ATAR Notes: Forum
Uni Stuff => General University Discussion and Queries => Topic started by: vitir on December 06, 2009, 11:17:05 pm
-
does anyone else not like any university course out there?
I've done a lot of research. I just plain don't like any.
I don't like any other tertiary type courses either or the idea of differing, travel or working...
or maybe everyone feels like this and just chooses the least worse course...
-
Have you looked at TAFE? Apprenticeships?
What subjects do you like? What do you want to be? What areas are you interested in?
-
Are you into study?If not maybe Uni isn't the right option.
If you are then maybe answering ninwa's questions:
What subjects do you like? What do you want to be? What areas are you interested in?
can help us look for something that you might be into.
or maybe everyone feels like this and just chooses the least worse course...
Personally I'm really excited about my desired course.
-
yeah certainly! thank you for offering.. I really am humbled by that
I'd like the respect and the integrity associated with engineering - that is very superficial but it's true. Although, I'm bad at math.
the business world appeals to my opportunistic side but I feel terrible doing 'commercy' subjects because it feels so fake and artificial to me.
I feel like the sciences have no future...alot of work for little pay and not much respect
I enjoy the humanities but I don't see a future in them. Law would be nice but once again I have 'fake' feeling for them. As if, if there was some great shift in society my learning would be useless.
health sciences - I would like optometry but I'm scared to go through the melbourne model which would take me through a health science general course which I would crumble in. I'm bad with that sort of stuff.
I don't really like any tafe courses and my parents would not be happy if I went anyway.
any sort of liberal arts degree would not go well with my parents either.
any suggestions? I'm taking 3 sciences (I enjoy the theoretical parts of all of them and suffer dearly at the math) and English which I also enjoy but I don't see it taking me anywhere.
-
^
The pessimists guide to undergraduate courses.
edit: no insult intended.
-
science goes places but ur prob right about the pay thing thats why u have to have an interest in it
and hey i hate maths too, i forgot even the simplest maths problems lol but i still have the c1v1=c2v2 formula with me! yeah...lol
and if u do science general... u can choose units from other faculties as well , so u might get a feel for wat u want to do
but really u can't have too large a preconceived notion of certain degrees without knowing much about them
or u can do engineering... u seem to be interested in that?
i dunno just go for what feels right
u have time
-
is there some way I could become an engineer (i would jizz in my pants if I could work with like foreign/environmental/health...etc policy with a think tank or the government) and do that sought of stuff? what types of engineering will let me edge of the math side of things?
parents have said no to environmental engineering.
I would like civil as the next 'least math' but it seems incredibly boring....incredibly....incredibly and less scope for 'policy work'
Woah. I just realised. THAT'S WHAT i WANT TO DO!
Something like making policy....
that's a terrible line but do you get what I mean?
any suggestions?
-
yeah certainly! thank you for offering.. I really am humbled by that
I'd like the respect and the integrity associated with engineering - that is very superficial but it's true. Although, I'm bad at math.
the business world appeals to my opportunistic side but I feel terrible doing 'commercy' subjects because it feels so fake and artificial to me.
I feel like the sciences have no future...alot of work for little pay and not much respect
I enjoy the humanities but I don't see a future in them. Law would be nice but once again I have 'fake' feeling for them. As if, if there was some great shift in society my learning would be useless.
health sciences - I would like optometry but I'm scared to go through the melbourne model which would take me through a health science general course which I would crumble in. I'm bad with that sort of stuff.
I don't really like any tafe courses and my parents would not be happy if I went anyway.
any sort of liberal arts degree would not go well with my parents either.
any suggestions? I'm taking 3 sciences (I enjoy the theoretical parts of all of them and suffer dearly at the math) and English which I also enjoy but I don't see it taking me anywhere.
May I suggest the possibility at looking at a BA/BSc double degree? My suggestion is that you should go for a broad degree, since you sorta seem a bit directionless at the moment. Doing something like a science or an arts degree could give you time to think about it, as well as provide a good base for further study if you suddenly decide, 'oh I want to do optometry'.
