Cold feet about transferring?

[System]

Hi, I transferred into Uni of Melb this year from Monash Univeristy. However, I am having serious reservations about it to the point that I'm considering withdrawing from Uni of Melb and staying at Monash.

My main source of uneasiness lies with my subjects options at UoM. I'm unsure of what I want to do (Economics vs Finance major, Doing Honours etc.) and the UoM course outline is extremely rigid for a student transferring into second-year. I'm not even sure how summer subjects work at UoM. At Monash, I have many more options and I feel that it would give me a chance to explore different subjects so that I can finally decide what I actually want to do. Can anyone give me advice about what I should do?

Probably the main reason I originally wanted to transfer to UoM was the travel distance, but now I'm not so sure that it's actually worth it.

Edit: It's only been a week into the semester so I doubt I would have missed much of the course content.

[sluu001]

Melb does offer a large range of economics subjects - although you do have to do the 3 main core economics classes each year if you want to do honours micro/macro and econometrics. However, I believe this is the same at Monash anyway.

Im not sure what you mean by the course being rigid because I also transferred after 1st yr and didnt find it too inflexible from my time at RMIT. Have you looked at the economics handbook as well? - because melb does offer quite a number of elective economics subjects as well. The only possible inflexibility that may exist is probably the existence of compulsory breadth subjects - which can cut into the options for a student who wants to concentrate on the commerce dicipline. But 2 breadths every yr isnt too bad considering most undergrad economics topics can be squeezed into 9-12 subjects total.

[Gloamglozer]

The only possible inflexibility that may exist is probably the existence of compulsory breadth subjects - which can cut into the options for a student who wants to concentrate on the commerce dicipline. But 2 breadths every yr isnt too bad considering most undergrad economics topics can be squeezed into 9-12 subjects total.

And does MGMT20001 Organisational Behaviour count as an inflexibility?  I haven't heard rave reviews on that compulsory subject for all B.Com students.

[sluu001]

Pretty that useless excuse for a subject is compulsory at most (if not all) unis. Im actually hoping to get the stupid thing exempted from prior working experience - or tacking it on to semester 2 and focussing on my 3rd yr economics subject.

And on that note - I got into commerce to escape maths. WHY THE F---K do we need to know matrix calculus for economics!?

[System]

Okay, I should have been more clear. I am definitely majoring in Accounting, but I'm not sure what my second major will be. I'll post my subjects to give you an idea.

At Melbourne, I am planning to do

FNCE20001 - Business Finance
ACCT20001 - Cost Management
ACCT20002 - Intermediate Financial Accounting
BLAW20001 - Corporate Law

This is fine as there are equivalent subjects at Monash which I was planning to do anyway.

However, I am forced to do
QM2
ACCT10003 - Accounting Processes and Analysis
MGMT20001 - Organisational Behaviour
and a breadth subject.

Right now, I want to do an economics subject (probably Intermediate Macroeconomics) and possibly another economics subject (Intermediate Micro) as a summer subject. However, this is not possible without forgoing Basic Econometrics or Econometrics in third year which is required to do honours.

At Monash, I am able to complete the subjects that make me eligible for Economics or Finance major this year.

Instead of the four subjects listed, I am able to complete
AFC2000 - Financial institutions and markets
ECC2000 - Intermediate microeconomics
ECC2010 - Intermediate macroeconomics
and an elective commerce subject (probably AFC2240 - Equities and investment analysis at this stage)


within a single year. So essentially, if I go to Monash, I am eligible for an Economics or Finance Major and able to do subjects I actually want to do. However, at Melbourne, at the very least I would need to do a summer subject (which I'm not actually too sure how it works) to be eligible for an Economics or Finance Major. However, if I go down this path, I would not be eligible for honours for Accounting or Finance.

[Planck's constant]

However, I am forced to do
QM2

What do you mean you are forced to do QM2.
Commerce requires Maths.

Doesn't Monash Commerce use  numbers?

