Study Abroad in Australia or New Zealand
Sep 7, 2007, 9:15 pm
#1
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Study Abroad in Australia or New Zealand
I am a student and am thinking about spending next semester in Australia or New Zealand. I am a political science major and enjoy art, culture, and most of all food. Any advise on the best play to study would be great.
Sep 7, 2007, 9:27 pm
#2
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ClimbGuy, What are your options and preferences re. the available courses and your off-campus interests? Aside from climbing. 
One difference in most of Australia is that most students live off-campus. However in my experience, an exchange would mean you are living on campus.
Thus a university with a great on-campus life is something to consider. Is the University of Sydney on your list? If you prefer a smaller town location, is the Unversity of Wollongong (1 hr from Sydney) or Newcastle (2 hrs...) on your list of options?
The location and environment of Wollongong is beautiful - worth a good look, whatever you decide, and close to lots of sporting activities if you want to make the most of the outdoors.
Outside the standard universities you'd also have the Catholic universities on the list - and as a very long shot, Bond University on the Gold Coast.
Hope this helps. I think you'll love it here as a student.
One difference in most of Australia is that most students live off-campus. However in my experience, an exchange would mean you are living on campus.
Thus a university with a great on-campus life is something to consider. Is the University of Sydney on your list? If you prefer a smaller town location, is the Unversity of Wollongong (1 hr from Sydney) or Newcastle (2 hrs...) on your list of options?
The location and environment of Wollongong is beautiful - worth a good look, whatever you decide, and close to lots of sporting activities if you want to make the most of the outdoors.
Outside the standard universities you'd also have the Catholic universities on the list - and as a very long shot, Bond University on the Gold Coast.
Hope this helps. I think you'll love it here as a student.
Sep 7, 2007, 10:43 pm
#3
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University of Sydney is on the list so is Wollongong and New Castle. While I could be talked into something else I think I would rather be in an urban area.
My schools contacts with IFSA bulter. A full list of campuses are here:
Australia: http://www.ifsa-butler.org/programs/australia/
New Zealand: http://www.ifsa-butler.org/programs/new_zealand/
In the upper right hand corner there there is a list of schools. In readint the details the program offers on-campus housing but I am going to try and opt to live off campus. One of the major downsides to living on campus is you are requred to buy into a meal plan which would prevent (or make a lot more expensive) to enjoy the food.
My schools contacts with IFSA bulter. A full list of campuses are here:
Australia: http://www.ifsa-butler.org/programs/australia/
New Zealand: http://www.ifsa-butler.org/programs/new_zealand/
In the upper right hand corner there there is a list of schools. In readint the details the program offers on-campus housing but I am going to try and opt to live off campus. One of the major downsides to living on campus is you are requred to buy into a meal plan which would prevent (or make a lot more expensive) to enjoy the food.
Sep 8, 2007, 10:28 am
#4
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I spent 6 months at the University of Otago.
Wonderful place and a very good school.
If you like adventure sports, the Otago area is excellent. And for more thrills, Queenstown is just a couple of hours away.
In the three stints I've spent as an exchange student in different countries, I've only spent one week living on-campus (well, maybe not exactly "on-campus", but at least university owned. I stayed at "F*ck Towers" at UCSB while waiting for the previous occupant of my apartment to move out. Good times with clueless and cute freshman California girls)
Wonderful place and a very good school.
If you like adventure sports, the Otago area is excellent. And for more thrills, Queenstown is just a couple of hours away.
In the three stints I've spent as an exchange student in different countries, I've only spent one week living on-campus (well, maybe not exactly "on-campus", but at least university owned. I stayed at "F*ck Towers" at UCSB while waiting for the previous occupant of my apartment to move out. Good times with clueless and cute freshman California girls
)
Sep 10, 2007, 5:41 am
#6
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I went to Uni in Sydney (UTS) graduated 2004.
I would suggest UNSW or U Sydney. UNSW is by far the best university in Sydney/NSW so you will get quality learning and it has a pretty good collegiate feel, Sydney is probably in a bit more interesting location close to Newtown, which has some pretty good restaurants that are cheap to (I did a year of Arts at Sydney). I noticed UTS (University of Technology) is also on the list. I would tend to avoid it. Thats where I got my degree and to tell you the truth whilst it is an excellent school academically, it is probably also the most sterile of all the campuses in Sydney, there is really no socialising, in 3 years there I do not have one person who I still speak to from Uni. Come to think of it I don't think they have a Political degree anyway.
Macquarie Uni is also good but abit far out of the action especially if your using public transport and what to live abit central to where things are happening.
If you need anymore help PM me or post here.
I would suggest UNSW or U Sydney. UNSW is by far the best university in Sydney/NSW so you will get quality learning and it has a pretty good collegiate feel, Sydney is probably in a bit more interesting location close to Newtown, which has some pretty good restaurants that are cheap to (I did a year of Arts at Sydney). I noticed UTS (University of Technology) is also on the list. I would tend to avoid it. Thats where I got my degree and to tell you the truth whilst it is an excellent school academically, it is probably also the most sterile of all the campuses in Sydney, there is really no socialising, in 3 years there I do not have one person who I still speak to from Uni. Come to think of it I don't think they have a Political degree anyway.
