ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => General University Discussion and Queries => Topic started by: Sine on March 30, 2020, 08:18:08 pm

Title: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on March 30, 2020, 08:18:08 pm
University General Chat

What is this thread for?
Welcome to the University general chat thread. ;D This thread is for anything University-related from any university. If you have general questions, ask them here. If you don't know where to ask something, ask it here. If you want to vent about your day at uni, do it here. If you want to chat about your subjects, do it here. Basically, whatever you want - this is the place for it. 👌 For more specific discussion there are threads available for particular universities.

Who can post here?
Anybody! Most will be current students at the university, but even if you're considering studying at university in the future, you're absolutely more than welcome to post! Providing different perspectives is incredibly valuable.

Just note that to ask a question or make a post, you will first need an ATAR Notes account. You probably already have one, but if you don't, it takes about four seconds to sign up - and it's completely free!

GENERAL UNIVERSITY RESOURCES
CLICK ME!
INTRODUCTION TO UNIVERSITY:
* Making the most of university [guide]
* How university works. The point of this thread is to get you up to speed on how university actually works, answering any questions first-year students (or older) could possibly have.
* First year university checklist. A concise summary of some of the major terms you might come across in your first days, weeks and months at uni.
* Choosing universities: a beginner's guide.
* VET FEE-HELP explained.
* HECS-HELP and what your careers counsellor won't talk about.
* What's the best way to pay off uni fees?
* What's a university lecture actually like?

GENERAL UNIVERSITY:
* Moving interstate for uni: is it worth it?
* Week 4 uni getting you down? Read this!
* Writing a university thesis.
* Guide to academic writing.
* The uni and course for you: a guide for prospective students
* Have you considered taking a gap year?

FACULTY-SPECIFIC GUIDES:
* What's first year Biomedicine really like?
* What's first year Medicine really like?
* Taking the long road to Law.
* The benefits of an Arts degree - by a current Law student.
* Beyond the end goal: lessons learnt from higher education (Science).
* What's the difference between Legal Studies and Law?
* Difference between undergrad and postgrad Law.
* Communications/Media Q&A.
* Engineering Q&A.
* First year uni maths questions.
* Differences between Bachelor of Biomed and Bachelor of Science.

ACADEMIC GUIDES:
* How to write a university essay.
* How do you get High Distinctions?
* Students who consistently achieve H1s/HDs, how do you do it?

DISCUSSION TOPICS:
* Rank your university units from favourite to least favourite.
* Things I wish I knew about first year uni.
* Is a Bachelor of Arts useless?
* Misconceptions (and truths) about uni life.
* I don't know what to study at uni - help!
* If you weren't studying what you're studying, what would you be studying?
* Is having a car/licence a must for university life?
* How to uni: a guide.
* Uni. Is it really worth it?
* Does university make you feel like a slave?
* Is a laptop necessary for university?
* I can't seem to make friends at university.
* Should I drop out of university?
* How to make friends at uni?
* University stationery.
* What happens if you do 'badly' in uni?
* Do you even SWOTVAC?

RESULTS:
* University results discussion.

NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on March 30, 2020, 08:24:03 pm
Now that the vast majority of university students are studying from home how is everyone finding it?

I had my first zoom tutorial today and it actually worked quite well, however, the tutorial was mainly discussion-based. Tomorrow I am supposed to have an online Anatomy Prac which is basically only going to give us a chance to ask tutors questions. Unfortunately, won't be able to work with the specimens like we normally do.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: kauac on March 30, 2020, 08:34:10 pm
Honestly I have found it a bit challenging (and a little dull  :o).

Not loving being stuck sitting at my laptop for such long periods of time, and I have found it harder to retain information from my lectures (seems to kinda wash over me even though I'm taking notes). I did an online exam today, and it was okay. I also still have anatomy pracs - but they consist of looking at a diagrams and watching a video of the tutor identifying anatomy on a specimen.

On the otherhand, the convenience of the online system is great! Pretty flexible, no travel time, and in the comforts of my own home! I have been using zoom a fair bit - it seems to be fairly helpful, especially since we can ask questions and clarify, like a normal class. Guess this is the best we can do in this current situation!
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: K888 on March 30, 2020, 08:49:08 pm
I'm in the lucky position that I've been on placement and have been able to finish (this week is my last week) with no issues. Will just have assignments for most of the rest of my last year, with a few weeks of campus attendance required. First scheduled one is around July so hopefully things will be back to normal then! Thankfully this hasn't been super disruptive to me (some friends haven't been as lucky - some places have cancelled placements).

I'm meant to be mentoring 3rd years starting next week so assume that will all be over zoom - hoping to get more info soon because I don't really know how it'll work! It'll be interesting to see how they're coping with such a practical course having to be online.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on March 30, 2020, 08:50:46 pm
Had my first two Zoom meetings (one was a faculty Q&A because my faculty kinda doesn't do telling us things v well and finally decided to update us lmao, other was with supervisor) today and found them both to be a bit of a complete waste of time- but it's not like I was doing anything else that was mildly productive*?

I don't do this work from home thing very well (and honestly never have), so it'll be a bit of a jump to get myself adjusted :(

*I mean buying 4 km worth of thread and 120 m of fabric (online- also Spotlight have $11 shipping which is a big wtf btw) counts as being productive enough, right??
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: jinaede1342 on March 30, 2020, 09:17:07 pm
Sooo draining. Zoom with 50 people and breakout rooms usually just end up with two ppl talking over everyone else - in two hours can’t even open my mouth - you’d think everyone was a qualified practising lawyer rn :o

Thought uni would be easier than yr12 - it’s not. I’m drowning in so much work and readings. Read 6 cases yesterday and this is just one unit, not dedicating enough time to commerce and they cancelled our tutorials so that’s fun. Will fail law bc it’s hard and will fail Commerce coz we basically have 3 contact hours total. Feeling dumb in a sea of smart ppl.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetcheeks on March 30, 2020, 09:22:36 pm
My classes haven't started yet, as I have month long classes, with my first starting at the end of April. I really don't know how I'm going to cope, as I often struggle with watching lectures online, as I just don't seem to take in the information as well as I do in person.

I'm also struggling to discipline myself to get any work done, as I have always made an effort not to do any work at home (it's my belief that home is somewhere where I don't need to feel stressed out and separates my work and personal lives). On the plus side, since I can't do any lab work I can finally get a paper written (it was supposed to be done September last year), even if it takes me a lot longer than it should.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Seamus Wong on March 31, 2020, 02:15:38 am
Thought uni would be easier than yr12 - it’s not. I’m drowning in so much work and readings.
haha yeah ikr. Year 12 was actually so easy compared to uni. People say that uni's better because there is less pressure to do well, but I feel like that pressure in year 12 is good because it acts as a really good motivator. At uni there isn't as much of an incentive to do well.   
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: jinaede1342 on March 31, 2020, 02:05:26 pm
Yea it’s a lot more independent. I think the most difficult part tho is the toxicity of such a competitive environment. My commerce component and group chats etc are veryyyy chill, everyone’s nice. Law on the other hand - everyone just wants to one up each other. It’s gonna be a 5 year bloodbath to find a job that’s for sure. I think this is what happens bc law attracts a lot of anxious, high achieving/critical thinking people. Yesterday, the law gc was busy seeing whose vocab and grammar was better on random internet quizzes  ::)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on March 31, 2020, 02:36:06 pm
Honestly I have found it a bit challenging (and a little dull  :o).

Not loving being stuck sitting at my laptop for such long periods of time, and I have found it harder to retain information from my lectures (seems to kinda wash over me even though I'm taking notes). I did an online exam today, and it was okay. I also still have anatomy pracs - but they consist of looking at a diagrams and watching a video of the tutor identifying anatomy on a specimen.

On the otherhand, the convenience of the online system is great! Pretty flexible, no travel time, and in the comforts of my own home! I have been using zoom a fair bit - it seems to be fairly helpful, especially since we can ask questions and clarify, like a normal class. Guess this is the best we can do in this current situation!
I think it would be really tough for a 1st year student - especially since university is a lot more of independent learning where you can and generally encourage to really just learn by yourself for a lot of things. Anatomy prac turned out all right - they had pre-prepared videos with one of the demonstrators having an overhead camera on a specimen and discussing it.

Re: University vs Highschool
I think most will probably be on the side that university is tougher. Although on a whole would depend on what course and units you are doing. I think if you want to just scrape through in most units it can be relatively simple but if you are aiming to do well it is definitely more work than high school. The biggest difference would probably be the speed and amount of content you cover at university. At highschool, you generally get plenty of times to go back over stuff in detail but you don't always get that time at uni.