[sluu001]

Wow, Monash gives you the option to do a triple major? I was certain that the accredited Accounting degrees at any Uni would contain too many subjects for someone to get a triple major in Accounting/Eco/Finance. Well, I guess that's a limitation on our Commerce degree then I guess.

[Planck's constant]

I think that you can just about squeeze a triple major at the UoM B.Com provided that you lump the compulsory maths component into Science Breadth.

[Planck's constant]

I think that you can just about squeeze a triple major at the UoM B.Com provided that you lump the compulsory maths component into Science Breadth.

Perhaps I should qualify this statement by saying that you can just about complete the requirements for 3 majors.
I am not sure whether the University actually issues triple major degrees.

[System]

Wow, Monash gives you the option to do a triple major? I was certain that the accredited Accounting degrees at any Uni would contain too many subjects for someone to get a triple major in Accounting/Eco/Finance. Well, I guess that's a limitation on our Commerce degree then I guess.

No, you can't do a triple major in a single commerce degree as there are too many third year subjects you need to complete, but the subjects I would complete at Monash this year would satisfy some of the prerequisites that are needed so that I can decide to major in Accounting, Finance or Economics at the end of the year.

[sluu001]

Be wary about the subjects needed to satisfy an "accounting major" at uni and what subjects are needed to be eligible for CPA/CA accreditation. You do not simply become an accountant after completing an accounting major - you still need to register an undergo further training and testing after your degree with an accounting institute (ie. CPA/CA) - in order to become an accredited accountant.

Ive found that the prerequisites needed by unis to satisfy their accounting major may not satisfy all the prerequisite subjects needed to be eligibe for entry into CPA/CA.

Just had a thought, why not repeal a couple of subjects you got credited from Monash - this will open up more commerce slots for you to fit in the necessary subjects to have the option of all 3 majors at the end of 2nd yr. Sure it will take a little longer than 3 yrs to complete the b.comm this way - but half a yr is not that significant in the grand sheme of things.

Also, as another poster have posted - you may also have the option to do QM2 or intro econometrics as breadths by choosing the science faculty's equivalent statistic subject. I mean econometrics is just a fancy way of saying "statistics for economics kids". Just consult with the commerce centre or the student handbook to see if this is possible.

Your situation seems wierd to me - because I also transferred after 1st yr and also has to do APA and QM2 (although i chose intro. Econometrics), but right now I still have the option in majoring in 2 of the 3 areas at the start of 3rd yr.

However, I did get the commerce course co ordinator to switch a breadth subject for me into an elective subject instead - because I wanted to do an eco/accounting major and the bloody breadth sytem meant I was one subject short. They had to accomadate me because ir would look quite stupid for the breadth system if one of their student couldnt complete a major because they stuffed up the model.

Now that I think about ir - this might be something you can explore as well! Tell them you want an accredited acct/eco dbl and that the stupid breadth requirement is not allowing you to do that.

[Gloamglozer]

And on that note - I got into commerce to escape maths. WHY THE F---K do we need to know matrix calculus for economics!?

Not for economics.  Economics and maths go hand-in-hand.  Quite a lot of maths students go over to economics in honours and postgrad.

[System]

Now that I think about ir - this might be something you can explore as well! Tell them you want an accredited acct/eco dbl and that the stupid breadth requirement is not allowing you to do that.

I think you misunderstood me - I probably didn't explain myself very clearly. What I am trying to say is that I want to be able to complete subjects that make up the prerequisites for third-year subjects in Accounting, Finance and Economics. I don't think it is possible without a least doing a summer subject and possibly forgoing Basic Econometrics or Econometrics which is required to do honours.

I'm still not sure whether I want to major in Finance or Economics and I would like to experience both so I can make a fully informed decision on what my second major will be. At Monash, I know I can do this and I will get to experience subjects that I know I want to do. At Melbourne, I am not sure if it is possible and I have to complete four subjects which I have no significant interest in.

Anyway, thanks for the help. I have a booked a student advice appointment and I'll see where it goes from there.