1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Advice about going to Uni

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by UnderARock, Apr 25, 2008.

  1. UnderARock

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2007
    Messages:
    129
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Gold Coast, Australia
    Gender:
    Male
    Out Status:
    Some people
    The other day i realised next semester will be my last chance to go uni as a teen. I kinda freaking out about that. I haven't been in an educational environment since the end of 2005. I really need to be bac in one for the obvious educational reasons but also mental, emotional and social reasons. The thing I don't really know anything about uni. Like how a primary school student might not understand how a high school operates. I can't talk about this with my parents and I dont have friends that i ask about this.

    I really want to go to Bond Uni (Australia's only private uni, its 10 minutes from where I live) but its probably not the best idea spending the extra money to go there when im undecided. Thinking that i could do a bachelor of arts at Griffith (the public uni on the coast) , i could complicated the matter and look at uni outside the city but i need to know more about uni to do that. Its my understand a bachelor of arts is the de facto undecided course but I think u still have to pick a major. Not that I know what a major is or a minor. Nor do i understand the difference between doing a bachelor of arts majoring in, um lets say, photography and doing a bachelor of photography. Are they different or they 2 ways of saying the same thing? I dont even properly understand wat studying a uni course entails. I someone could please explain uni and provide some advice i would really appreciate it.
     
  2. Jim1454

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2007
    Messages:
    7,284
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Toronto
    Someone from Australia should probably respond to this... because I don't know if the system there is different from the one in Canada. In some respects going to university isn't much different than going to high school. If you managed well there, then you'll manage just fine at university too. The benefit is that you'll be able to speciallize in something that interests you - which presumably makes the courses more interesting and you're more motivated to do well.

    But if you're not sure what you'd do when you get there or why you'd be going, maybe it isn't the right time for you to go. You might want to talk to a career counsellor or something first to see what kind of programs would benefit you the most.
     
  3. Micah

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2005
    Messages:
    2,284
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Melbourne, Australia
    You're correct in assuming a bachelor of arts is the basic "Oh shit - I can't decide what course to do!" subject...And to be completely honest a huge number of people who study a bachelor of arts end up teaching the subject they major in.

    If you did a Bachelor of Arts, at the start of each year, you choose 4 subjects to study each semester of that year (8 subjects in total). sometimes universities will ask you to pick 3 subjects from the "arts" (ie humanities subjects) and 1 subject from another discipline, such as science, business etc.

    So you could be studying

    Semester 1

    History
    Photography
    Health
    Psychology

    Semester 2

    Geography
    Literature
    English Language
    Psychology

    Your major is the subject you continue with throughout your entire course, and thus know the most about. A "minor" is generally a backup major, that you might continue with 2nd most - just in case you suddenly decide you don't like your major.

    The problem with an art's degree is that it's essentially just like highschool. You're doing 4 completely unrelated subjects, so at the end of your degree, you come away with an "ok" knowledge of your major, but not knowing heaps about it.

    As such, at the end of your Bachelor of arts, you generally go back and do a "postgraduate" study in your Major. So in the above case, after 3 years study, that person would then go and do another 3-5 years of Psychology in order to become a psychologist (which would be your "pure degree" (shown later))

    Now lets say you did your bachelor of Photography, your subjects would look something like this:

    Semester 1
    History of photography in art.
    Photomedia and print
    Introduction to Computers in design and photography
    Photography Studio

    Semester 2
    Photomedia and Print 2
    Photography Studio
    Introduction to proffessional photography
    Elective (you get to choose a part of photography or design that you enjoy)

    So as you can see, a "pure degree" such as photography is going to prepare you REALLY well for a photography career...BUT if you decide half way through your course that you dislike photography, you have to uproot your whole course etc.

    So both have their pros and cons - hopefully that's explained it a little better?
     
  4. UnderARock

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2007
    Messages:
    129
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Gold Coast, Australia
    Gender:
    Male
    Out Status:
    Some people
    Thank you so much Micah that helps heaps. Sure I'll have follow up questions, just think of any atm. I had a feeling that some1 would say to wait till i no wat i want to do but i have already been waiting for 2 and half years. Still have no idea and its been the lowest point of my life.
     
  5. Micah

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2005
    Messages:
    2,284
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Melbourne, Australia
    Well have you been waiting for your career to just jump out at you? Or have you been actively searching? :wink: There's a mighty difference.

    Some things you could do are:

    Ask people you know in uni what they think of their course, the type of work they do in it, and what they eventually hope to get into.

    Go to open days - this is the big one. Uni open days usually occur during the second half the year, so they're coming up. The whole day is dedicated to "showing off" the uni and the types of courses they have. It also gives you a chance to ask heaps and heaps of questions.

    Another option you have (although it depends on the sort of high school you went to) is to go and visit your old careers councilor again. They can help you start from the ground up again, and it's a free one on one session with an expert on careers and finding the right career.