Exchange or college in Aus?

[ktrah]

I'm tossing up between going to ANU and living on campus or going to Monash and spending three semesters overseas on exchange. I've considered the educational factors and it's come down to whether the Australian college experience is worth it or whether it would be better to go on exchange for longer (at ANU I would still go for one semester). I know not many people here tend to live on campus but for those who have or know people who have, what have your experiences been like? I feel that in Australia we're missing out on the whole university culture that they have in say the US, which I'm hoping for. But I'm not sure whether I would get more out of going on exchange for longer rather than going to Canberra, since I'm sure Australian colleges are different from those overseas. Anyone able to share their advice/experiences?

[Liuy]

I'm on college at Monash. To be honest, the whole "university culture" lifestyle is predominantly what you make of it.
I really could not justify relocating to the USA purely for the lifestyle purposes, although I know that you most probably have more factors to consider as well.

That being said, college is amazing, heaps of wonderful people, gatherings, and a great collective identity in general. Definitely worth the money, experience is invaluable and you only go through it once. It's a great transitional point between living at home and moving out completely, but one year at college is more than enough to fulfill me, I'm most likely heading over to halls next year to learn how to cook, and then move out completely.

So weigh up the pros and cons of each, but just know that even though colleges in the USA may be even more rowdy than those at ANU, you'll be more than adequately occupied already.

[Eriny]

Living on campus in Australia is pretty different from the US from what I gather, but it's a good way to fully experience university culture. Commuting to and from uni is fine but it makes it a bit more difficult to participate in uni life. Even living close to uni just isn't the same.

I didn't know you could go on exchange for three semesters, I thought most unis tend to limit it to a year at most. If you want the US college experience though, you're unlikely to get it in Australia.

[ktrah]

Thanks for your replies! What do you guys think the main differences are between Australian colleges and US colleges?

Eriny, Bachelor of Arts (Global/International) at Monash allows you to go for three semesters, but yeah most unis are max one year (and ANU only one semester ). Btw, how have you found living in Canberra?