What's Arts like?

[2352300]

Hi, sorry if this has been asked before, but what is arts like at Monash? Is it good for a double major? And what are the lit/film/linguistic subjects like? I've read some subject reviews but a broad review on arts at Monash would be really useful

[Coffee]

Hey!

You might want to read up on Joseph41’s guide linked below:
http://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=164112.0 He also majored in Linguistics which you can read about here in the meantime: https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=43048.msg835431#msg835431 I’m sure he’ll pop by this thread at some point and can answer your questions though.

I'm completing an extended major in Literature, so if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

I’d recommend browsing what units Monash offer to get a better idea of what you might be studying. You can search them here: http://www.monash.edu/pubs/2017handbooks/units/search

In regards to degree structure and double majors, in your first year you take four subjects per semester; 1 major, 1 minor or another major, 1 Arts elective, and 1 other elective, either from the Arts faculty or a different one. First year units are generally gateway subjects, which are compulsory for whichever major/minor you want to pursue. So, you need to take both, one in Semester 1, and the other in Semester 2. In second year, you’re given a bit more freedom. You’ll take 1 cornerstone unit for each major/minor which is again compulsory in order to complete a major/minor in your choice of area of study. Then in the other semester you complete an elective within your chosen area of study. You also need to take some electives outside of your major/minor. In third year you ditch the electives, and you’ll take units purely centred around your major(s). So, if you’re double-majoring, you’ll take two subjects per area of study each semester.

This is incredibly rambly, so hopefully that makes some sense. It’s also the basic idea. Certain majors might have slightly different requirements, so I’d recommend checking with a course advisor if you’re unsure. You can also structure you’re degree completely different (what I’m doing), but I won’t go into that, I’ll probably confuse you even more!

If you want to read up on the specific requirements, below is a good place to start: http://www.monash.edu/pubs/2018handbooks/courses/A2000.html

Otherwise, I’m not really sure what else to say. I’m definitely enjoying Arts at Monash, and, for me, personally, it beats Melbourne’s breadth subject requirements.

If you want to know anything else, don’t be afraid to ask!

[Joseph41]

Hey 2352300!

I have no idea how I missed this thread at the time - usually I'd be all over anything Arts at Monash related.

Coffee's made a good post above, and has also linked my general guide to Arts at Monash. It's a couple of years old now, but the vast majority of it would hold true, and should hopefully address some of your questions specifically.

Otherwise, though:

Hi, sorry if this has been asked before, but what is arts like at Monash?

This is a pretty difficult question to answer. Like, I could give a holistic answer if you like - "it's great!" - but that probably doesn't tell you anything helpful. I'm sure that some people find Business and Commerce great, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't, and if I'm choosing the degree, that's not much good to me! Equally, just because, say, Coffee's enjoying Arts at Monash, or I enjoyed Arts at Monash, it doesn't necessarily mean that you will. But you know that already haha.

In general, I think it's pretty nifty, though. You have a lot of flexibility to sort of structure your degree in ways that suit you. For example, I studied units from but not limited to: Linguistics, International Studies, Psychology, Human Rights Theory, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Bioethics, Communications, Gender Studies, History, Media Studies, Ecology, International Relations and Politics, and there were many, many more areas I didn’t even get close to (but easily could have had I chosen those relevant units). Coffee linked the areas of study above, which should give you a pretty good idea of Arts' breadth. I know some people who also studied Arts at Monash, and we had absolutely no overlap in our units whatsoever; it can be a very personal degree in that sense.

Contact hours are relatively low. I couldn't give you an exact figure, but I'd estimate I had like 10-15 contact hours per week per semester. This is way fewer than some other degrees. For me, this was probably a plus. I struggled with it a bit initially, because I lost the structure of high school ("I have so much time to do whatever - what should I do?!"), but in the end, it was definitely a positive. It encourages you to take initiative a bit. You could pretty comfortably float through the semester by doing the bare minimum, but you certainly won't get good marks that way. Having such a degree of necessary independence was good for me in terms of organisation and meticulousness. Those skills have helped me with employment, too.

Typically (happy to be challenged here based on others' experience - this is just based on mine), you'll have a lecture or two per subject a week, and probably a tutorial on top of that. Lectures are sort of like the stereotypical uni class: big lecture theatre, lecturer standing out the front with some sort of presentation. You take notes, there's usually limited teacher-student interaction, and that's about it. Tutorials (or "tutes"), on the other hand, are more similar to high school classes: smaller groups of students, facilitated discussion, stuff like that. Usually, the tute for whatever week will cover content from the previous lecture and/or readings.

In terms of assessment, this depends really heavily on what you're studying within Arts, but for me, it typically comprised essays. I don't mind essays, to be honest, so this was pretty good for me. Linguistics was possibly the exception (which might be relevant for you considering your opening post). From memory, there were a few more application tasks here. I'm happy to think about this more and get back to you if you're interested haha. And then, of course, many Arts units have exams at the end of the semester.

Socially, it can be a bit weird. Because Arts is so broad, and because so many people do it, it's a pretty reasonable possibility that you'll see somebody in one unit, and then literally never see them again. For that reason, making friends and stuff can be a bit hard if you don't make an effort - there's no analogous cohort to, say, high school, or even other degrees (such as Medicine, from my indirect experience).

Is it good for a double major?

Sure is! I double majored (Linguistics and International Studies (if I had my time again, Linguistics and Philosophy)). Even having double majored, I had room for quite a few electives. This, of course, is for straight Arts, but you can also double major within a double degree including Arts. For example, my brother studied Laws/Arts at Monash, and still double majored within the Arts component (doing so just requires a little bit of planning and foresight).

Are you considering straight Arts, or combining it with another degree?

And what are the lit/film/linguistic subjects like?

I can't comment on Literature or Film, but I really, really recommend the Linguistics program at Monash. I ended up doing Honours in Linguistics last year. It's a seriously good program, with amazing staff. Happy to answer any questions whatsoever you have about Monash Linguistics (or, indeed, Arts in general!).