'm not doing med but know a few people who have)
If you are considering it I'd say to just do it and drop after a year if you aren't happy with it.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: zhen on May 25, 2017, 09:49:55 pm
there isn't much math - if any (i'm not doing med but know a few people who have)
If you are considering it I'd say to just do it and drop after a year if you aren't happy with it.
Yea that's what my parents are telling me. Since it's really hard to get into medicine and on the tiny chance that I do get in, it should be really easy to transfer to other courses if I don't like it after one year. On the other hand if a miracle happens and I get in but decline, it's a lot harder to get back in again if I regret declining it. I'm planning to try my hardest to get in and if I don't get in I'll pick another career path and move on. But if I do get in, I'll try it for a year and see what happens.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Joseph41 on May 30, 2017, 09:08:31 am
Yea that's what my parents are telling me. Since it's really hard to get into medicine and on the tiny chance that I do get in, it should be really easy to transfer to other courses if I don't like it after one year. On the other hand if a miracle happens and I get in but decline, it's a lot harder to get back in again if I regret declining it. I'm planning to try my hardest to get in and if I don't get in I'll pick another career path and move on. But if I do get in, I'll try it for a year and see what happens.

Sounds a good plan to me. It's always so hard to know until you actually try it lol - it sucks.

If I were to ask you right now what potential career you're most passionate about, what would you say?
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: zhen on May 30, 2017, 05:19:08 pm
Sounds a good plan to me. It's always so hard to know until you actually try it lol - it sucks.

If I were to ask you right now what potential career you're most passionate about, what would you say?
Being a teacher or a scientist were the things I was passionate about over the last couple of years. But that passion kind of died as soon as I found out about the awful conditions scientists have to face and the lack of jobs and financial security. Teaching also has a lack of jobs and financial security too. Well, I've had a bit of experience teaching, since for community service I ended up teaching prep and grade one students from disadvantaged families English and maths. That was pretty fun, but only because I only had to deal with small groups of 2 to 4 and also because they were all really good kids. But, I don't think that it would be as enjoyable if I had to deal with a larger class of rowdy high school students. So, teaching doesn't look as appealing anymore. I also wanted to be medical doctor throughout my childhood, which may have been because of parental influence, but I'm not so sure anymore because I didn't want to do biology, which is probably going to be the main focus of medicine, since in VCE I heard it's a lot of memory work. So, my plan is to try my hardest and if I get into medicine, I'll try it out for reasons mentioned in my previous post. But if I don't get in, I'll probably do something science/teaching/ commerce (maybe commerce, since I enjoy maths to an extent) related.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: zhen on August 16, 2017, 06:15:31 pm
Sorry I'm bumping this thread. It's been months after I initially posted in this thread and I still don't know what I want to do in university. Right now I'm even more unsure of what I want to do than I was before. I feel like I just want a meaningful career where I can actually help other people out. This year so far I've felt like I've grown in so many ways. I've had many hardships throughout the year. But, my friends and atarnotes have always been there for me when I was depressed and ranting on about my unfair circumstances. I know it's a bit cliche, but I feel like I really want a career that I can look back on and say that I truly made a difference. So, what advice do you all have on this? There's medicine, which is probably the most obvious career choice for helping people, but what other careers do you all think I should consider? I just don't know what to do and VTAC applications have opened, so I'm just asking for some advice.   
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: AngelWings on August 16, 2017, 06:23:11 pm
Sorry, I'm bumping this thread. It's been months after I initially posted in this thread and I still don't know what I want to do in university. Right now I'm even more unsure of what I want to do than I was before. I feel like I just want a meaningful career where I can actually help other people out. This year so far I've felt like I've grown in so many ways. I've had many hardships throughout the year. But, my friends and atarnotes have always been there for me when I was depressed and ranting on about my unfair circumstances. I know it's a bit cliche, but I feel like I really want a career that I can look back on and say that I truly made a difference. So, what advice do you all have on this? There's medicine, which is probably the most obvious career choice for helping people, but what other careers do you all think I should consider? I just don't know what to do and VTAC applications have opened, so I'm just asking for some advice.   

If you don't know, choose something broad and includes all the stuff you're good at. Seeing as you've done a lot of the maths-y subjects, maybe try science and you can transfer if you want to. I think once you get in and keep soul searching, you'll figure out a career that suits you. 
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Mr West on August 16, 2017, 06:30:28 pm
if i was aiming for post grad med, and say i got under 90 or didnt get into biomed at melb or monash, which of the following would be the best to do?