Yea it’s a lot more independent. I think the most difficult part tho is the toxicity of such a competitive environment. My commerce component and group chats etc are veryyyy chill, everyone’s nice. Law on the other hand - everyone just wants to one up each other. It’s gonna be a 5 year bloodbath to find a job that’s for sure. I think this is what happens bc law attracts a lot of anxious, high achieving/critical thinking people. Yesterday, the law gc was busy seeing whose vocab and grammar was better on random internet quizzes  ::)
I would hope it gets better after semester 1. I don't have much experience with law but I would think it gets better after everyone is actually settled into uni.



Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: JerryMouse2019 on April 20, 2020, 04:54:17 pm
Hey everyone,

I'm exploring different career fields and I was wondering if there are any acting or film directing degrees for people who have no experience in these fields.

I am thinking about this career field and I want to know if I will need to take acting classes or a course in film directing in order to get into these degrees.

I'm trying to see if my love of films can lead me to a career in them.

Could someone please answer?

Kind Regards
JerryMouse2019
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on April 20, 2020, 05:27:46 pm
Hey everyone,

I'm exploring different career fields and I was wondering if there are any acting or film directing degrees for people who have no experience in these fields.

I am thinking about this career field and I want to know if I will need to take acting classes or a course in film directing in order to get into these degrees.

I'm trying to see if my love of films can lead me to a career in them.

Could someone please answer?

Kind Regards
JerryMouse2019
I think AN mod Beatroot would be better at answering this, but I will add my two cents on acting courses.

In Victoria, some acting degrees have the requirement of a performance in order to enter the degree i.e. you’ll need to have a satisfactory audition to get an offer and not just an ATAR/ OP. I’m not sure if Queensland has the same entry requirements as Victorian courses do, but I assume it’d be similar. While experience is helpful, I don’t think it’s an absolute must, but you need to be able to get through the entry requirements.

I had a classmate who got into the Victorian College of Arts (Melbourne Uni’s performing arts college) and he’d had experience on a small TV show, however I’ve seen other cases where high school drama classes and school productions (but no other experience besides that) were sufficient.

How little experience are you talking though? Never did one acting class in my entire life ever sort of no experience, or nothing except Year 9 drama classes no experience?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: JerryMouse2019 on April 20, 2020, 07:04:30 pm
I was introduced to acting as a subject when I did drama for a term in year 8 (2017).

I did 2 drama performances over the past 2 years (year 9 and 10). One of them was related to fairy-tales (but modified) and the other was Romeo and Juliet (modernised). I only had a minor role in both plays and I didn't really prepare hard enough for the Romeo and Juliet play. I guess I didn't take acting seriously enough as something that I could pull off successfully back then. I never saw my future in it before.

What's the best way to know if I can really act?

I'm sure though that I can improvise.

Also what does an audition look like?

I've read that it's pretty much acting out the script that a person has chosen for the audition.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on April 22, 2020, 08:26:26 pm
I was introduced to acting as a subject when I did drama for a term in year 8 (2017).
Going back to your post before this one, I think this might be fine. I would’ve been quite concerned if you’ve never had any acting classes at all and suddenly decided on this pathway.

If possible, I’d maybe suggest you try some extracurricular acting classes if you’re not currently doing classes at school. Given the current circumstances, it’s been a bit easier to join online acting communities and classes, so that might be helpful for you.

What's the best way to know if I can really act?
I’m a pretty poor choice to ask this, but I asked my friend who’s had a lot of drama classes and experience under their belt. Here’s what they said in regards to this question: “It’s very common to feel self conscious in creative industries as so much of what you do is focused on “talent”, but what’s really important is that you love what you do and are passionate about it. To ensure you’re performing well, I’d suggest practicing to people you trust to be honest with you so you can get the best possible feedback so you can build on your skills!”

Also what does an audition look like?
Again, I’ve asked my friend for this, as I know very little about this. Here’s what they said: “For auditions you are often provided with something to perform. With uni auditions you are often given a list of monologues and are asked to prepare one classical and one contemporary piece from the list and perform them both. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a reaction from the assessors as sometimes they have poker faces on.” (My friend is also Victorian, so I’m guessing it’ll be similar in Queensland, but not 100% sure about that.)

My friend said that they’re happy to take on more questions in regards to drama/ acting, so feel free to ask any more questions you have.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: hums_student on April 22, 2020, 09:39:04 pm
@JerryMouse2019 I'm guessing you're looking at a BFA?

Just adding onto AngelWings's really comprehensive response, of course having experience is beneficial, but no performing arts schools actually require you to have appeared in x amount of productions or whatnot.

Many of my friends doing BFA in acting/theatre/music theatre didn't really have extensive experience aside from background roles in school productions. One of my friends literally decided midway through year 12 he doesn't want to study law and now he's doing theatre at VCA. It's definitely possible.

Does your school put on major annual plays/musical productions? Could try auditioning for a lead role in year 12 and see.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: JerryMouse2019 on April 23, 2020, 11:50:21 am
@JerryMouse2019 I'm guessing you're looking at a BFA?

Just adding onto AngelWings's really comprehensive response, of course having experience is beneficial, but no performing arts schools actually require you to have appeared in x amount of productions or whatnot.

Many of my friends doing BFA in acting/theatre/music theatre didn't really have extensive experience aside from background roles in school productions. One of my friends literally decided midway through year 12 he doesn't want to study law and now he's doing theatre at VCA. It's definitely possible.

Does your school put on major annual plays/musical productions? Could try auditioning for a lead role in year 12 and see.

Hi hums_student and AngelWings,

Yeah my school does put on an annual play/musical production (though I don't know when it will be happening this year or even if it will be happening this year due to COVID-19). I've never auditioned for a play before so I might end up being nervous if I do decide to audition. Is there any way to combat this nervousness? I mean I've done an AMEB exam before so maybe it might be something like that. I might be able to use my experience in doing an AMEB exam to combat my nervousness in auditioning for a school play. Also yes I have been looking specifically at the BFA. There are only a small amount of institutions in Queensland which offer a BFA. Griffith offers a Bachelors degree in Acting. QUT offers a BFA in Acting. TafeQLD offers a degree in Acting and Performance (in partnership with the University of Canberra). I've also checked out NIDA (though that would need me to move inter-state in order to study the BFA).

Are diplomas any good by the way?

Also are there any other institutions that I should check out that you could recommend?

Judging by what you both have told me, I think I should see if I'm good at acting first and then do some acting classes.

Thank you both for your help,

Kind Regards
JerryMouse2019
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: hums_student on April 23, 2020, 06:05:07 pm

Yeah not surprising. I was referring to next year, since I assume you're in year 11. If it offers any reassurance, I find AMEB exams to be much more daunting than school production auditions. Just make sure to pick a suitable audition monologue - eg. one delivered by a character of your gender and age range.

With institutions, I know the Griffith conservatorium is quite reputable so this may also extend to their performing arts courses, but if I remember correctly, their acting degree is quite new. Don't know much about other QLD schools. Most of my friends from theatre study at VCA. ECU'S WAAPA is also apparently a pretty good institution but it's in WA.

Not too sure about diplomas, but as acting is quite a practical field, experience would matter more in the end.

Finally, this isn't directly related to your questions but as someone who had been your shoes, I strongly urge you to have back-up plans. I know this sounds negative and pessimistic but not having one would be disastrous and it's a mistake many people make.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: JerryMouse2019 on April 23, 2020, 08:14:57 pm
Finally, this isn't directly related to your questions but as someone who had been your shoes, I strongly urge you to have back-up plans. I know this sounds negative and pessimistic but not having one would be disastrous and it's a mistake many people make.

Hi hums_student,

I haven't said that I have definitely decided that I am going to do acting.

I've said that I've thought about the prospect of doing it.

Before I thought of acting, I had already looked at a potential range of fields (judging by my interests) ranging from: business, information technology and law. My mind keeps changing so even if I decide on something now my mind might change again next year when I graduate.

Thanks for the advice,

Kind Regards
JerryMouse2019
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on May 19, 2020, 02:02:55 pm
Has everyone got their exam timetables for this semester?

How are they and what sort of exam conditions will everyone have?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on May 19, 2020, 02:20:53 pm
Has everyone got their exam timetables for this semester?

How are they and what sort of exam conditions will everyone have?

I've got 3 un-invigilated exams.

I know one of them is full MCQ but I'm not sure about the others yet.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Joseph41 on May 19, 2020, 02:21:50 pm
I've got 3 un-invigilated exams.

