Disadvantages of going to a Non Go8 Uni?

[Neuron]

Hi, was just wondering what are the disadvantages of going to a Non Go8 Uni such as RMIT, LaTrobe, etc.

[Truck]

depends on the course.

For something like Commerce or Law, I'd say probably (to a degree) job + networking opportunities when you graduate.
For something like Architecture, I believe RMIT is actually #1...

Otherwise, it really is specific to the uni - i.e. VU might have a much smaller international network of exchange uni's then let's say monash or melbourne.

[honey-corowa]

It's all very subjective-personally I think that each university is more prestiged in some fields than others, and some industries are a lot more competitive where the reputation of the uni is a larger factor.

[Neuron]

How about for a general course like Science?

Also is the discrimination faced for a person who has done their degree at a Non Go8 university in terms of employment great for industries like commerce and engineering?

Another question which has intrigued me lately is: Why do the top performing students generally choose Monash and Melb Uni? Is it primarily because of the prestige factor?

[KevinooBz]

How about for a general course like Science?

Also is the discrimination faced for a person who has done their degree at a Non Go8 university in terms of employment great for industries like commerce and engineering?

Another question which has intrigued me lately is: Why do the top performing students generally choose Monash and Melb Uni? Is it primarily because of the prestige factor?

The discrimination is to be expected because employers want to hire the best so they tend to lean towards graduates for highly regarded universities.Top performing students generally choose to go to Monash and Melb Uni because their courses are generally better in most cases, better job prospects, prestige and the whole idea of not letting your ATAR go to waste. It's in our human nature to want the best, Melbourne and Monash are the top tier universities in Australia and also world wide for a range of different courses different courses. With that all said, for some of those courses a great interview can easily land you a job and some industries have job shortages so the university you graduate from might not be such a great deal.

[sluu001]

Locally? Not a big deal PROVIDED you do well at uni. As I keep telling every kid who seems to think that melb or monash is some magic solution to getting a job upon graduation - you will be severely disappointed if you just cruise through with a credit/pass. In such a large and competitive industry like commerce where employers have such a large pool of talent to choose from, the criteria will ALWAYS be grades and experience (ie. extra curricular activities, related employment in the field etc) before the uni you go to. The only time where a melb/monash has an advantage over others is 2 sudents from a go8 and non go8 with similar marks/experience and equally impressive interviews - its in suh cases where a little nepotism might creep in.

To validate my point; my cousin and my mate's gf both went to deakin - graduated with first class honours in a b.comm (eco/finance and fin/accouning respectively) - one works at jp morgan, the other at credit suisse. Point is, if you work hard enough youll get the reward irreapective of the uni you attended.

[Neuron]

I see. Thanks a lot slu001. The issue seems to be brought up a lot especially in Whirlpool forums which I regularly lurk every once in a while. So you don't believe I will be disadvantaged in terms of employment? I don't really mind not being able to work for the top firms as soon as I graduate, but I don't want to be forced to employment as dumb as it may sound just because of what logo university my degree has.

[aes_999]

How about for a general course like Science?

Also is the discrimination faced for a person who has done their degree at a Non Go8 university in terms of employment great for industries like commerce and engineering?

Another question which has intrigued me lately is: Why do the top performing students generally choose Monash and Melb Uni? Is it primarily because of the prestige factor?

Primarily because of prestige factor, definitely. I know someone from MacRob doing Bachelor of Environments, she finished that and she
s doing a Masters in Architecture. But from rankings, RMIT's definitely number 1 for architecture, but she told me 'Melbourne sounds better'.

However, not everyone is attracted to prestige, sometimes it's about proximity. Everyone knows commerce at Melbourne Uni is the best in the state. I had the chance to do so, but Monash literally 15 minutes walk from my house, so I picked Monash. Also, I feel that I belong at Monash, having been a local resident for the whole time that I've lived in Melbourne.

[sluu001]

Depends on what you want to do. Commerce offers an enormous range of opportunities in terms of graduate employment. So high marks will open up a lot of doors for you regardless off what uni you go to.

HOWEVER, you have to bear in mind what I said regarding graduates competing for the same position with similar marks - tendancies for the majority of hr/recruitment (for now at least) is to go for the person with either the better interview or (if they are equally as impressive in their presentations), the university. For the upper echelons of graduate opportunities, where only the best graduates (in terms of marks, work experience etc) get short listed (since the demand for these positions outweighs the suply) - you HAVE to remember that the difference between a kid from deakin and a kid from melb/monah IS exactly that - the uni. And this is where the advantage of being at melb or monash MAY help you.

Another reason that one would choose melb/monash is if thu are planning to do post-grad studies or honours. Uni rankings are based on research output and research is predominately done in postgrad/honours. Hence my argument of unis being (more or less) equal extends only to an undergraduate degree. It is why I myself transferred from rmit to melb after 1st year - because I honestly feel melbourne's honours program is much better than the other universities.

[thushan]

Might add that for certain Health Science courses, say Medicine (or Dentistry?) the uni you go to doesn't have THAT much of a bearing. Whether you go to UoM/Monash/UNSW or Griffith/Flinders etc, you still end up with a medical degree and that, along with EC's etc, is what is assessed during internship selection. However, there is a slight bias towards UoM in Victoria, purely on the fact that the biggest hospitals are affiliated with it, and as a UoM student it is easier to establish connections - in the medical world, it's a lot about who you know.

[ProtonStar]

I got a 91.1 ATAR last year so I was clearly-in for Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne, and yet, I'm studying Arts at Deakin instead. Don't think about the disadvantages of going to a non Go8 uni; think about what kind of uni environment would make you most comfortable. That's why I'm at Deakin; I didn't think I would be comfortable at Melbourne. And I honestly don't think I'd be disadvantaged in anyway when it comes to employment (mind you, I'm leaning towards teaching, so a degree from a prestigious uni really doesn't matter).

[walkec]

What about Arts/Education (Secondary) at Monash compared to the same course at Deakin Burwood? Because I went to both open days and I really liked the vibe at Deakin more and they had a lot more choice when it came to completing a teachijg practium overseas.

[ProtonStar]

What about Arts/Education (Secondary) at Monash compared to the same course at Deakin Burwood? Because I went to both open days and I really liked the vibe at Deakin more and they had a lot more choice when it came to completing a teachijg practium overseas.

Well if you liked the vibe more at Deakin and you believe there is a lot more choice in that area, then I strongly suggest you think about going to Deakin.