Bachelor of Science at melb (85)
Bachelor of Science at monash (85)
Bachelor of biomed at deakin (80)

Cheers  :) :)
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: AngelWings on August 16, 2017, 06:36:17 pm
if i was aiming for post grad med, and say i got under 90 or didnt get into biomed at melb or monash, which of the following would be the best to do?

Bachelor of Science at melb (85)
Bachelor of Science at monash (85)
Bachelor of biomed at deakin (80)

Cheers  :) :)

Depends on the location of where you want to do post grad med. Try to do the undergrad where you want to do the post grad degree, because IIRC, Monash takes mostly Monash undergrads and so forth.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Sine on August 16, 2017, 06:53:23 pm
if i was aiming for post grad med, and say i got under 90 or didnt get into biomed at melb or monash, which of the following would be the best to do?

Bachelor of Science at melb (85)
Bachelor of Science at monash (85)
Bachelor of biomed at deakin (80)

Cheers  :) :)

are you close to monash or Melbourne?

Just curious which uni's biomed are you heading towards?
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: VanillaRice on August 16, 2017, 07:58:23 pm
I know it's a bit cliche, but I feel like I really want a career that I can look back on and say that I truly made a difference. So, what advice do you all have on this?
I'd like to share something interesting and relevant(?) about careers which 'help people'. What exactly do you mean by 'helping people' or 'making a difference'? Have you considered careers which might not involve actual 'patient care', and rather than focusing on helping individuals, involve having an impact on entire populations? Think along the lines of potentially designing the newest treatment for those with some form of chronic disease, or developing a public health strategy to reduce road death tolls in youths (these are only examples, but I hope you get the idea  :P).

Hey guys :D
I need advice on uni preferences.
I was thinking of doubling B.Com with something else at UNSW.
I'm looking towards B.Arts, B.Sci or B.Eco with maths major.

Which degrees are most essay-intensive, or are they all similar?
I hate essays.  :P
Arts sounds very essay-ish.
From my personal experience (and of course considering difference between universities)
BA > BEco = BSc in terms of essays and the like, although this of course will depend on the types of units you choose.

I was also seeking a maths-related major in a Commerce degree, but realised the subject matter of commerce units weren't exactly what I was looking for, and transferred to Science this semester. So I guess it really depends on what your other (non-maths) interests are.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: zhen on August 16, 2017, 08:22:52 pm
I'd like to share something interesting and relevant(?) about careers which 'help people'. What exactly do you mean by 'helping people' or 'making a difference'? Have you considered careers which might not involve actual 'patient care', and rather than focusing on helping individuals, involve having an impact on entire populations? Think along the lines of potentially designing the newest treatment for those with some form of chronic disease, or developing a public health strategy to reduce road death tolls in youths (these are only examples, but I hope you get the idea  :P).
I feel like it'd be awesome if I could save lives by finding a treatment for a disease or if I could somehow end up having an impact on entire populations. But, I feel like realistically I'm not capable of doing such things and the people who do make these large scale differences are those one in a thousand people, which I don't really see myself being and don't think I'm capable of being. So, I see myself really helping individuals rather than helping populations.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Mr West on August 16, 2017, 08:23:24 pm
are you close to monash or Melbourne?

Just curious which uni's biomed are you heading towards?

Im pretty much dead middle haha,  possibly a bit closer to monash...

my first preference will be biomed at monash but im just wondering what to do if i cant get low to mid 90 atar.

Should i just do bachelor of science at monash and keep my options for medicine open to deakin, monash and melb?

Cheers
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Bri MT on August 16, 2017, 08:40:39 pm
Sorry I'm bumping this thread. It's been months after I initially posted in this thread and I still don't know what I want to do in university. Right now I'm even more unsure of what I want to do than I was before. I feel like I just want a meaningful career where I can actually help other people out. This year so far I've felt like I've grown in so many ways. I've had many hardships throughout the year. But, my friends and atarnotes have always been there for me when I was depressed and ranting on about my unfair circumstances. I know it's a bit cliche, but I feel like I really want a career that I can look back on and say that I truly made a difference. So, what advice do you all have on this? There's medicine, which is probably the most obvious career choice for helping people, but what other careers do you all think I should consider? I just don't know what to do and VTAC applications have opened, so I'm just asking for some advice.   
Warning: I'm going to (briefly) be arrogant. I use TabForACause and Ecosia to make my browsing count for something, I changed my diet to help the environment, I first started volunteering on a regular basis in grade 5 (tree planting every week), I have done (and organised) fundraising, donated hair, and I entered this year as the equivalent of chairman for two different community groups. It sounds good when I list it like that, but I would struggle to say that I have truly made a difference to the world. I'm not sure if I ever will feel that I have done enough. It's a great goal to aspire to, but don't let it become suffocating. Sometimes helping the community is making someone laugh, being the nice customer, or letting someone know that you care. A relatively small action such as donating blood makes a big difference to the person who receives it.

