Hi I was just wondering which University is better out of the two. I am thinking of doing a computer science degree and I'm thinking of doubling it with Commerce or an Arts degree for my second. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! I live in the Gold Coast too so Brisbane being closer is a slight positive but I'd be happy to get away.
Which University is better? UQ or UNSW?
Comments
ANU
Hogwarts
They really need someone with this degree over there. Them books they teach with are really starting to fall apart…
UNSW — says this Gold Coast guy who ended up doing a B.Eng in Computing in UNSW almost 2 decades ago :)
However here's a better reason why UNSW is better:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/428460270539887/
I met up with some OzBargainers at UNSW yesterday who claimed that you can almost live on free food on the campus.
There are usually plenty of BBQs at the start of each semester, possibly enough to live on alone.
And yes, UNSW Free Food is a real group and it's just another reason to attend UNSW =)
This. I work at UNSW and there's always someone BBQ-ing something. Plus the surrounding area is pretty nice too, lots of good places to eat at.
I'm sold
Seriously, I was having to make the same decision back in the mid-90's. I did my high school on the Gold Coast and the local universities (Griffith, Bond) were pretty bad in what I wanted to do (Computing). I think Griffith has improved, but Bond had cut quite a few staffs in their computing faculty last couple of years as I knew quite a few people lost their jobs.
I was going to UQ or QUT for a double EE/CS degree — relatively close to home and that's where most my high school friends were going. Then during mid-year break I travelled to Sydney to visit some friends and one guy took me to check out some unis. That was an eye opener. So at the end I got into CompEng in UNSW, already worked full-time in software dev while finishing my thesis, stayed in Sydney after graduating and the rest is history :)
That was quite a while ago though, and things might be different now. But do feel free to go and check out the uni in person, talk to graduates, talk to current students, etc. Personally I found the actual technology and tool of trade you learnt at uni are pretty useless — I am talking about computing related stuffs from the perspective of 10-15 years after graduating. They either go out of date, or they are so rarely used in the real world that you forget all about it 10 minutes after the final exam.
Do look for one that teach you in the right train of thought, and in computing it's a lot more than just the "language" or "platform" you use. Also look for one that you can build your network and friendships — I don't really give a crap now about the thesis topic I did, but I still treasure all the friends I made while at uni. Not to mention my last 3 jobs before OzBargain have all been referred by uni friends :)
Look for one that you think you are going to enjoy the 3-4 years of unique period of your life. Good luck!
Some good advice here scotty. I always thought that in a way, you go to university to learn how to learn, not so much the actual "tools" you used. Uni re wired my brain of sorts haha
Bond
Why do you say that? Do you really believe it is worth about 4 times the price of other uni's?
It's fine if you Alan Bond's nephew I guess
Bond is a joke. Unless you get a full scholarship it simply isn't worth it.
I did a post-graduate diploma at a top 8 university. This diploma exclusively included many persons whom had studied law from across the country. There was a guy who did his law degree at Bond.
We had one assignment where peers had to review it before submitting it to the teacher. I reviewed his piece, and it was copied and pasted from an internet page, to the extent that there were webpage buttons actually in his assignment.
I nicely advised "cite your sources!" to give him a subtle clue that this wasn't ok, however he simply said "oh ok" and proceeded to submit the assignment.
Unsurprisingly he was ordered to resubmit the assignment. However we're talking about someone who has already completed a law degree - that type of behaviour would have been an instant fail or at least a mark on my formal record at my university - it's plagurism.
So I found this event a little worrying about the standards at Bond.
Yeronga Tafe
Griftafe
Greendale Community College :P
Better = learn more? Earn more? Higher chance of employment? Better reputation with potential employers?
I did a similar degree at UQ, and I'm doing ok in life :) I'm not sure that the difference between those two institutions would affect your employability too much (especially in that general field. If you want to specialise though, it might be worth looking at where the work is, and studying there (not a show stopper - but if you thought it likely you'd have to move to NSW after graduating for specialist work, might be worth studying at UNSW - affiliations? Not sure)
Good idea on doing the double. Commerce (or Economics or Finance?) over Arts.
As you're already in QLD, I'd say UQ.
I don't really want to think of location as a factor as it'll cost a similar amount as I'd move up to Brisbane anyway. Better as in better quality of education, I'm more doing it for knowledge (particularly in computing) than for the degree. I'm planning on working hard and not just cruising. And I agree with you on the commerce the problem is getting in though, the prerequisite looks like an OP 3 equivalent. I'm also really interested in the culture of the two Uni's and even a city comparison. Thanks for your comment though I'll definitely take some of that on board!
Honestly doesn't really matter as long as you work your ass off (doesn't mean you can't have fun), make GOOD connections and maintain a good average (D or higher).
No point going to a better uni over the other if you're just gonna cruise for a P.IMO
Yeah I totally agree there isn't much point if you're planning on cruising through.
UQ and study hard. if ya dont know matter where u go, you still got the debt to pay off LOL
Have a look at the subjects for each degree at each university. You may find you prefer one much more than the other.