The thing you will find is that, by the time you finish your degree, a lot of the information that you will learn will be totally useless for whatever career you may take. The point of university learning is not to be a sponge of information, but to be able to learn how to learn.
Policy work is often done by bureaucrats or politicians and there's no particular qualification for such work (you could do any degree or none even).
-
Policy work is often done by bureaucrats or politicians and there's no particular qualification for such work (you could do any degree or none even).
lol tell me bout it
-
I'd like the respect and the integrity associated with engineering - that is very superficial but it's true. Although, I'm bad at math.
I'm actually hoping to get into an engineering course next year. I presume that you'll find it incredibly difficult to get through it without a solid understanding and perhaps even passion for maths.
the business world appeals to my opportunistic side but I feel terrible doing 'commercy' subjects because it feels so fake and artificial to me.
What is it about them that feels fake and artificial? Commerce is a very broad degree that can lead to many different career/goals.
I feel like the sciences have no future...alot of work for little pay and not much respect
Like Commerce (and Engineering for that matter) science is a very broad degree. Regardless of which field you go into though you'll be competing against some brilliant minds who are passionate about their field (this forum has many examples of this).
I enjoy the humanities but I don't see a future in them.
This really comes down to which field and if you're smart about it. While it might be true that a general arts degree can lack direction, there are many people who cater their arts degree to a very specific and niche field or who use it as a stepping stone to postgrad studies (ie psychology).
The problem (or benefit depending on what you're after) with non vocational degrees (such as Law, Med, Eng) is that it's really up to the student to take control of what they want to achieve.
Law would be nice but once again I have 'fake' feeling for them.
Again Law is used for alot more than just becoming a Lawyer these days. There are many things you can do with a Law degree.
my learning would be useless.
There's no such thing!
any suggestions?
Hmm it a little difficult to give any insightful advice with the info given but here goes:
Journalism: You said you like English, journalism is a great career that can be taken in many different directions.
PR: If you're good with people PR could be a great option, again your English skills would come in useful.
Professional Communications: My gf is currently taking this course. It's a mix of Journalism/PR/Media and gives you the option to specialise in 2 of 3 in final year. Pretty good if you have interests across both or not too sure on which of the three you're into.
Architecture: I'm not sure if you like design type subjects but you seem to be interested in 'prestige'. Architecture a well respected course and it doesn't have any maths.
I think some more info would be useful.
What is your estimated ENTER?
Do you hate maths or just have trouble understanding it?
Are you against TAFE/apprenticeships? or is it just your parents?
Perhaps even more importantly is to have a more of a positive attitude and remember just because you believe people in a certain profession are 'fake' doesn't mean you have to be.
-
but what would I study say if I did a bachelor of science degree for my major?
-
NOOOO VITIR!!!
Civil Engineers are the ones who have the MOST scope to make policy. Civil engineering isn't just buildings! It's water/other SYSTEMS.
You need civil engineers to make policy on safety guidelines for things like irrigation/water waste disposal systems etc.
All the work done on the yarra river is overseen by civil engineers.
Sure, civil engineering tends to have the least maths, but it by no means has the least tough decisions!
-
but what would I study say if I did a bachelor of science degree for my major?
um i think you could start considering what master degree you would like to do, and pick up the subjects that are required for its entry?
-
what types of engineering will let me edge of the math side of things?
I highly doubt any.
Not gonna get into the whole 'which Eng is the hardest debate', but even Civil Eng is gonna be pretty maths/physics heavy.
Something like making policy....
Hmm to get into something like that (even though you don't need a degree technically) probably arts (with specific subjects chosen) or Law. Also I'd imagine learning another language would be useful
-
My goodness
thank you so much. Your comments have been beautiful and hit me spot on.