I know one of them is full MCQ but I'm not sure about the others yet.

What do you mean by un-invigilated? Take home?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on May 19, 2020, 02:30:42 pm
What do you mean by un-invigilated? Take home?

They won't be supervised. There was discussion earlier in semester about having people watch us take our exams through our webcams but there was a big student response complaining about that and Monash later sent out an email saying external providers won't be used for exam supervision. Before then, the biology department decided they agreed with student concerns and won't do remote exam supervision however our exams might not be open book.

I've never had a take home exam so I'm not really across what that means.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: K888 on May 19, 2020, 04:59:14 pm
Has everyone got their exam timetables for this semester?

How are they and what sort of exam conditions will everyone have?
Don't have any exams this sem, just my final written one before graduating at the end of sem 2.

Am invigilating for the preparation time for lower years' OSCEs, though, which will be an interesting experience!
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on May 19, 2020, 08:48:01 pm
Has everyone got their exam timetables for this semester?

How are they and what sort of exam conditions will everyone have?
Feels so weird that I have no exams for the first time since 2014 tbh 🙈
(except my viva/oral exam is sometime in December (was originally November))
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: adroiit on June 01, 2020, 01:14:32 pm
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so I'm in Year 9 and already shitting my shitting my pants because of my parents pressuring me to do medicine, even though I'm getting solid B's and C's. What's the acceptance rate from a cohort like for medicine? And what is needed. I kinda sound like a tryhard, but im pre stupid. If anyone can help that'd be good. Thanks
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on June 01, 2020, 02:03:16 pm
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so I'm in Year 9 and already shitting my shitting my pants because of my parents pressuring me to do medicine, even though I'm getting solid B's and C's. What's the acceptance rate from a cohort like for medicine? And what is needed. I kinda sound like a tryhard, but im pre stupid. If anyone can help that'd be good. Thanks
I wouldn't know the acceptance rates since it is unclear on how many people actually want to do medicine. There would be a bit of people who apply who don't really want to do it and also a great deal of those who don't apply (due to things like ATAR/UCAT etc) but would like to study it.

At this moment what are you interested in doing after VCE? be it going to university and studying a particular course or anything else? If you don't want to do medicine and it is just parental pressure I think it is moot to discuss what academics are required.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: tnguy598 on June 01, 2020, 05:08:53 pm
Hi, I'm a year 12 international student who currently studies in Brisbane. As this is the first year doing ATAR in QLD and the pandemic, I'm pretty stressed right now as I don't have any clue of calculating the ATAR score. So if anyone can give me some ideas of how Qld calculates ATAR, it'd be great. Moreover, I want to ask that is there any major differences between bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Bachelor of Arts besides its specifically/ flexibility? And can I study subjects such as philosophy, politics if I don't have any background in highschool or extracurriculars?
Thanks
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: agach25 on June 01, 2020, 05:21:17 pm
yo just wondering that if the course I want to get into has the requirments of a 25+ in English and a 98 atar, is there usually any possibility I can get in without a 98 atar? Assuming I fell slightly below the requirements is there a chance I can still get in?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on June 01, 2020, 07:52:36 pm
Hi, I'm a year 12 international student who currently studies in Brisbane. As this is the first year doing ATAR in QLD and the pandemic, I'm pretty stressed right now as I don't have any clue of calculating the ATAR score. So if anyone can give me some ideas of how Qld calculates ATAR, it'd be great.
You might find some of the answers in this section of the forum to be more helpful for this question, as well as this thread and this thread to be super helpful in getting an understanding on how your ATAR is calculated.

Moreover, I want to ask that is there any major differences between bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Bachelor of Arts besides its specifically/ flexibility?
It’ll depend on which institute you’re doing these courses at as to whether they’ll be different beyond specificity/ flexibility. Some unis have some more differences such as faculty-specific scholarships and internships or compulsory units (uni subjects) that you’ll have to take if you’re doing one course vs. the other.

And can I study subjects such as philosophy, politics if I don't have any background in highschool or extracurriculars?
Thanks
Unless those subjects are stated as prerequisites for your course and/ or unit and your faculty allows you to take that unit, they won’t really assume you have much prior background.  Most first year units will usually begin from the ground up, but you might find that they’ll often be broad or brush through concepts rather quickly. The real catch is whether you can keep up with the pace, which generally isn’t too bad.

If it comforts you somewhat, I’ve seen many people start law degrees without ever taking a Legal Studies class before, new medicine students starting their degrees without ever taking a formal biology class since early/mid high school, IT students who have never done any coding prior to starting their degree and students taking foreign language classes with just their interests in the culture being their only previous exposure. I, myself, have an extended major in biology (genetics) and hadn’t taken biology since Year 9 when I stepped into my first uni lecture.

yo just wondering that if the course I want to get into has the requirments of a 25+ in English and a 98 atar, is there usually any possibility I can get in without a 98 atar? Assuming I fell slightly below the requirements is there a chance I can still get in?
Depends on the degree, the number of spots available for that degree and the demand for that degree. If you were only slightly below (without adjustments), then you’ll have a possibility to still make it in, however, it is subject to your competitiveness against everyone else who wants to get in and however many spots the institute has to offer.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Chocolatepistachio on June 03, 2020, 04:45:20 pm
what do you study in bachelor of science first year uni
what do do you do in the biodiversity subject .
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on June 03, 2020, 06:40:25 pm
what do you study in bachelor of science first year uni
what do do you do in the biodiversity subject .
Hi there Chocolatepistchio! (Side note: I like your username!)

First year uni Bachelor of Science usually covers areas such as chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, geography/ geology/ earth sciences and psychology in broad strokes, usually beginning from the basics, rushing through the high school content and adding more detail and new content in some areas. Depending on which uni you are doing the degree and what areas you wish to study/ must study, the subjects and content you study may differ. (At some unis, you’ll have some choice as to what you study, but will have to abide by specific guidelines. Some may also ask you to pick your major from the very beginning, but many unis are now steering towards a more general first year and so won’t make you pick a major until you start your second year of uni.)

As for what is studied in a biodiversity unit (we call subjects “units” at uni), it’s usually similar to ecology or zoology classes. These sorts of units dive into the wide variety of organisms there are on this planet, ranging from discussing ecosystems to specific species, and sometimes delves into the interactions between organisms and the environment.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: K888 on June 29, 2020, 03:43:28 pm
I know it's exam time at Monash - are exams also happening currently at other unis? How are things going for you guys? :)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on June 29, 2020, 05:03:11 pm
Don't know if this is the right place to go for this, but here goes.
Nursing, not double degree, at a Uni in Victoria. Which is the best? What's it like in general? Please, I tried looking up individual unis and it left me in the dark. Thank you for your assistance.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: lm21074 on June 29, 2020, 08:30:49 pm
Don't know if this is the right place to go for this, but here goes.
Nursing, not double degree, at a Uni in Victoria. Which is the best? What's it like in general? Please, I tried looking up individual unis and it left me in the dark. Thank you for your assistance.
Hey :)

I think this is the right place! All nursing degrees running in Victoria at the moment are accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia which means that they all teach pretty much the same thing, just with different teachers delivering the content. So, it doesn't really matter too much what uni you go to. (see here for more info about accreditation. Each uni's webpage of their nursing degree should say it is accredited too). I'd go with the Nursing program that a) is close to home and/or b) a uni / campus that you would like to be at.

It might not be helpful to base your decision entirely on the opinions of others. That being said, past and current nursing students can be an invaluable source of advice as to how a uni runs a course. I know nursing students from ACU, Deakin, RMIT, La Trobe and Monash and all of them love their course.

However, as I said above, some people might think a certain uni's Bachelor of Nursing is great, but someone else might think otherwise. For example, I know someone who started off doing Nursing at La Trobe and transferred to RMIT Nursing. I know another person who is at La Trobe for Nursing and plans to stay there until she graduates.



If you find that you don't end up making the right uni (or even degree choice), you can always transfer to another uni / course.

Hope this helps :)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on June 29, 2020, 08:34:43 pm
I know it's exam time at Monash - are exams also happening currently at other unis? How are things going for you guys? :)
My week is actually going to be pretty chill haha- it currently consists of me doing the last few passages and a transfection of my practice cells before I actually can get started on my actual project and get data LOL. I also should restart my intro to my thesis after Word decided to hate me the other day and crash without saving :(

It's weird seeing the undergrads in the library at Monash Parkville, even though it be exam time haha
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on June 29, 2020, 09:11:10 pm
Hey :)

I think this is the right place! All nursing degrees running in Victoria at the moment are accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia which means that they all teach pretty much the same thing, just with different teachers delivering the content. So, it doesn't really matter too much what uni you go to. (see here for more info about accreditation. Each uni's webpage of their nursing degree should say it is accredited too). I'd go with the Nursing program that a) is close to home and/or b) a uni / campus that you would like to be at.

