Current Bachelor of Science students?

[masonnnn]

Could anyone give me any opinions on what the science is like at monash?
mainly considering biomedicine but science at monash is likely if i don't get the really high enter... Monash is very prestigious and such but the low enter score for science(clayton) confuses me...
is the science department not particularly amazing in comparison to others or do they just offer a lot of places thus low enter...i mean atar score?
thanks in advance!

[jimmy999]

There's a few reason why the ATAR score is quite low for science. First of all, Monash offer two advanced science courses, one to those with atar over 99, and those with atar over 95. Hence the high achieving students use those courses and thus don't bring the regular science degree atar up.

Also Monash offers a lot of double degrees with science that usually have 90+ atar scores.

Once you eliminate those high achieving science students and the double degree students, there ends up being more places available for those wanting to do straight out science hence the atar ends up being low.


In terms of actual subjects available, Monash appears to be really good at teaching Chemistry and Biology (which I assume you'll do if you're interested in Medicine.) Their physics department is terrible but their Maths department is quite good.

If you do straight science, you will have to do 1 unit of mathematics, however this can be anything such as the Methods equivalent or a statistics subject that helps you with other areas. There is also a compulsory science subject which most students tend to not like.

[TrueLight]

what type of majors you thinking in science?

[masonnnn]

ahh yes, that makes a lot of sense jimmy, thanks!

and most likely one of the biology/genetics based majors (there's so many so not positive which as yet) with some chemistry here and there too.

although astronomy/astrophysics seems really interesting but haven't had a chance at all to study it in high school... could consider attempting one subject on it first year at least a first year physics subject would also be helpful for the GAMSAT although i might not really need it...

bit disappointing about the physics, why so terrible? I mean physics seems interesting but i most likely wouldn't do a major that had that as a main area... unless after first year i found astronomy/astrophysics REALLY interesting.

[TrueLight]

biology type majors?
like these
http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2010handbooks/aos/sci-ug-biological-sciences.html

didn't do genetics but i do the biomed type majors
all i can say is prepare to write heaps of prac reports...

[Russ]

Genetics s n

[TrueTears]

ahh yes, that makes a lot of sense jimmy, thanks!

and most likely one of the biology/genetics based majors (there's so many so not positive which as yet) with some chemistry here and there too.

although astronomy/astrophysics seems really interesting but haven't had a chance at all to study it in high school... could consider attempting one subject on it first year at least a first year physics subject would also be helpful for the GAMSAT although i might not really need it...

bit disappointing about the physics, why so terrible? I mean physics seems interesting but i most likely wouldn't do a major that had that as a main area... unless after first year i found astronomy/astrophysics REALLY interesting.

Physics is TERRIBLE at Monash, believe me... don't do it lol

However maths is quite good at Monash.

[masonnnn]

yeah those are the exact majors pretty much. not sure on the specifics but definitely that area. what do you plan on doing after, ie. career wise?
and i don't mind prac reports, they're usually interesting but i can only imagine the amount that would be written with all those biology based subjects o.O

physics is really THAT terrible? urh... even like, one physics subject just for first year?
seeing i've heard the GAMSAT is basically year 12 physics i could probably learn it myself, taking one subject around it would make it easier though.
at least the subjects i'm genuinely interested in have a good standard then

[Cthulhu]

ahh yes, that makes a lot of sense jimmy, thanks!

and most likely one of the biology/genetics based majors (there's so many so not positive which as yet) with some chemistry here and there too.

although astronomy/astrophysics seems really interesting but haven't had a chance at all to study it in high school... could consider attempting one subject on it first year at least a first year physics subject would also be helpful for the GAMSAT although i might not really need it...

bit disappointing about the physics, why so terrible? I mean physics seems interesting but i most likely wouldn't do a major that had that as a main area... unless after first year i found astronomy/astrophysics REALLY interesting.

Astrophysics is taught by the school of maths anyway. Only astronomy is taught by the physics department but the courses are actually pretty good content wise.

The physics department is so unorganised it even hurts my unorganised brain to try and figure their shit out. No one is enthusiastic about teaching it the lecturers just sound bored when giving lectures. I've only ever met three enthusiastic people in the physics department and they were two astronomers and an astrophysicist.

RAEG

[TrueLight]

ah ok lol i don't like those majors.. its all animal conservation, plants, genetics...

biomed units are better =)

me? don't know probably researcher. maybe something else eh

ha yeah hate writing so many up. it takes forever lol

[masonnnn]

well those and the medical bioscience and microbiology and biochemistry and... look, there's just so many... i have no idea! haha
though i myself would probably bias towards biomed if i did science anyway... really just depends what grabs my interest
and yeah pracs are always interesting... but the writing up i can imagine becoming so dull aha.

physics sounds disappointing but luckily other than a basic knowledge of it i don't need too much from it, should be right.
thanks guys! the low atar makes sense now and it does sound really good overall

[TrueTears]

yes it's that bad, even the VERY first physics subject you do is the epitome of shitness

[Russ]

I write my micro pracs up by opening last weeks report and copying it into a new document, changing only the key words
Love the subject though, it's great.

Also, if you want to do the gamsat, consider doing a physics unit, it'd be hard without one (although if monash's dept is really that bad, maybe skip it)

[TrueLight]

ha well most of the pracs are different so i can't really copy most of it... although ive copied and changed a paragraph in two reports.

micro is hard man... especially virology so much to remember

[Russ]

We're doing virology now