I'd also look closely at why you want to do a double degree. Is there a subject area outside of your primary degree that you really want to study? Do you think it will improve your job prospects? It's a lot more money and study that you could direct elsewhere to greater effect (ie. Honours). None of my friends who did a double degree ever seemed to directly benefit from it.
Thanks for the input I never really considered not doing it to be honest it's been forced down my throat that I was doing a double degree ever since Uni came up. I would think however that if you get two degrees that complement each other such as computer science and commerce though that could improve your job prospects as that is a more specific more skilled job.
You should talk to some employers. Ask them if they have any preferences.
Also ask them about double degrees, I did Engineering and a lot of employers don't prefer double degrees because they miss out some of the advanced subjects.
A double degree is not equal to 2 single degrees, they have to cut subjects to fit them into the time.
Sometimes better off concentrating on one degree and taking some extra advanced subjects.
Also one employer told me she didn't like engineering students with business degrees because they wanted to be the boss straight out of uni. She was after people that had more technical skills.Thanks for the advice I'll definitely look into that!
It was the opposite for me. :/ (5 year engineering + business)
Overall, it depends on who the employers are. Some prefer double whilst some prefer single.
But I think your overall marks and interpersonal skills are the major factors when getting a graduate position.
It's Australia. Our tertiary institutions aren't as stratified as say the USA with its Ivy League, Pacific Coast elites, etc. Go to whatever happens to be more convenient, most employers don't differentiate based on uni, they care about your grades, extracurriculars etc.
UQ grad here. I know a UNSW friend who did the same degree as I did. Both liked our own uni and ended up concluding that UQ is harder, but I'm glad it's not the other way around. Either way I think this is kinda opinionated. Best to go to open days and see the campus yourself first.
Edit: you should also consider other factors like transport, housing and the surroundings.
Thanks for the feedback! Out of curiosity what degree was that?
Mechanical and aerospace engineering for me, and straight mech eng for my mate. The bits we discussed were primarily on mech eng since the aero part is only about 4 different courses and the rest are electives.
I suggest you pick up one of those cheap flights and go down to sydney for a day or two to speak to the office admin, look around the campus and see if you can have a chat with a few lecturers (obviously email them beforehand). Also scout out the local shops and possible places to live.
I know that at the moment UQ is recruiting students for mid year entry, so I guess there would be people around showing the campus and what you can study etc.
Good luck with your uni and study hard!
If you want to try out the first year computing course at UNSW, it is freely available online https://www.openlearning.com/courses/computing1
Oh wow I didn't know that! Thanks Thanks I'll definitely be looking at that!
There are also free computer science courses at edx.org provided by Harvard and MIT. 6.00x is a highly recommended course. Also coursera offers some from other unis as well
I voted unsw, but i think that's state bias.
Unless you want to continue on as an Academic, pick the city where you want to live. You'll enjoy whichever uni you go to and their both great Unis.
If you are in it to be an Academic, or do a research degree, look at their research programs, each uni tends to have a field where they specialize.
what I found is that going to uni was much harder than school as I had to look after myself AND do a ridiculous amount of work (depends on your course I guess) AND do a regretful amount of partying. So if you're anything like me being close to your family for support could be good.
It really doesn't matter as far as choosing between the universities. They are both good schools and employers place far less emphasis on the supposed social cachet of one university vis-a-vis another than you would imagine.
Think hard about doing a double degree. I did one and by the fifth year I was ready to kill someone. Please don't do an extra degree for the sake of it, I did an arts/law degree and quite frankly I would kill to get that extra year of my life back, not to mention the additional year of HECS that I copped as a result of the arts degree.
Keep in mind at all times your end goal, university study is pointless unless it enables you to do something that you want to do and would not be able to do otherwise. It truly is a means to an end.
Actually for computer science I'd say UTS or QUT… Commerce/Arts probably avoid these two unis lol… but it really doesn't matter that much IMO, as long as you do well.
uhh… are these two unis that bad?
Suggest The UQ. Top faculty, best uni campus in QLD, the library/resources are best in the state and edu funding from govt for scholarships are highest. I got friends who studied at the UNSW… and I myself did a commerce degree at UQ. Overall, as a student at UQ, I felt the uni fees were a little steep… but by far the best decision during those years, completely worth it!
I did Comp Eng at UNSW 2000-2003.
I'd have to say that the school (CSE) were not short of resources. The entire UNSW Kensington campus is very nice looking. A LOT of my fellow Computing students were from non-English speaking backgrounds. Added to this, geeks are pretty shy. This meant that there was not a lot of opportunities to socialise with other students — but I liked that because I am pretty shy myself.
Careers-wise; CSE at UNSW did not really help much for career-related stuff. I did end up getting a job straight out of uni — but that was because CSE had a careers notice board where employers could advertise.That's good to hear about the facilities but won't computer science attract that sort of person regardless of the uni? Yeah I had a feeling those affiliations with companies in the industry didn't do much for students
UQ. Because we got the hot bitches walking around campus. Ladies first, education second.
On a serious note, I'd say just go UQ. It's only 45 mins drive if you forget something from home. Your parents can always bring you food too.
hys on 15/05/2013 - 15:24 Comment score below threshold.