It might not be helpful to base your decision entirely on the opinions of others. That being said, past and current nursing students can be an invaluable source of advice as to how a uni runs a course. I know nursing students from ACU, Deakin, RMIT, La Trobe and Monash and all of them love their course.

However, as I said above, some people might think a certain uni's Bachelor of Nursing is great, but someone else might think otherwise. For example, I know someone who started off doing Nursing at La Trobe and transferred to RMIT Nursing. I know another person who is at La Trobe for Nursing and plans to stay there until she graduates.



If you find that you don't end up making the right uni (or even degree choice), you can always transfer to another uni / course.

Hope this helps :)
Thanks, it does. But do they have different structures at all to the course, e.g. actual placement starting at different points of the course?
Also, what's the course study in the first year?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetcheeks on June 29, 2020, 09:23:30 pm
I had three exams in three days. Two were three hours and the other 1.5 hours. I ran out of time on two of the exams.

It's a very interesting (and rather unpleasant) experience doing exams at home. The reason I say its unpleasant is that I found there to be lots of distractions and I was getting frustrated at every little bit of noise (traffic, neighbours, sirens). Luckily, I live alone, as some of my friends have said that they couldn't cope with the noise from other people in the house.

All three exams were different formats. The first exam had two sections, one where you downloaded a PDF, wrote answers to the questions and photographed them and submitted; the other section was an online quiz. I struggled a bit with time management (since it was the first exam) and ended up spending too much time on the online quiz and not leaving enough for the written section.

The second exam was simply writing answers and drawing diagrams. Really no different to a normal exam, which I really liked. This was by far the best exam format, also it was my favourite subject. Time allocation was very generous, since it was designed for 90 minutes but we were given 3 hours.

The third was a PDF that you filled in boxes. I really didn't like this one, as we had to also upload photos of diagrams we drew and insert them (I don't have decent drawing software). I also found that the PDF would occasionally crash after inserting the photos. For me this was the worst exam, as I found that I accidentally filled in some of the boxes wrong and one of the questions really required printing out of the paper, which I couldn't do (three pages of spectra to interpret).

I've already received the marks for two of the subjects. They were quite generous with the marking (I got >90, even though I didn't finished one of them).

The academics put a fantastic amount of effort into the exam questions and the structures of the exams were well thought out (some formats were better than others). I just preferred the simple writing answers and photographing them, as it made it the simplest and most straightforward. If I were to do more exams at home, I would definitely get a printer.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: K888 on June 29, 2020, 09:31:10 pm
Thanks, it does. But do they have different structures at all to the course, e.g. actual placement starting at different points of the course?
Also, what's the course study in the first year?
All courses differ slightly but they're more similar than they are different. Most have the first placement in first year (tends to be a quick aged care placement). Most placements happen in 2nd and 3rd year.

Anecdotally I have friends who have done nursing at Monash, ACU, RMIT and Deakin and all have enjoyed the course. I think Monash might have a few less placement hours than the rest but not 100% certain on that.

If you're wanting to talk to a nursing student, maybe try posting on the relevant uni's stalkerspace? I also know that Monash MNHS has student ambassadors that talk about their courses on instagram and other social media platforms so might be worth checking that out.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on June 29, 2020, 09:48:08 pm
All courses differ slightly but they're more similar than they are different. Most have the first placement in first year (tends to be a quick aged care placement). Most placements happen in 2nd and 3rd year.

Anecdotally I have friends who have done nursing at Monash, ACU, RMIT and Deakin and all have enjoyed the course. I think Monash might have a few less placement hours than the rest but not 100% certain on that.

If you're wanting to talk to a nursing student, maybe try posting on the relevant uni's stalkerspace? I also know that Monash MNHS has student ambassadors that talk about their courses on instagram and other social media platforms so might be worth checking that out.
Thanks!
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: lacitam on June 29, 2020, 10:05:53 pm
Don't know if this is the right place to go for this, but here goes.
Nursing, not double degree, at a Uni in Victoria. Which is the best? What's it like in general? Please, I tried looking up individual unis and it left me in the dark. Thank you for your assistance.
I did nursing at Deakin for 1 semester before transferring to a different course. It was alright, by no means did I enjoy it a lot but I was not a fan of the theory subjects at all (at least the ones taught in semester 1). The coordination of the units, in my opinion, were handled quite poorly. The 1 week clinical placement was pretty good though, however that's as much insight as I can offer to you.

PM me and I can help you navigate the Deakin website for more information on the subjects you do in nursing.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on June 29, 2020, 10:12:48 pm
I did nursing at Deakin for 1 semester before transferring to a different course. It was alright, by no means did I enjoy it a lot but I was not a fan of the theory subjects at all (at least the ones taught in semester 1). The coordination of the units, in my opinion, were handled quite poorly. The 1 week clinical placement was pretty good though, however that's as much insight as I can offer to you.

PM me and I can help you navigate the Deakin website for more information on the subjects you do in nursing.
Thanks - and what are the theory subjects there?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: lacitam on June 29, 2020, 10:19:59 pm
Thanks - and what are the theory subjects there?
https://www.deakin.edu.au/course/bachelor-nursing
Scroll down to 'Core Units' then click the links of Level 1 - Trimester 1     ('Level 1' means 'Year 1' and 'Trimester 1' is 'Semester 1') When you click on one of the link, scroll down to 'Content', the units will specify in their content on which one is clinical and which one is theoretical.
Don't click 'Academic Integrity', it's a non-academic unit and doesn't directly relate to nursing, pretty much everyone in any course at Deakin has to do this.

There should be a more detailed summary of what the units entail. Just need to find it again for you haha, it's been a while.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on July 09, 2020, 04:55:43 pm
With most semester 1 exams already having come to an end or finishing up this week how will everyone be spending their break?

Also, for the Victorian Uni students, how will the lockdown impact your previous plans?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on July 09, 2020, 05:06:53 pm
Even with lockdown happening, Monash Parkville are still in the process of scheduling workshops for pharmacy kiddos and labs for pharmsci kiddos for semester 2. I suspect this will also be a somewhat similar case at broader Monash- given I've had no 'staff' email detailing otherwise yet haha

I'm praying I don't get kicked out again either because I still got no data aha 😅
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: A.Rose on August 05, 2020, 06:24:19 pm
Hello!

I'm looking for some advice regarding a good undergraduate degree as a pathway to medicine. For UQ, in particular, there are four possible undergrad degrees I'm interested in (in the event I don't get a provisional entry):
•   Bachelor of Biomedical Science
•   Bachelor of Science
•   Bachelor of Advanced Science (with Honours)
•   Bachelor of Pharmacy (with Honours)
I have had several recommendations that Pharmacy would be beneficial before a medical degree and obviously most universities recommend Biomed as a pathway. But what about the others? Only two of these can go on my QTAC preferences so I need to choose. What's the difference between Advanced science and Science? Is advanced just a bit harder or goes into more depth? Would this be beneficial before a medical degree as well?
Thank you!
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on August 05, 2020, 06:57:29 pm
Hello!

I'm looking for some advice regarding a good undergraduate degree as a pathway to medicine. For UQ, in particular, there are four possible undergrad degrees I'm interested in (in the event I don't get a provisional entry):
•   Bachelor of Biomedical Science
•   Bachelor of Science
•   Bachelor of Advanced Science (with Honours)
•   Bachelor of Pharmacy (with Honours)
I have had several recommendations that Pharmacy would be beneficial before a medical degree and obviously most universities recommend Biomed as a pathway. But what about the others? Only two of these can go on my QTAC preferences so I need to choose. What's the difference between Advanced science and Science? Is advanced just a bit harder or goes into more depth? Would this be beneficial before a medical degree as well?
Thank you!
I don't think there really is an absolute recommended pathway tbh really up to the individual. All those degrees would be beneficial but also many other degrees that most people wouldn't consider would also be useful.

The difference between Science and Advanced Science is that Science is a 3-year degree and Advanced science is a 4-year degree. The extra year for the advanced degree is a full-year research project. From my quick look at the UQ website, it seems like the Science degree has a lot more majors avaliable than the advanced degree has.

Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on September 03, 2020, 10:20:11 am
Heyo, looking at mitochondrial replacement therapy from an evolutionary ecology perspective but I'm curious to see what the bio/med perspective is if anyone is happy to share.

e.g. what I've read from an ecology perspective is pretty focused on mitonuclear interactions & coevolution
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Garry1117 on October 01, 2020, 01:04:35 pm
I just needed to ask about the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Business at Monash University. The selection rank for the course is 82.10 and I receive 4 bonus points for the subjects I do. Does this mean I'll need an ATAR of 78.10 to be within the selection rank for the course? I am also receiving SEAS for a medical condition that can be classified as a learning disability. I'm expected to receive around 3 to 4 points for this as well. Would this ultimately mean I would have to achieve an ATAR of around 74-75 in order to be withing the selection rank for this course? Thank you
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: JerryMouse2019 on November 24, 2020, 10:58:17 am
What is it like to study economics at university?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on November 24, 2020, 11:37:24 am


I'm going to drop a link to hums_student's uni journey journal since they've done a few different econ units as part of a breadth (i.e. electives) track.

My experience doing 1 economics unit each sem this year is that there lecture-type videos to watch each week, tutorials for discussion & revision each week (or each 2nd week due to covid), an exam worth a lot, and a strong focus on looking at how everything studied connects to the real world.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: JR_StudyEd on December 18, 2020, 01:06:34 pm
Any tips for being more organised for uni? Like structuring your day, keeping track of tasks.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on January 17, 2021, 12:27:39 pm
Any tips for being more organised for uni? Like structuring your day, keeping track of tasks.
Sorry I missed this post.

I think it is really dependent on the individual, there is not one thing that works for everyone. Personally, I never used a study timetable or anything like that but I know people who do and find them really helpful.  Others may use a to-do list and make sure they complete all their tasks for a day/week. 

It is definitely a learning process and not everyone is great at it at the start so usually in the first year of university it can be hard when students are adjusting since learning at uni is quite different from high school.


This is also a good opportunity to bump this thread for all the new university students!
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on January 19, 2021, 12:29:56 pm
Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me out, I completed in yr 12 two units from health science at ACU, HLSZ111 (The person, health and wellbeing) which is psychology based as well as including therapeutic communication. I also studied HLSC120 (Indigenous Health and Culture).  I'm starting a bachelor of science at Monash and found 2 units which are very similar to the ones studied above:  EDF5000, ATS1250. Does anyone know if I could be credited for these units?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on January 19, 2021, 01:30:53 pm
Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me out, I completed in yr 12 two units from health science at ACU, HLSZ111 (The person, health and wellbeing) which is psychology based as well as including therapeutic communication. I also studied HLSC120 (Indigenous Health and Culture).  I'm starting a bachelor of science at Monash and found 2 units which are very similar to the ones studied above:  EDF5000, ATS1250. Does anyone know if I could be credited for these units?
It's possible but you need to apply for credit which you can find info about HERE.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on January 23, 2021, 06:39:23 pm
Is anyone able to offer me any advice, I have an offer at Monash for science and I want to move onto medicine in the future. Although Monash is quite the distance for me to travel so i'm thinking of possibly trying to transfer to Melbourne. A lot of people are telling me to stay at Monash because the environment in Melbourne is not as good, as well as the support from staff. What do you think about melb or monash?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on January 23, 2021, 06:55:08 pm
Is anyone able to offer me any advice, I have an offer at Monash for science and I want to move onto medicine in the future. Although Monash is quite the distance for me to travel so i'm thinking of possibly trying to transfer to Melbourne. A lot of people are telling me to stay at Monash because the environment in Melbourne is not as good, as well as the support from staff. What do you think about melb or monash?
I don't think there is a significant difference between the uni's outside of location tbh

What concerns do you have about the environment?
What would your travel times be to get to Melbourne/Monash?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on January 23, 2021, 07:40:56 pm
I don't think there is a significant difference between the uni's outside of location tbh

What concerns do you have about the environment?
What would your travel times be to get to Melbourne/Monash?
Ok, I've just been hearing from past students that Monash have a better environment in terms of like the support and assistance received from staff and that the quality of teaching is better at Monash. These are just opinions i've been hearing about melb and Monash I'm not sure if they're accurate or not? There's a big difference in travel times for me getting to melb would only take 40 mins whereas monash will take by train 2hrs! Also, I'd like to get into medicine after my undergrad and apparently there's a better chance of a spot in medicine at monash compared to melbourne?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on January 24, 2021, 09:05:41 pm
Ok, I've just been hearing from past students that Monash have a better environment in terms of like the support and assistance received from staff and that the quality of teaching is better at Monash. These are just opinions i've been hearing about melb and Monash I'm not sure if they're accurate or not? There's a big difference in travel times for me getting to melb would only take 40 mins whereas monash will take by train 2hrs! Also, I'd like to get into medicine after my undergrad and apparently there's a better chance of a spot in medicine at monash compared to melbourne?
Hmm I've definitely heard those thoughts before. I only experienced Monash so can't fully comment on unimelb but for the most part those who I know who went to unimelb found it ok.

I guess Monash has a non-GAMSAT pathway for medicine but I think that is really only a negligible increase in chances imo. Cutting down travel time might even it out. A difference of 40 mins vs 120 mins can really add up over a week. Although, this depends on whether you are someone who would be able to use your time on the train to study or do any other work.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: masterhiya on January 24, 2021, 11:35:50 pm
When people say university learning style is vastly different to high school learning style, what exactly does that mean? Quicker pace, more independence, Anything else?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on January 25, 2021, 07:17:48 pm
When people say university learning style is vastly different to high school learning style, what exactly does that mean? Quicker pace, more independence, Anything else?
Well, it’s quite different on a lot of levels:
- the teaching style is quite different - This is probably the biggest one. There’s lots of different ways you could learn at uni vs in high school where just one teacher takes you for one semester and all activities are done in that one classroom. This can vary from lectures, workshops, seminars, labs, etc.. Each one of these is slightly different in how you are taught and what activities you’ll do in them. Each unit (subject) can also be different to others.
- Learning style also differs in that you can pick times that suit you better (sometimes) and sometimes the mode in which you do them. You might take an 8am lecture and choose to watch it online instead of doing this in a lecture hall (think a giant educational movie theatre with someone talking at a lectern at the front). On the other hand, you might not be able to choose when or where - sometimes there’s only a 10am Thursday lab that you need to be there in person for to get attendance marks. It’s very context-dependent.
- You might have one lecturer the entire semester or ten, it depends. You have to adapt to the situation and won’t necessarily have the same lecturer or even see the same classmates each week at uni.
- There’s sometimes pre or post activity work e.g. you might have to do some reading before attending a lecture or a report due after a lab.
- How you get assessed also varies more. Now you might be assessed while on an internship or placement, or you could be assessed on how well your contraption works, on top of essays and orals.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: K.Smithy on January 26, 2021, 08:00:44 pm
Hi friends! I hope you're all having a great day

I just have a question about ways to get involved with science communication whilst at uni. For the longest time I have been super interested in the way that scientists such as Brian Cox, Neil DeGrass Tyson, Stephen Hawking, etc., get involved with the broader, non-scientific community (either through public lectures, documentaries, publications...), but I never knew what that was called. I recently discovered that what they were doing was known as science communication; specifically, science outreach.
I am also super interested in the world of academia, research and science inreach, but I also think that science outreach would be awesome to pursue alongside research. I was just wondering how I could get involved whilst at uni (at any stage - undergrad or postgrad). So far, at UQ I have found: Leadership and Mentoring Program in Science (LaMPS) and the Science Leaders Academy. LaMPS is recommended for first-years but because of my busy schedule this year I am thinking of doing it second year instead, and subsequently I will look into the Science Leaders Academy for third year.

Other than these, I don't really know of any other ways to start getting involved in/learn about science communication. I did get the name of the staff member who may be able to help point me in the right direction, but I was wondering if anyone in the AN community knew of any organisations or programs outside of uni that could help :)
Thanks!
Katelyn
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on January 26, 2021, 08:34:03 pm
My course is pretty heavily focused on science communication so I thought I'd better chip in.


With the guides you've made etc. you're already doing science communication,  albeit in a different form.

Some people from my course started this sci comm competition called Let's Torque which also includes workshops etc. It is based in Vic but this year they ran virtually/online. If you're interested and finding it hard to get info I can find things it for you - just let me know.

There should be opportunities at your uni for undergrads to present research they have done - science faculty should advertise any they run,  science clubs/societies should also advertise relevant events they have with this.


There's a bunch of online info as well on things like storytelling & speakership. Also don't discount the value of getting even unrelated communication practice. E.g. having already done competitive public speaking was a major advantage for me once we started doing sci comm speeches in 1st year. 