Uni can equip with a diverse range of skill sets, and every. single. one. could be used to help people/the community.
If there is anything my experience has taught me it is that out of every factor, it is the determined individuals that achieve the most change. If you want to contribute, you will find a way, regardless of what course you choose. From my experiences trying to juggle/balance everything this year, you are best of going for a skill set you have genuine interest in,otherwise it make things much harder for yourself, and when you can't function well you can't help as much. If medicine is something you are only considering because it is "the known way" to help people I would recommend you to not do it. You seem to have an interest in science, and there is so much you can do with science to help people and the community. (I'm actually planning to do a science course, and use it to help others.)

You also don't need to know the path you will take yet, there is so much information that you haven't been exposed to yet, and as you progress through your studies and life you will learn about opportunities and vocations you don't even know exist yet. Maybe your designs will help us move to a more sustainable future, maybe you'll find a find to make vaccines more accessible to impoverished communities,  maybe you'll create a prosthetic which allows someone greater quality of life, maybe you'll use computing to see the links which contribute to disease, maybe you'll find new water purification methods, maybe you'll help us all think big and understand a little bit more how the universe works. Please don't start placing restrictions on your future just because preferences have opened. Maybe it's better for you to not be sure yet, and to remain open to new opportunities.

That all being said, if you realllly want a guide: https://80000hours.org/

Best of luck, it's great that you want to give back -that alone tells me that you will, if you haven't already
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: zhen on August 16, 2017, 09:11:50 pm
Warning: I'm going to (briefly) be arrogant. I use TabForACause and Ecosia to make my browsing count for something, I changed my diet to help the environment, I first started volunteering on a regular basis in grade 5 (tree planting every week), I have done (and organised) fundraising, donated hair, and I entered this year as the equivalent of chairman for two different community groups. It sounds good when I list it like that, but I would struggle to say that I have truly made a difference to the world. I'm not sure if I ever will feel that I have done enough. It's a great goal to aspire to, but don't let it become suffocating. Sometimes helping the community is making someone laugh, being the nice customer, or letting someone know that you care. A relatively small action such as donating blood makes a big difference to the person who receives it.

Uni can equip with a diverse range of skill sets, and every. single. one. could be used to help people/the community.
If there is anything my experience has taught me it is that out of every factor, it is the determined individuals that achieve the most change. If you want to contribute, you will find a way, regardless of what course you choose. From my experiences trying to juggle/balance everything this year, you are best of going for a skill set you have genuine interest in,otherwise it make things much harder for yourself, and when you can't function well you can't help as much. If medicine is something you are only considering because it is "the known way" to help people I would recommend you to not do it. You seem to have an interest in science, and there is so much you can do with science to help people and the community. (I'm actually planning to do a science course, and use it to help others.)

You also don't need to know the path you will take yet, there is so much information that you haven't been exposed to yet, and as you progress through your studies and life you will learn about opportunities and vocations you don't even know exist yet. Maybe your designs will help us move to a more sustainable future, maybe you'll find a find to make vaccines more accessible to impoverished communities,  maybe you'll create a prosthetic which allows someone greater quality of life, maybe you'll use computing to see the links which contribute to disease, maybe you'll find new water purification methods, maybe you'll help us all think big and understand a little bit more how the universe works. Please don't start placing restrictions on your future just because preferences have opened. Maybe it's better for you to not be sure yet, and to remain open to new opportunities.

That all being said, if you realllly want a guide: https://80000hours.org/

Best of luck, it's great that you want to give back -that alone tells me that you will, if you haven't already
What I'm about to say might be a bit controversial, so just a warning before reading this. Right now, I feel like if I can support myself financially and feel like I'm making a difference, then I'll live a happy life. In a way, it might even be a bit selfish, since I help others to make myself feel better. I'm not a noble person. Unlike you, I've haven't done much to help people other than pretty basic things. But, I just feel like if I end up in a job that does not feel like it's contributing to anything other than my boss' wallet, then I probably will not be satisfied with that type of life. I want to live my life without regrets.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Bri MT on August 16, 2017, 10:17:12 pm
What I'm about to say might be a bit controversial, so just a warning before reading this. Right now, I feel like if I can support myself financially and feel like I'm making a difference, then I'll live a happy life. In a way, it might even be a bit selfish, since I help others to make myself feel better. I'm not a noble person. Unlike you, I've haven't done much to help people other than pretty basic things. But, I just feel like if I end up in a job that does not feel like it's contributing to anything other than my boss' wallet, then I probably will not be satisfied with that type of life. I want to live my life without regrets.

