Melbourne or Monash?

[lara2707]

Hey all,
I do not want to start an argument here, but I am tossing up between Melbourne and Monash uni and would like to hear your opinions about which might be better for what I want to do. I am planning to do arts, probably majoring in geography or international relations, maybe with a minor in German. Also, I know that at Melbourne you can do a diploma of languages concurrently with an arts degree. Can you do this at Monash?

So, I would love to hear from people who are doing arts at Melbourne or Monash (or anyone else who would like to give their input!).
What are the Monash grounds like? (I couldn't make it to the open day)
What is the atmosphere like?
Are there many student groups/clubs etc.?
What are the lecturers like?
What are the buildings like?

Thanks very much in advance. Once again, I do not wish to start an argument between Melbourne and Monash students here!! Thanks

[ninwa]

Also, I know that at Melbourne you can do a diploma of languages concurrently with an arts degree. Can you do this at Monash?

Yep have a look here: http://arts.monash.edu.au/lcl/diploma-in-languages.php

What are the Monash grounds like? (I couldn't make it to the open day)
What is the atmosphere like?
Are there many student groups/clubs etc.?
What are the lecturers like?
What are the buildings like?

- Grounds are okay... but it's windy very often so if you like wearing dresses/skirts, don't... lol
- Don't know what you mean by atmosphere? People are generally really nice? :S
- I don't know about your other areas of interest since I only study German, but there is a Monash German club which often holds trivia events etc. as well as conversation groups to practise your spoken German. Also HEAPS of other clubs to cater to many interests
- German lecturers and tutors are all really nice, more laid-back than most (e.g. they're far more likely to be sympathetic and lenient if you're sick, forget to do an assignment, don't make the attendance requirement etc.)
- If you do arts you'll spend the majority of your time in the Menzies building. It's really ugly lol and they're renovating at the moment so there's like gaps in the walls and the sound of construction all the time when you're in class. Hopefully it'll look prettier afterwards but I doubt it

[Gloamglozer]

If you want to do Arts at UoM, what sort of breadth subjects would you be most interested in?  Also:

1.  Which uni is most convenient to you?
2.  Have you been to  one of UoM's Open Days yet?  If not, try going next year and have a chat with the academic staff and students.  Ask them what it's like, what subjects are offered, what are the requirements for the degree, etc.
3.  Do you prefer studying in an extremely large campus or a smaller campus close to the CBD?

On the topic of buildings, while Monash has the Menzies, at UoM we have the Redmond Barry.

[lara2707]

I went to the Melb Uni open day and loved it. I'm looking at doing breadth subjects in the environments/sustainability area if I can or something to do with global issues (can't remember what they're all called now). What is the Redmond Barry building like? Thanks for your answers

[Russ]

redmond barry isn't thaaaat bad. it's a bit bland though, fair enough, but it has some decent theatres.

[Gloamglozer]

redmond barry isn't thaaaat bad. it's a bit bland though, fair enough, but it has some decent theatres.

The look of Redmond Barry is what puts me off.  The theatres, in my opinion, are quite ordinary.  If you're not a big person, it's annoying how you have to pretty much sit on the edge of your seat just to write on the table in the Lyle and Rivett Theatres.

[Russ]

I'm 6'3 so i've never had that problem

But yeah i hate all theatres that don't have individual desks...

[gemgem49]

I'm doing International Studies and German at Monash. Ninwa has already said a lot but I'll put in my opinion. German at Monash is great and I agree with what Ninwa has said about the tutors, however - the 'Culture' component is absolutely terrible. You will want to bang your head against a brick wall after every 2 hour session (unless you're a huge fan of philosophy and you enjoy debating about NOTHING for several hours).

I don't think it really matters too much about whether Monash is 'ugly' or not. I know it is compared to UoM, but once you're there you won't really care. It's especially bad in the Winter months because it feels even more drab, but I think some parts of Monash can look quite pretty. Especially when the sun is out - lots of green grass and trees. Even the fail-pond isn't looking too bad this year, haha.

Atmosphere is really good if you get involved. That's really up to you. If you do a language you're pretty much guaranteed to make friends in your tutorial because it's really interactive. In other classes where it's based around discussions on the content, less so, unless you go out of your way.

If you're interested in International Relations maybe have a look at the different first year subjects and later year electives you can take and see which ones from UoM/Monash appeal more to your interests. The first level sequence for International Studies is quite good in my opinion - in first semester it covers history from 1945 onwards, and the second semester focuses on globalization. This depends on your interests though, I know ninwa has said she hated Contemporary Worlds when she did it. If you're interested in International Studies Monash also has Bachelor of Arts (Global) which is pretty much majoring in International Studies and spending a semester overseas as part of the degree. It has two 'global' units which focus on global studies (I haven't done them yet but one looks fun haha - you get to write a blog and have email discussions with a student from a partner university). You can pretty much accomplish the same thing doing just straight Arts (except for the global units), but hey it sounds a little bit fancier when you tell people what you're doing

I can't say much about geography though, have a look at the related subjects for both unis

That being said, doing breadth subjects from the Environments faculty at UoM could be really helpful if you want to major in  geography. I've got a friend interested in Geography who has spoken really highly about a lot of the environment subjects.

[Gloamglozer]

I'm 6'3 so i've never had that problem

But yeah i hate all theatres that don't have individual desks...

Yeah, but even with individual desks, some can be pretty annoying.  The best lecture theatres are like the Basement Theatre in The Spot.  They have individual desks and with those desks you can slide them towards you so you can relax on your seat while taking notes (and hopefully not fall asleep).

And on the topic of the Basement Theatre, it's quite well designed.  It has a large capacity, has leg space for you to stretch your legs and you don't have to get out of your way if you're sitting near the sides and somebody else needs to get into the row.  The only thing is that it's on the other side of the world so every time you finish a lecture there, you need to make the trek "back to uni", so to speak.