You are likely to have presentation assessments.  Sometimes you can tailor these to be good practice/experience too.

If you have any specific questions lmk :)


edit: world science festival is held in Queensland!

That would be great to get involved with :)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: K.Smithy on January 26, 2021, 08:57:59 pm
Some people from my course started this sci comm competition called Let's Torque which also includes workshops etc. It is based in Vic but this year they ran virtually/online. If you're interested and finding it hard to get info I can find things it for you - just let me know.

Thats so cool! I love the name ahaha ;D

There should be opportunities at your uni for undergrads to present research they have done - science faculty should advertise any they run,  science clubs/societies should also advertise relevant events they have with this.

Yeah definitely! I think in the honours year we present our research or something which should be interesting. I've started to look into some of the science societies, e.g. the suitably named physics society - PAIN, and the Women in Science society. So I'm hoping that they will offer some cool opportunities. I've also looked into the UN club and they do mock UN meeting things and I really enjoy public speaking so I think I would find that interesting and also a great way to help improve my communication skills :)

You are likely to have presentation assessments.  Sometimes you can tailor these to be good practice/experience too.

I totally agree! I am, oddly enough, kind of looking forward to the presentation assessments. I always had a lot of fun with them in high school :)
I'm actually quite bummed though because UQ used to have an undergraduate level course in science communication, but they haven't run it since 2014. So that's a shame. They also had a postgraduate course for science communication which they also no longer run. BUT, I did manage to find one postgrad course in research communication which covers both science inreach and outreach. So I'll definitely have a look into that.

If you have any specific questions lmk :)

Thank you so much for the response! I'll definitely have to keep an eye out for events run by different clubs and societies, as well as any ways to get involved online :)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Justin_L on January 27, 2021, 02:42:41 pm
Hi friends! I hope you're all having a great day

I just have a question about ways to get involved with science communication whilst at uni. For the longest time I have been super interested in the way that scientists such as Brian Cox, Neil DeGrass Tyson, Stephen Hawking, etc., get involved with the broader, non-scientific community (either through public lectures, documentaries, publications...), but I never knew what that was called. I recently discovered that what they were doing was known as science communication; specifically, science outreach.
I am also super interested in the world of academia, research and science inreach, but I also think that science outreach would be awesome to pursue alongside research. I was just wondering how I could get involved whilst at uni (at any stage - undergrad or postgrad). So far, at UQ I have found: Leadership and Mentoring Program in Science (LaMPS) and the Science Leaders Academy. LaMPS is recommended for first-years but because of my busy schedule this year I am thinking of doing it second year instead, and subsequently I will look into the Science Leaders Academy for third year.

Other than these, I don't really know of any other ways to start getting involved in/learn about science communication. I did get the name of the staff member who may be able to help point me in the right direction, but I was wondering if anyone in the AN community knew of any organisations or programs outside of uni that could help :)
Thanks!
Katelyn

I'm not super involved in science so I'm not sure how good this is, but I saw a volunteering callout for "pint of science" on my facebook feed which seems relevant:

https://pintofscience.com.au/roles

"Pint of Science Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation with the goal to increase science appreciation among the Australian people. Our annual festival not only serves as a way to bridge the gap between science research and the Australian public, but also as a medium for researchers to practice science communication and for volunteers to further develop skills that can facilitate their career progression. "
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on January 27, 2021, 03:58:50 pm
I'm not super involved in science so I'm not sure how good this is, but I saw a volunteering callout for "pint of science" on my facebook feed which seems relevant:

https://pintofscience.com.au/roles

"Pint of Science Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation with the goal to increase science appreciation among the Australian people. Our annual festival not only serves as a way to bridge the gap between science research and the Australian public, but also as a medium for researchers to practice science communication and for volunteers to further develop skills that can facilitate their career progression. "

^ I haven't heard much about this but only positive things
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: K.Smithy on January 27, 2021, 05:36:29 pm
I'm not super involved in science so I'm not sure how good this is, but I saw a volunteering callout for "pint of science" on my facebook feed which seems relevant:

https://pintofscience.com.au/roles

"Pint of Science Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation with the goal to increase science appreciation among the Australian people. Our annual festival not only serves as a way to bridge the gap between science research and the Australian public, but also as a medium for researchers to practice science communication and for volunteers to further develop skills that can facilitate their career progression. "

Thank you!!! This sounds awesome  ;D
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on January 27, 2021, 07:22:56 pm
I'm not super involved in science so I'm not sure how good this is, but I saw a volunteering callout for "pint of science" on my facebook feed which seems relevant:

https://pintofscience.com.au/roles

"Pint of Science Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation with the goal to increase science appreciation among the Australian people. Our annual festival not only serves as a way to bridge the gap between science research and the Australian public, but also as a medium for researchers to practice science communication and for volunteers to further develop skills that can facilitate their career progression. "
I went to a Pint event in 2019, and definitely recommend it, if you have the time to go watch and/or volunteer 😊
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on January 28, 2021, 03:53:19 pm
Cheeky double but also unrelated - heard that VU are opting for their City Queen students to not return for at least first block.

Source: sister who studies at VU City Queen
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on February 02, 2021, 11:32:10 am
I'm in a little confused spot, I want to study medicine in the future but I'm currently enrolled in a bachelor of science at Monash uni which was my first round offer. Although, I have just received my 2nd round offer which is biomedicine at la trobe. Is it better to stay at monash and possibly try to transfer to biomedicine in 2nd year or accept my 2nd round offer to la trobe?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on February 02, 2021, 05:59:48 pm
I'm in a little confused spot, I want to study medicine in the future but I'm currently enrolled in a bachelor of science at Monash uni which was my first round offer. Although, I have just received my 2nd round offer which is biomedicine at la trobe. Is it better to stay at monash and possibly try to transfer to biomedicine in 2nd year or accept my 2nd round offer to la trobe?
This is up to you.

Some questions you should ask yourself:
1. Is Biomed what you would rather study?
2. Is La Trobe closer to where you live or is Monash? (Convenience can be a huge thing when you consider how much time you swallow by commuting and multiply that by 3 years. It adds up real quick!)
3. Will Biomed at LaTrobe cover all requirements for postgrad med?
4. Are you intending to transfer to Monash Biomed in second year if you take LaTrobe Biomed?

Pros of LaTrobe Biomed:
- more human based biology (more specialist earlier on vs. Science)

Cons of LaTrobe Biomed:
- can’t take Monash postgrad med (they only take Monash graduates) i.e. one less opportunity

Neutral points of LaTrobe Biomed:
- not a lot of choice in your units vs Science
- smaller cohort
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on February 03, 2021, 12:28:19 pm
This is up to you.

Some questions you should ask yourself:
1. Is Biomed what you would rather study?
2. Is La Trobe closer to where you live or is Monash? (Convenience can be a huge thing when you consider how much time you swallow by commuting and multiply that by 3 years. It adds up real quick!)
3. Will Biomed at LaTrobe cover all requirements for postgrad med?
4. Are you intending to transfer to Monash Biomed in second year if you take LaTrobe Biomed?

Pros of LaTrobe Biomed:
- more human based biology (more specialist earlier on vs. Science)

Cons of LaTrobe Biomed:
- can’t take Monash postgrad med (they only take Monash graduates) i.e. one less opportunity

Neutral points of LaTrobe Biomed:
- not a lot of choice in your units vs Science
- smaller cohort

Ok Thanks! I think im going to stay at Monash as i'm already in my prefered uni and can still get into med from my course.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: lm21074 on February 08, 2021, 07:27:47 pm
Hey,

Today I learned that there is referencing software out there for journal articles (I'm probably the last to find out haha). One of these is Mendeley Cite. If you login with your uni email, you can reference journal articles based on the DOI and create a bibliography. :)

Is it the lifesaver it seems to be?

Thanks! :)





Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: s110820 on February 08, 2021, 07:34:51 pm
Hey,

Is Mendeley Cite the lifesaver it seems to be for assignments?

Thanks! :)

Hey Im21074,

I would be more than happy to confirm that Mendeley Cite is 100% a legit lifesaver! I’ve been using it since Year 11 and it has saved my butt so many times so I would definitely recommend it!

Hopefully that helps!

Have a great week and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on February 08, 2021, 07:44:40 pm
Hey,

Today I learned that there is referencing software out there for journal articles (I'm probably the last to find out haha). One of these is Mendeley Cite. If you login with your uni email, you can reference journal articles based on the DOI and create a bibliography. :)

Is it the lifesaver it seems to be?