What I'm trying to get at (even if communicating this poorly) is that there are so many different ways to make a difference, the scope is so huge that it's hard to use it as any sort of filter for figuring out university courses. I'm also trying to say that if you want to make a difference you will, regardless of what course you choose.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: zhen on August 16, 2017, 10:24:14 pm
What I'm trying to get at (even if communicating this poorly) is that there are so many different ways to make a difference, the scope is so huge that it's hard to use it as any sort of filter for figuring out university courses. I'm also trying to say that if you want to make a difference you will, regardless of what course you choose.
For a second, I was going to say that if I take a course like commerce, then how would I be able to help people. But then I realised that commerce and basically any employable skill would eventually be able to help someone eventually. Now the question is what to choose out of the courses I'm interested in, which includes medicine, science, commerce and maybe law (I'm bad at oral presentations so maybe not). Also, thanks for all the advice you've given so far.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Sine on August 16, 2017, 10:41:05 pm
I'd like to share something interesting and relevant(?) about careers which 'help people'. What exactly do you mean by 'helping people' or 'making a difference'? Have you considered careers which might not involve actual 'patient care', and rather than focusing on helping individuals, involve having an impact on entire populations? Think along the lines of potentially designing the newest treatment for those with some form of chronic disease, or developing a public health strategy to reduce road death tolls in youths (these are only examples, but I hope you get the idea  :P).
From my personal experience (and of course considering difference between universities)
BA > BEco = BSc in terms of essays and the like, although this of course will depend on the types of units you choose.

I was also seeking a maths-related major in a Commerce degree, but realised the subject matter of commerce units weren't exactly what I was looking for, and transferred to Science this semester. So I guess it really depends on what your other (non-maths) interests are.
I'm getting strong bms1042 vibes

Im pretty much dead middle haha,  possibly a bit closer to monash...

my first preference will be biomed at monash but im just wondering what to do if i cant get low to mid 90 atar.

Should i just do bachelor of science at monash and keep my options for medicine open to deakin, monash and melb?

Cheers
why are you choosing monash? (closer to home?)

It doesn't really matter imo not much difference between Science @ Monash/UoM (UoM might have a stronger cohort) just what feels right for you. However there is a slight advantage for science monash since they can apply for grad med @ monash (25 places) along with med @ UoM.  For me biomed @ UoM was probably the obvious choice but I chose biomed monash so I could apply for grad med at both unis just to keep my options open.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: VanillaRice on August 16, 2017, 10:49:39 pm
I'm getting strong bms1042 vibes
You caught me out hard  ;D Was thinking the same thing when I wrote it haha

I feel like it'd be awesome if I could save lives by finding a treatment for a disease or if I could somehow end up having an impact on entire populations. But, I feel like realistically I'm not capable of doing such things and the people who do make these large scale differences are those one in a thousand people, which I don't really see myself being and don't think I'm capable of being. So, I see myself really helping individuals rather than helping populations.
You don't necessarily have to be that 'one in a million' person to be a part of something that will make a difference. Many things nowadays are done in teams - each member will bring something unique to allow the team to solve complex problems.
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Mr West on August 17, 2017, 07:44:56 am
why are you choosing monash? (closer to home?)

It doesn't really matter imo not much difference between Science @ Monash/UoM (UoM might have a stronger cohort) just what feels right for you. However there is a slight advantage for science monash since they can apply for grad med @ monash (25 places) along with med @ UoM.  For me biomed @ UoM was probably the obvious choice but I chose biomed monash so I could apply for grad med at both unis just to keep my options open.

