Any '10ers interested in ANU?

[gemgem49]

How much harder is it to get in to? Can non yr 12 apply too? I probably wouldn't applt, but the Arts International Relations course does look really good.. even if I did consider applying I could never afford to study interstate.

[humph]

Besides the research opportunities, is there a big difference in the core subject material between various universities? i.e. would going to Monash instead of ANU undermine my knowledge? I've been taking a look at Monash's research opportunities in astrophysics, which seem pretty good, although I wouldn't want my basis in physics and mathematics to be compromised.

It depends very much on the area. Monash have excellent courses available on theoretical astrophysics, while ANU's are more experimental (and some involve going to real observatories). In other disciplines I'm not so sure - Monash is quite rubbish at pure maths compared to ANU, though okay at applied. ANU has a very strong theoretical physics department, and its experimental in most areas is quite strong too, though Monash does have the synchotron...

On another note, whilst CSPA has the areas of research I'd be interested in, does anyone have any idea how likely it is to get an opportunity to do research during the undergraduate degree?

Again, depends on the area. In maths you'll struggle to do anything more groundbreaking than study a particular case of something unimportant that no one's been bothered to do before, but in some other areas it can be different. My friend has just been published in a pretty decent journal on the basis of some experimental research he did as part of an Advanced Studies Course in nonlinear optics (physics, of course).

Also I hear it isn't necessary to do any extensive, specific study in astrophysics in order to do it later on; how true is this?

No idea. I suppose a solid maths/physics background would mean that it wouldn't be too hard to pick up most of the subtleties quickly.

[Eriny]

I do anthropology and philosophy

I guess most interstate people I know do either PhB or Law/Something, but if you like ANU, I don't see why you wouldn't do an 'ordinary' degree.

[Akirus]

Besides the research opportunities, is there a big difference in the core subject material between various universities? i.e. would going to Monash instead of ANU undermine my knowledge? I've been taking a look at Monash's research opportunities in astrophysics, which seem pretty good, although I wouldn't want my basis in physics and mathematics to be compromised.

It depends very much on the area. Monash have excellent courses available on theoretical astrophysics, while ANU's are more experimental (and some involve going to real observatories). In other disciplines I'm not so sure - Monash is quite rubbish at pure maths compared to ANU, though okay at applied. ANU has a very strong theoretical physics department, and its experimental in most areas is quite strong too, though Monash does have the synchotron...

Speaking of which, is the mathematics used in advanced theoretical physics (in particular, stuff like supersymmetric string theory, etc) more applied or pure maths? I haven't actually done any higher level physics studies, so my motivation to do the subject is mainly from pure interest, with what I know mostly derived from wikipedia reading. I'm also curious how 'research' in theoretical physics works on an undergraduate level. Am I right in assuming that since it's theoretical, I don't actually have to use any research facilities, etc. to conduct experiments? My impression of theoretical physics is that its mainly thinking, maths and computational calculations.

Based on what I've heard from a few people, I guess opting to go to Monash essentially limits my specialization options to astrophysics. ANU seems the better choice as a university, I'm just reluctant to go to leave Victoria. Also, when you say ANU's astrophysics is more observational, does that mean it has a weak theoretical component? I don't know if its strange, but the notion of going to real laboratories and observatories to conduct experiments and research isn't very appealing to me.

Is it a reasonable conclusion to say that if I go to Monash, I'd be able to get a good focus on theoretical astrophysics with a relatively weaker foundation in mathematics and physics, whereas ANU would give me strong options across the board (at the cost of moving interstate)?

On another note, whilst CSPA has the areas of research I'd be interested in, does anyone have any idea how likely it is to get an opportunity to do research during the undergraduate degree?

Again, depends on the area. In maths you'll struggle to do anything more groundbreaking than study a particular case of something unimportant that no one's been bothered to do before, but in some other areas it can be different. My friend has just been published in a pretty decent journal on the basis of some experimental research he did as part of an Advanced Studies Course in nonlinear optics (physics, of course).

So, in the overall scheme of things, how important are the research projects you do during your undergraduate? I thought having the experience would be helpful in terms of gaining entry into a good grad school. The CSPA at Monash have a lot of stuff I'm interested in, like high energy astrophysics and particle cosmology. Problem is there isn't very detailed information available on the website in regards to how difficult it is to get a position to do undergrad research and what exactly I'll be able to do.

By the way, thanks for taking time to answer my seemingly endless list of questions.