Thanks! :)







I used to use a referencing website but now I usually reference by hand as it ends up being about the same speed anyway & not all referencing styles are available unless you're willing to do it yourself :)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: www on February 08, 2021, 08:29:43 pm
Today I learned that there is referencing software out there for journal articles (I'm probably the last to find out haha). One of these is Mendeley Cite. If you login with your uni email, you can reference journal articles based on the DOI and create a bibliography. :)

Is it the lifesaver it seems to be?

I recommend Zotero if people can't access Mendeley! Free, doesn't need an account, and has a Word plugin.

I can reference manually pretty quickly in a handful of styles, but Zotero was a lifesaver for my thesis. As with all bib software, you need to double check your reference list and citations by hand as they can sometimes be entirely incorrect. Having a base knowledge of how to do them manually will make it easier to recognise when the automatically generated ones are wrong (whether it's formatting or entire paper details).
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: brothanathan on February 09, 2021, 08:56:53 am
I recommend Zotero if people can't access Mendeley! Free, doesn't need an account, and has a Word plugin.

Hey www, would you mind evaluating further on why you prefer Zotero over* Mendeley?  There's a Word plugin for Mendeley too, but do correct me if you find it dysfunctional. Pretty sure Zotero allows you to sync your citations to multiple devices? Opinions are quite divided on some other online forums.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: www on February 09, 2021, 02:46:04 pm
Hey www, would you mind evaluating further on why you prefer Zotero over* Mendeley?  There's a Word plugin for Mendeley too, but do correct me if you find it dysfunctional. Pretty sure Zotero allows you to sync your citations to multiple devices? Opinions are quite divided on some other online forums.

I tend to prefer applications do not require me to be online or to make an account, just a personal thing. Zotero satisfies that and has the plugin and browser extension like Mendeley.

APA 7th was introduced late 2019 and though I had the choice to stay on 6th until 2021, I wanted to stay updated. When I started reading for my thesis, I believe Mendeley didn't have APA 7th but Zotero did. They both have them now though.

Zotero has a multi-colour tagging system on top of regular multi-text tagging which makes it easier for me to quickly identify and sort relevant papers, whereas I think Mendeley just has multi-text tagging.

I haven't used the cloud syncing - it has a pretty low storage space anyway and you need to make an account. Zotero stores everything locally, so the storage limit is technically just how much you're willing to use on your hard drive. I already have the habit of making backups on a USB/external HDD regularly, so syncing between systems is just a matter of using the library export/import function.

I do know that Mendeley has a better style editor (CSL editor). I can edit the styles for Zotero easily, but would prefer Mendeley's dedicated editor for those rare moments.

Guess my advice would to try both and find what works for you? There's also EndNote, but I've heard awful things from friends about it.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on February 09, 2021, 03:41:54 pm
There's also EndNote, but I've heard awful things from friends about it.

I have a session on that on Thursday,  is there anything in particular that stands out to you?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: www on February 09, 2021, 08:38:02 pm
I have a session on that on Thursday,  is there anything in particular that stands out to you?

The biggest complaint I've heard is that the Word plugin is slow and hangs even on documents with a small number of citations. The other is that it tends to get paper details wrong, but I'm willing to bet most bib programs will get things wrong at a similar rate.

I haven't personally used EndNote and I know others who prefer it over the alternatives, so I would still recommend trying a couple to see which one is best for your workflow.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on February 16, 2021, 12:09:42 pm
A quick question, I have a seminar which is live streamed online, although I'd be on the train at the time its scheduled. Do you have to be present for the seminar at the time or can you re-watch it later like a lecture?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on February 16, 2021, 03:19:18 pm
A quick question, I have a seminar which is live streamed online, although I'd be on the train at the time its scheduled. Do you have to be present for the seminar at the time or can you re-watch it later like a lecture?
Depends on the unit and the unit requirements. Sometimes online lectures/seminars can be compulsory so you need to be online. However, often they are also recorded and put up for viewing for anyone who can't make it.

Have a look at your unit guide for the answer and if it is not their email the unit coordinator to ask.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on February 16, 2021, 04:21:18 pm
Is it fair to assume that the timetabling thing won't give me clashes?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Joseph41 on February 16, 2021, 04:29:18 pm
Is it fair to assume that the timetabling thing won't give me clashes?

Depends - sometimes clashes are unavoidable. I imagine it'll depend on the way your specific uni timetables, but personally I wouldn't be 100% confident that you won't be presented with clashes initially (although, if all of your units are compulsory, maybe?).
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on February 16, 2021, 07:22:56 pm
Depends - sometimes clashes are unavoidable. I imagine it'll depend on the way your specific uni timetables, but personally I wouldn't be 100% confident that you won't be presented with clashes initially (although, if all of your units are compulsory, maybe?).
All my units are core units, and I have 6 of a total of 8 thingies being on campus. Is it fair to assume that at least the 6 on campus things won't clash with each other??
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Joseph41 on February 17, 2021, 08:43:24 am
All my units are core units, and I have 6 of a total of 8 thingies being on campus. Is it fair to assume that at least the 6 on campus things won't clash with each other??

I imagine that would be the case.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Justin_L on February 17, 2021, 10:01:51 am
All my units are core units, and I have 6 of a total of 8 thingies being on campus. Is it fair to assume that at least the 6 on campus things won't clash with each other??

There's usually a recommended/sample degree plan which outlines what units you do in what terms that should minimise clashes, though I know it's not a thing for all degrees. Hopefully should be fine as long as you pick your units reasonably, unlike my friend who enrolled in the whole year's worth of units in one semester and wondered why they had so many clashes  :)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on February 17, 2021, 10:23:54 am
All my units are core units, and I have 6 of a total of 8 thingies being on campus. Is it fair to assume that at least the 6 on campus things won't clash with each other??
You should be fine. I doubt you will have any clashes since I'm guessing all your units are already picked out for you in Nursing.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on February 23, 2021, 05:03:47 pm
For those at Monash, would you recommend taking STA1010 or SCI1020. I'm not very confident in math and don't want to choose a math that is quite difficult as I want to concentrate on my other units. Which math would u recommend and which is more doable? I completed further math in VCE and quite enjoyed the data part but that was quite basic.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: cherryblossoms on March 12, 2021, 05:25:22 pm
Hey, I was just wondering if anyone has any note-taking, study, or organisational strategies or advice?
I'm still not sure if I should handwrite or type up my notes, and how to remember the content and study?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: KatherineGale on March 12, 2021, 07:29:19 pm
Hey, I was just wondering if anyone has any note-taking, study, or organisational strategies or advice?
I'm still not sure if I should handwrite or type up my notes, and how to remember the content and study?

Hi there,

I don't know if I can help all that much, but I've found that note-taking depends on the unit. Is there a lot of module content? Are there a number of videos? Is the unit based around content from textbooks?

For less intense/average units, I tend to find writing summaries of everything I'm reading really helpful. Less intense units for me have tended to be more based on practical skills or applying theories, etc. I use the time I save from not needing to rewrite everything to practice applying it. You don't need to remember everything, but if you know how to apply the concept, then you should be fine.

For content heavy units, this is hit or miss with me. I've also struggled with the same thing. I've found that just rewriting everything means I won't remember any of it and it just wastes my time. It's not the greenest option, but printing the online modules, the texts (if you don't have a hard copy already), class and seminar slides, etc. and put them into a folder for that week. Then go through the learning objectives for that week and highlight key points. Take notes alongside these during classes and seminars (you could do this on a powerpoint slide and print these with the content if you prefer typing like me. End of the week, summarise the key points you've highlighted.

This is what has worked for me anyway. It's really trial and error to find what works best for you. Hope someone else can also help you!

Key Tips:

-Start assessments Week 1, even if it's just planning.

-Utilise your unis resources

Spoiler
My uni Deakin has a number of supports - writing & maths mentors, 24hr tutoring, weekly planners, assignment planners, etc.

-utilise other unis resources
Spoiler
A lot of unis have the same resources in different formats - if you're just not understanding how to follow your unis referencing guide, take a look at another unis guide

Here are a few from my uni Deakin:
Weekly planner:
https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/home/cloud-students/study-support/weekly-planner
I also think this one can be used by anyone: Assignment planner (lifesaver, honestly)
https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/academic-skills/assignment-planner

-create a plan
Spoiler
You might not be a planner, that's okay. The best thing about a plan is that it caters to you, not the other way round. I tried using a diary for years before I finally admitted defeat (I've never gotten all the way through a month of using one, let alone a year). Instead, I write a weekly checklist for each of my units detailing the module, readings (including no. pgs), videos (including length), etc. and then I tick them off as I go. It's simple, motivating, and lets me remember what I have and haven't done without much fuss. I also have an assessment timetable where my due dates are highlighted - I hand this up in front of me and check it each day so I don't forget anything.