Thanks! im thinking monash because like you said, i want to keep my options open to almost all medicine programs. I know Monash MD has 75 spots (50 for biomed and 25 for related courses), but how many does UoM MD have? and is it split up like monash MD?
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Sine on August 17, 2017, 09:20:21 am
Thanks! im thinking monash because like you said, i want to keep my options open to almost all medicine programs. I know Monash MD has 75 spots (50 for biomed and 25 for related courses), but how many does UoM MD have? and is it split up like monash MD?
from what I know UoM MD has many more places, something around 450. However any uni+any course can apply for it making it as competitive as monash MD. I think if you were able to gain a place in either course you would probably get into the other one if you get what I mean. Historically roughly 1/3 of the UoM biomed cohort end up going to melbourne MD however this is not due to guranteed places but just how the rankings end out after you take into account GPA/GAMSAT/Interview. :)
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Mr West on August 17, 2017, 10:00:38 am
from what I know UoM MD has many more places, something around 450. However any uni+any course can apply for it making it as competitive as monash MD. I think if you were able to gain a place in either course you would probably get into the other one if you get what I mean. Historically roughly 1/3 of the UoM biomed cohort end up going to melbourne MD however this is not due to guranteed places but just how the rankings end out after you take into account GPA/GAMSAT/Interview. :)

cool thanks  :) :)
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Joseph41 on August 17, 2017, 10:24:05 am
Hey guys :D
I need advice on uni preferences.
I was thinking of doubling B.Com with something else at UNSW.
I'm looking towards B.Arts, B.Sci or B.Eco with maths major.

Which degrees are most essay-intensive, or are they all similar?
I hate essays.  :P
Arts sounds very essay-ish.

If you don't like essays etc., I wouldn't necessarily recommend Arts. But do you know what you'd be interested in studying within the Arts degree?
Title: Re: I don't know what to study at uni - help!
Post by: Fluffysama_ on May 05, 2021, 06:54:51 pm
Hi!!
I'm actually studying international relations and politics and major in eco policy at Usyd atm
Tis my first sem at uni bahaha
but I'm still really unsure if this really the degree for me, and I feel like there's a lot of pressure to just know where to go but ahhh I'm honestly so lost

I know I would love a job involving languages and helping people, some of my dream jobs were being a hotel concierge or like an immigration officer or a working in centrelink or in admin/human resources as a language teacher, a bonus if you get to travel! But I know you don't necessarily need a degree for those jobs (except for a teacher) and I am so so scared demand for these jobs are just gone because of covid  and quite often there's heavy competition for a single job?


I thought I might want to be a diplomat but truthfully, I heard about the work place culture being really tough and working long hours and I just can't see myself wanting to live like that and also I researched and realised alot of them get in with law and economics degrees as well as a post grad in public policy etc but I also know you can get in from having lots of life experience i.e working abroad

- Now I feel like maybe I should aim to get into a consulate/ embassy  but I don't actually know what they do they just seem very cool for being the bridge between 2 countries, I looked into it abit and they 'liase' with their associated countries and sort of advise tourists but also those in detention centres and provide advice but also policy responsibilities?? I am so unsure what sort of degree you need for that!

I so far quite enjoy IR and politics but also not sure if I can do it for 4 years and use it in my job??  but eco policy I find soooo difficult, I didn't do math for HSC and they said we didn't need math for eco policy but the core unit of study is using math!! I'm struggling alot but thanks to doing eco in highschool I get the general sort of concepts but I'm so scared cos in second year you actually do hard maths

Alot of career people I spoke with said eco policy is the way to go since they look at the degree and its relevant for working with the government but I don't think I can sit through 4 years of econ and go into a job doing economics or anything related to economics, should I change to something else?

- I am doing an elective in international business and I love it! But i don't think I will pursue it since I already have 'international' relations and its business is so competitive and perhaps better pursued by going straight into the workforce however, I am seriously considering marketing, (did a career quiz and it said i would like it hahah) it seems so fun and cool but I also know its a very popular major and I'm so scared if I don't like it I'll have to stay in uni for even longer because I changed my major

- Also seriously considering a degree called international and global studies, exchange is mandatory!! which is amazing and you also learn a language, only thing is, its course looks a bit drab in comparison to IR and poli because its very limited with electives but seems interesting as well but i guess I'm wondering how you know its the degree for you especially when you're likely to not love ALL the units of study in your major even if you love your first year unit etc or how you even know what the unit is like when you haven't taken it ! Example: I went into the international business elective thinking I wouldn't like it that much and I would change it but I actually really enjoy it

- Also considering media and communications because its so broad you can potentially go into alot of fields, but also not sure because again I feel like I might change my mind once I try it and decide maybe this isn't for me :(

- I also am thinking of doing a diploma of languages starting next year but I am aware that it becomes hard to juggle with units (but I think I should totally go for it since I want to major in something else)

Thankyou so much for reading this!
Grateful for any comments you have!!
Thanks! :)