"I'm actually hoping to get into an engineering course next year. I presume that you'll find it incredibly difficult to get through it without a solid understanding and perhaps even passion for maths."
good luck for next year!
you are right. I can rule this out.
my learning would be useless
"There's no such thing!"
inspirational. thank you. every comment you've made here has been of tremendous value. you've given me better advice for careers than I think I have got from any person and all together this thread more than all the research I've done till know (or maybe I'm just blinded by temporary kindness or something)
"Journalism: You said you like English, journalism is a great career that can be taken in many different directions."
YesYesYes
I don't know what you are doing but this seems perfect for me.
they have taken out the course now I thought though?
where can I study it?
I also read online that most journalists feel that they didn't need to have gone to journalism school.
my sister says that all her journalist friends are the very best of their field if they want to go somewhere.
where can mediocre journalism students go?
"PR: If you're good with people PR could be a great option, again your English skills would come in useful."
oh woah. Thank you. All your comments have been really insightful. I would love this but how would I study it? what would I do?
"Architecture: I'm not sure if you like design type subjects but you seem to be interested in 'prestige'. Architecture a well respected course and it doesn't have any maths."
I suppose any creativity i might have is abstract and impractical unfortunately...very difficult to harness for something like this. I don't think i'd be very good compared to others (I also have a difficult time conceptualizing 3d objects on paper lol wtf?)
"What is your estimated ENTER?"
I'd say from 82-95
"Do you hate maths or just have trouble understanding it?"
I don't really hate maths but I have trouble understanding it. I suppose I don't like it because of that.
"Are you against TAFE/apprenticeships? or is it just your parents?"
well...to be honest. I suppose I am a bit. I'm prejudiced but I don' t know....my dad would look down on me I suppose and I'd feel bad. He has a doctorate from mit and loves maths....
"Perhaps even more importantly is to have a more of a positive attitude and remember just because you believe people in a certain profession are 'fake' doesn't mean you have to be."
sorry I meant as in most of the professions. As in, the job of say someone working in insurance is using artificial concepts and flows of money. There does not seem to be any real production value (but i'm sure there is) other than making money available for people who do the real production of stuff (like farmers, engineers, etc)
-
Something like making policy....
Hmm to get into something like that (even though you don't need a degree technically) probably arts (with specific subjects chosen) or Law. Also I'd imagine learning another language would be useful
Just putting it out there - you make a lot of policy by being a politician :P and a law degree would be extremely beneficial in that respect.
I enjoy the humanities but I don't see a future in them. Law would be nice but once again I have 'fake' feeling for them. As if, if there was some great shift in society my learning would be useless.
The law changes every week according to the constant shifts in society you mentioned, and even when you become a lawyer you keep learning. You don't just learn the law, you actually learn how to solve legal problems, you learn logical reasoning, and those are the skills you carry out of a law degree. The rest you can just look up on the thousands of databases out there.
-
NOOOO VITIR!!!
Civil Engineers are the ones who have the MOST scope to make policy. Civil engineering isn't just buildings! It's water/other SYSTEMS.
You need civil engineers to make policy on safety guidelines for things like irrigation/water waste disposal systems etc.
All the work done on the yarra river is overseen by civil engineers.
Sure, civil engineering tends to have the least maths, but it by no means has the least tough decisions!
what types of engineering will let me edge of the math side of things?
I highly doubt any.
Not gonna get into the whole 'which Eng is the hardest debate', but even Civil Eng is gonna be pretty maths/physics heavy.
Something like making policy....
Hmm to get into something like that (even though you don't need a degree technically) probably arts (with specific subjects chosen) or Law. Also I'd imagine learning another language would be useful
AHhH!!!
This is madness!
I'm overcome with joy. I want to do civil now!!!
it sounds fantastic...BUT it means now there are more competitors for what I have my eyes set on!
law...hmmm not sure...still in
here's what it looks like for me:
tossing up with:
civil engineering
law
journalism
I'm also really really sorry for my last post. It looks like garbage and is hard to follow. I did not do Redmosez post justice (still learning how to use quotes)
-
"Journalism: You said you like English, journalism is a great career that can be taken in many different directions."
YesYesYes
I don't know what you are doing but this seems perfect for me.
they have taken out the course now I thought though?
where can I study it?