-don't waste time
Spoiler
I procrastinate something shocking. I downloaded an app called forest that makes me accountable for my time. I'd highly recommend finding that or something similar.

Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on March 13, 2021, 09:42:20 am
I feel desperately behind after precisely one week, how do I stop this happening?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: fun_jirachi on March 13, 2021, 10:28:47 am
If it's about the feeling, there's not a lot you can do. Sometimes I'm ahead and yet I still feel overwhelmed. Best way to deal with it is probably just do whatever makes you feel comfortable and take frequent breaks.

With actually falling behind and preventing it, probably try and set scheduled study times for certain things. ie. if you have weekly homework/quizzes, set aside time around your timetable to work on these things. Even for things that might not necessarily be locked in like assignments you might want to set aside time weekly to work on them. One of the many things that's harder about uni is the lack of a rigid timetable - it's so much easier to be in school and be told precisely what to do, when to do it and where you have to do it. Making your timetable slightly more rigid may help with that (but be wary of making it too much so that you feel a bit suffocated).

Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Coolmate on March 19, 2021, 01:29:43 pm
Hey everyone,

I have a random question and was wondering if someone could please help me:

Do university tutors/ markers prefer that you put your references in alphabetical order?

Thanks in advance!
Coolmate 8)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on March 19, 2021, 02:12:50 pm
Hey everyone,

I have a random question and was wondering if someone could please help me:

Do university tutors/ markers prefer that you put your references in alphabetical order?

Thanks in advance!
Coolmate 8)

You need to follow the conventions of the referencing system you are using, in my experience this has almost always included listing references alphabetically by author last name.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on March 19, 2021, 02:47:08 pm
Hey everyone,

I have a random question and was wondering if someone could please help me:

Do university tutors/ markers prefer that you put your references in alphabetical order?

Thanks in advance!
Coolmate 8)
It depends on the referencing you use

Some referencing formats use author year in alphabetical, and others such as Vancouver referencing use numbers - with no alphabetical order 😊 always check with the unit coordinator with referencing requirements (or use what the faculty your under uses if there's no preference is a safe bet)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Coolmate on March 19, 2021, 09:09:59 pm
You need to follow the conventions of the referencing system you are using, in my experience this has almost always included listing references alphabetically by author last name.

It depends on the referencing you use

Some referencing formats use author year in alphabetical, and others such as Vancouver referencing use numbers - with no alphabetical order 😊 always check with the unit coordinator with referencing requirements (or use what the faculty your under uses if there's no preference is a safe bet)


Thankyou Bri and Insanipi for your help! :D

I just checked that I have to use the Harvard Referencing Style, so I think I might do it in alphabetical order just in case.  :)

Coolmate 8)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: JR_StudyEd on April 30, 2021, 12:48:04 pm
Anyone here still doing remote learning?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on April 30, 2021, 01:02:24 pm
Anyone here still doing remote learning?
Partially, some lecturers will only run zoom sessions. However, that possibly could be due to it just being easier for their schedule. Practicals are in person and tutorials are mostly in person (some tutors are still running zoom).
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on April 30, 2021, 01:04:12 pm
Anyone here still doing remote learning?
For me, there's only one practical online now (which is a pest). However, various COVID stuff is still in play while we're in person.


On another note, is it normal to feel you're going to fail an assignment?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: sweetiepi on April 30, 2021, 03:05:17 pm
Anyone here still doing remote learning?
My sister (VU) is still on online learning - apparently only has one class in her upcoming block that's in person aha
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Stormbreaker-X on April 30, 2021, 07:56:55 pm
How hard is it to find a job after uni?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Chocolatepistachio on April 30, 2021, 08:40:19 pm
I guess it depends on which degree you do. it can be quite competitive and hard if there only few graduate jobs and lots of people looking
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on April 30, 2021, 09:43:29 pm
How hard is it to find a job after uni?
It depends on the job you’re after and a bunch of other factors. To be honest, it’ll most likely be your skills and experience that will probably determine how hard it will be to get a job after uni. (Your competition is also a determining factor but that’s harder to control.)

I did discuss this briefly recently here, but Chocolatepistacho has got it partially right. It’s pretty normal to hear of cases of graduates searching for a job for a few months or a year or so these days and/or for them to write up tens to hundreds of job applications and attend a number of job interviews before being successful.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: fun_jirachi on May 01, 2021, 11:44:15 am
Anyone here still doing remote learning?

I'm still fully online (well, I was - term has since ended). I have the option of doing so again next term.

On another note, is it normal to feel you're going to fail an assignment?

I hate saying this as an answer, but it depends - are there any parts of an assignment you're particularly worried about? It's normal to feel somewhat inadequate but this is a generalisation not only for uni but for life as a whole. Seems like a pretty vague quip imo - maybe we can help you out more if you expand on this! ;D
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on May 04, 2021, 06:12:16 pm
Hi, so I’m currently in my first year of a double degree in commerce and comp sci and am not  doing too well. I’m really struggling in comp sci and may barely pass my units which is also causing me to do poorly in my commerce units as well (spend all my time trying to pass comp sci) and am really concerned about wam being too low to transfer. After doing the commercial law unit in commerce, it has been really interesting and I’m looking to transfer to commerce+law, but as said before my wam will be too low. What should I do? If it means anything I got an atar of around 95-96 (had Monash guarantee) which allowed me to get into my current course and would have likely let me get into commerce+law if I had chosen it originally.
I think you might like to see this recent thread that discusses a similar situation to your own.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Bri MT on May 24, 2021, 02:17:10 pm
Good luck to everyone finishing up semester at the moment! Hope you're going well :)
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on May 24, 2021, 04:13:41 pm
Good luck to everyone finishing up semester at the moment! Hope you're going well :)
Surprisingly so! Still mildly concerned I'll not pass everything, but so far things I've been really worried about haven't been as bad as I thought!
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on June 11, 2021, 06:20:02 pm
Does anyone have an elective suggestion at Monash? I'm in first year science and wanting to move into Medicine. I'd like an elective in the health area, what are your recommendations? every unit i've looked at requires prerequisites of units I haven't completed yet.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on June 11, 2021, 06:23:52 pm
Does anyone have an elective suggestion at Monash? I'm in first year science and wanting to move into Medicine. I'd like an elective in the health area, what are your recommendations? every unit i've looked at requires prerequisites of units I haven't completed yet.
I don't think transfers are possible into medicine. Although it is possible to study medicine once you have completed your BSc. Which units have you looked at so far?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on June 11, 2021, 07:20:07 pm
I don't think transfers are possible into medicine. Although it is possible to study medicine once you have completed your BSc. Which units have you looked at so far?

Sorry I meant I want to study medicine after my science degree. I'm currently enrolled in chem, bio and another science unit. But I need an elective and i'm just not sure what to choose, every elective i've looked at is not related to my intended pathway.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Sine on June 11, 2021, 08:12:38 pm
Sorry I meant I want to study medicine after my science degree. I'm currently enrolled in chem, bio and another science unit. But I need an elective and i'm just not sure what to choose, every elective i've looked at is not related to my intended pathway.
You don't necessarily need to do a health elective even if you want to do a healthcare type degree in the future you can really choose anything. Does this open up more options for you?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: alexandra.vo on June 11, 2021, 08:25:12 pm
You don't necessarily need to do a health elective even if you want to do a healthcare type degree in the future you can really choose anything. Does this open up more options for you?

yes! great, thankyou
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: miyukiaura on December 10, 2021, 11:03:00 am
Do universities use the raw ATAR or the selection rank (+ SEAS) for scholarships?
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: Billuminati on December 10, 2021, 11:28:31 am
Do universities use the raw ATAR or the selection rank (+ SEAS) for scholarships?

They use the selection rank which takes into account any special considerations. The "lowest selection rank to which an offer is made" is the minimum ATAR you need to get in if you don't have any special considerations at all
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: AngelWings on December 10, 2021, 12:41:31 pm
Do universities use the raw ATAR or the selection rank (+ SEAS) for scholarships?
Actually for scholarships, I think it depends on the institute. If they specifically state ATAR, that would be your raw ATAR for the academic scholarships, like UoM’s Chancellor’s Scholarships.

For course entry, it’s definitely the selection rank for all institutes.
Title: Re: University General Chat
Post by: astera.02 on December 11, 2021, 11:16:49 pm
How hard is early entry to UTS?