(eg. Vaike is studying the research course).
Here on call ~
I agree with what miniturtle said. I'm currently first year Adv Research though, so I'll give it a crack at answering your other questions.
Firstly, did you enjoy doing 'insert course' as a whole, and what were the pros/cons of this degree as opposed to what you might know about science at melbourne?
Haven't studied at UoM so can't directly compare, but I've enjoyed my course so far! From everyone that I've spoken to, undergraduate research at UoM is
essentially non existent. This was a big factor in me choosing to come to Monash; I wanted to get as much undergraduate research under my belt as possible, to help figure out if it's really what I want to do.
How competitive is it?
Not sure exactly what you're asking about here. Is it competitive to get in? No where near as bad as med or anything like that; if you get an ATAR over 95 you should be fine. In terms of is the cohort competitive, not at all. The paths that the people in this degree are taking are super broad, everyone is nice and chill and just doing their own thing.
How much research did you actually get to do?
It's super flexible. One of the great things about being in this degree is that it kind of acts like a shiny badge; if you tell professors you're doing this degree it kinda indicates to them that you're dedicated and willing to learn, which is what a lot of these researchers seem to be looking for in undergrads. I know some people started research in their first semester, just by asking around and seeing what was available.
Mainly though, the first 'major' opportunity for research comes at the end of your first year. The uni runs a program called 'ResearchFirst', which is for first year student in this degree to get paid to do research over summer. There are a whole lot of projects (this year there was 25 different ones available) to apply for to complete over the summer. I personally think that it's a great initiative, and I'm really excited to do mine this summer.
Onwards from first year, doing more research is kind of in your own hands. The uni runs a whole bunch of 'research units', and you have to do one as part of your degree. Instead of taking lectures, writing up small lab reports etc, these subjects actually involve doing some kind of research with the help of a supervisor. Honours is also a part of the course, so heaps of research in your final year too.
If your aim was to get into a phd program and you could do another course (biomed for example), would you change anything.
Im also a little confused on getting into phd, I've got conflicting information, but can you go straight from honours into phd?
How long did it take you to decide what you wanted to focus on, and also how did your lecturers/supervisors help you decide.
What kind of things do you do in your phd and how much freedom do you get.
Can't really add too much about this stuff obviously, but I will say having research experience definitely won't hurt when applying for such programs.
If you have further questions feel free to leave them below