Macquarie Uni is also good but abit far out of the action especially if your using public transport and what to live abit central to where things are happening.
If you need anymore help PM me or post here.
Sep 10, 2007, 7:46 am
#7
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Bensyd, I'll try and keep my posts here for the benifit of the community.
As a political science major I was debated between being in Canberra at ASU or in Sydney. How do the two cities compare?
Also, overall is there a "best school" in the country and if so which one is it?
thanks for all the help.
As a political science major I was debated between being in Canberra at ASU or in Sydney. How do the two cities compare?
Also, overall is there a "best school" in the country and if so which one is it?
thanks for all the help.
Sep 10, 2007, 9:38 am
#9
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Canberra is a bit of a regional centre, not really a city to be honest
I went to UNSW and certainly it and Sydney are a level above the rest of the universities in sydney. ANU is very well regarded, particularly for pol sci, and the other top uni's in aus would be monash and melbourne. I suspect ANU would be the best for your course but it is in the suckiest location, I won't comment on the melbourne unis as I don't know them well enough but unsw has more of a leaning towards applied courses while sydney has more of a leaning towards the arts. To be honest I think in terms of the coursework you won't have an issue with any of them so the choice will more come down to whether you want to live in winter (melbourne), a country town (ANU), the beach (UNSW) or inner city (Sydney). If I were you I'd go for Sydney and live in a share house off campus in newtown.
I went to UNSW and certainly it and Sydney are a level above the rest of the universities in sydney. ANU is very well regarded, particularly for pol sci, and the other top uni's in aus would be monash and melbourne. I suspect ANU would be the best for your course but it is in the suckiest location, I won't comment on the melbourne unis as I don't know them well enough but unsw has more of a leaning towards applied courses while sydney has more of a leaning towards the arts. To be honest I think in terms of the coursework you won't have an issue with any of them so the choice will more come down to whether you want to live in winter (melbourne), a country town (ANU), the beach (UNSW) or inner city (Sydney). If I were you I'd go for Sydney and live in a share house off campus in newtown.
Sep 10, 2007, 6:06 pm
#10
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Sep 10, 2007, 6:27 pm
#11
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Make sure your semester falls during their summer (the northern hemisphere's winter).
Sep 10, 2007, 6:46 pm
#12
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Then take NZ off your list. Christchurch is small and Auckland is not very interesting. NZ has great scenery, adventure sports and more 'culture' but OZ has better big city life.
Make sure your semester falls during their summer (the northern hemisphere's winter).
Make sure your semester falls during their summer (the northern hemisphere's winter).
has a lot of art & culture, and is much more interesting than Canberra IMHO.
Sep 10, 2007, 6:52 pm
#13
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Beaches are excellant in sydney, arguably the best of any city in the world. Personally I think the northern beaches are better than the eastern suburbs beaches but you really don't want to deal with the hassle of commuting from the northern beaches to U Sydney or UNSW every day.
What sort of outdoor activities? While U Sydney is inner city it still has football fields, parks etc and the like around (and in) it, it's not as densely populated as a new york, chicago etc style inner city.
U Sydney is on the northern edge of Newtown so you could easily be 5 mins (or less) walk from campus
What sort of outdoor activities? While U Sydney is inner city it still has football fields, parks etc and the like around (and in) it, it's not as densely populated as a new york, chicago etc style inner city.
U Sydney is on the northern edge of Newtown so you could easily be 5 mins (or less) walk from campus
Sep 11, 2007, 6:29 am
#14
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Canberra is a bit of a regional centre, not really a city to be honest
I went to UNSW and certainly it and Sydney are a level above the rest of the universities in sydney. ANU is very well regarded, particularly for pol sci, and the other top uni's in aus would be monash and melbourne. I suspect ANU would be the best for your course but it is in the suckiest location, I won't comment on the melbourne unis as I don't know them well enough but unsw has more of a leaning towards applied courses while sydney has more of a leaning towards the arts. To be honest I think in terms of the coursework you won't have an issue with any of them so the choice will more come down to whether you want to live in winter (melbourne), a country town (ANU), the beach (UNSW) or inner city (Sydney). If I were you I'd go for Sydney and live in a share house off campus in newtown.
I went to UNSW and certainly it and Sydney are a level above the rest of the universities in sydney. ANU is very well regarded, particularly for pol sci, and the other top uni's in aus would be monash and melbourne. I suspect ANU would be the best for your course but it is in the suckiest location, I won't comment on the melbourne unis as I don't know them well enough but unsw has more of a leaning towards applied courses while sydney has more of a leaning towards the arts. To be honest I think in terms of the coursework you won't have an issue with any of them so the choice will more come down to whether you want to live in winter (melbourne), a country town (ANU), the beach (UNSW) or inner city (Sydney). If I were you I'd go for Sydney and live in a share house off campus in newtown.
I have heard that ANU has a fantastic 'uni town' atmosphere, and I'm sure you could have a great time down there, but on its own Canberra is abit boring. Although iirc there is a fantastic Turkish restaurant down there my parents always rave about it they have friends down there who they visit and always include a trip to it.