I also read online that most journalists feel that they didn't need to have gone to journalism school.
my sister says that all her journalist friends are the very best of their field if they want to go somewhere.
where can mediocre journalism students go?
Monash
There's Bachelor of Arts majoring in Journalism, or Bachelor of Communications (which is a part of arts)
http://www.monash.edu.au/study/coursefinder/?action=search&query=journalism
Melbourne
BA - again I think you would have to major in journalism
http://tinyurl.com/yh6sxzs
Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)
http://tinyurl.com/yktsjwy
The Media and Communications program is an exciting Bachelor of Arts stream designed to provide students with optimal access to the globally expanding world of media and new communication technologies and to future post graduate study and research.
RMIT
Bachelor of Communication (Journalism)
http://tinyurl.com/ykckkqv
Professional Writing and Editing – Diploma incorporating Certificate IV
http://tinyurl.com/yh5vrmr
Deakin
Bachelor of Arts (majoring in journalism
http://www.deakin.edu.au/future-students/courses/course.php?course=A300&stutype=local&keywords=journalism
Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communication)
http://www.deakin.edu.au/future-students/courses/course.php?course=A328&stutype=local&keywords=journalism
Bachelor of Arts (Professional and Creative Writing)
http://www.deakin.edu.au/future-students/courses/course.php?course=A316&stutype=local&keywords=journalism
I'm sure you could find more with deeper research, this list took me about 5 minutes to compile :P
"PR: If you're good with people PR could be a great option, again your English skills would come in useful."
oh woah. Thank you. All your comments have been really insightful. I would love this but how would I study it? what would I do?
I think a commerce degree majoring in marketing or human resources?
Or there's arts degrees which can suit that too. I'm not too sure.
EDIT: shortened those massive URLs. I swear those links are not viruses :P
-
they have taken out the course now I thought though?
where can I study it?
Nah the course is still around. It can be pretty competitive to get in though.
RMIT Journalism, 95.75 ENTER (last year): http://www.vtac.edu.au/cgi-bin/coursesrch/course.cgi?&coursecode=32091
Swinburne Journalism, no ENTER available (assuming it's a new course so expect around 80-90ish ENTER) : http://www.vtac.edu.au/cgi-bin/coursesrch/course.cgi?&coursecode=34011
Monash Journalism, no ENTER available (new course, expect 95+): http://www.vtac.edu.au/cgi-bin/coursesrch/course.cgi?&coursecode=27281
Latrobe Journalism, 84.10 ENTER: http://www.vtac.edu.au/cgi-bin/coursesrch/course.cgi?&coursecode=21991
RMIT Professional Communicants, 94.25 ENTER (mix of Journalism, PR and Media): http://www.vtac.edu.au/cgi-bin/coursesrch/course.cgi?&coursecode=32701
I would love this but how would I study it? what would I do?
From wiki :P http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the communication between an organization and its publics.[1] Public relations gains an organization or individual exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not direct payment.[2] Because public relations places exposure in credible third-party outlets, it offers a third-party legitimacy that advertising does not have.[2] Common activities include speaking at conferences, working with the press, and employee communication. It is something that is not tangible and this is what sets it apart from Advertising.
check out http://www.vtac.edu.au/courses/searchfield.html for undergad courses
EDIT: Ninwa beat me to it :P there's a few others on my list so I'll leave em there
here's what it looks like for me:
tossing up with:
civil engineering
law
journalism
From what you've said
I don't really hate maths but I have trouble understanding it. I suppose I don't like it because of that.
I'd be a little cautious about taking up Engineering.
I'm not trying to discourage you from anything, who knows you might get a better grasp of maths at Uni, just make sure you're informed about what it's going to involve.
For example first year at Monash your two core units are:
* ENG1060 Computing for engineers: http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/ENG1060.html
* ENG1091 Mathematics for engineering: http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/ENG1091.html
Both will involve a fair bit of math, perhaps take a look at each Uni's handbook and narrow down your options?