I'd like to go on exchange to Australia or the UK

[dacruick]

Hi there,

the title pretty much says it all. I'm still at least 6 months away from being able to go on exchange, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions, advice, or experiences that they'd like to share.

Are there any universities/countries that you'd recommend?

Do you think it will be worth the money? (an extra 6-8 thousand dollars is likely what it will cost on top of my regular tuition)

Do Australian girls and British girls like Canadian accents?

These are all important questions to me

Thanks in advance,

dacruick

 

[ehilge]

I studied abroad in New Zealand a couple years ago so hopefully I can help you out. I'm an American student and I'm studying mechanical engineering. I studied for a semester at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. Now to answer your questions:

- I'm naturally partial to New Zealand since that's where I studied. I liked the country because there's a lot to do and see in a relatively small area. I really liked my university too. I've heard great things about Australia too. And of course, make sure you find a school that at least has your major so you can get in any necessary required classes for your degree.

-Of all the people I know who have studied abroad, not a single person has regretted spending the cash.

- Not that I'm aware of, too many tourists with North American accents.

Also, consider looking into a study abroad program. You can set things up on your own, but I went through a company called Australearn. And there are plenty of other reputable companies if you look around. They basically will set everything up with the university and provide other benefits and assistance. Also, make sure to talk with your international affairs office on campus if you have one. They will be able to help with a lot of your questions. They also will know of any partner universities or other programs that will make it easier and/or cheaper for you.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[chiro]

Hi there,

the title pretty much says it all. I'm still at least 6 months away from being able to go on exchange, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions, advice, or experiences that they'd like to share.

Are there any universities/countries that you'd recommend?

Do you think it will be worth the money? (an extra 6-8 thousand dollars is likely what it will cost on top of my regular tuition)

Do Australian girls and British girls like Canadian accents?

These are all important questions to me

Thanks in advance,

dacruick

Hey dacruick.

I am an Australian citizen studying at an Australian university.

Many universities here (the major ones at least) have quite a diverse student body from a variety of different countries and backgrounds.

In terms of the accent issue I don't know, but I'm guessing there will be locals here who would like to meet foreigners ;). I'm sure you are bound to find women in that category.

In terms of if its worth the money, that depends on what you are looking to do. If you want to come to Australia to meet new people and have some new experiences, it probably will be worth it.

If you want to come more or less for the education its probably not worth it. Some Australian universities are highly regarded internationally like the ANU or Melbourne University, but many are not.

 

[ManiFresh]

what do you want to study?

 

[streeters]

Do Australian girls and British girls like Canadian accents?

No one likes Canadian accents.

Australia: Group of 8 universities are the most intensive research ones
http://www.go8.edu.au/

UK: Russell Group universities are the most intensive research ones
http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/our-universities/

Worth the money? Don't know. If you are planning on living the rest of your life in Canada (which seems like a pretty good place to do it) it might seem like a good idea to go abroad for a few months.

I wouldn't go to Adelaide or Perth in Australia because, although they are nice, they are a long way from everywhere.

If you are worried about cost, don't study in London (my missus did and it wasn't cheap).

 

[Lavabug]

Really? How much does it cost to live in London for a full academic year?

 

[dacruick]

Thank you all for the responses! I was kidding around about the accent thing but the responses were quite amusing haha.

@ehilge I've also heard rave reviews about studying abroad. That's mostly why I'm thinking about it. I tend to be a pretty content and static person so I've never had the urge to travel before really. I just keep hearing about people's experiences and I think it would be awesome to be able to experience different places and cultures.

@chiro It would be mostly be for the experiences as opposed to the education. I'm happy with my university in Canada in terms of reputation, and I don't feel as though I need to bolster my degree's credibility.

@streeters Do I sense some jealousy that you don't have a Canadian accent? Haha. I thought it would be more expensive to go to London but are most of the costs living related or study related. If I go on exchange, I'll likely do it with my university as ehilge suggested, in which case my tuition will be pretty cheap since its payable to my school. (gotta love Canada).

@ManiFresh I'm studying physics currently but it's not terribly important to me how reputable the university is.

I've already contacted the exchange office at my university and I'm waiting for a reply. The international programs that my university offers in australia are:
Bond University
Deakin University
Griffith University
La Trobe University
Macquarie University
Monash University
Murdoch University
Queensland University of Technology
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
University of Queensland
University of Technology Sydney
University of Western Australia
University of Wollongong

and in NZ there is only one, the Unitec Institute of Technology.

In the UK there is:
Cass Business School, City University
City University (England)
Heriot-Watt University (Scotland)
Oxford Brookes University (England)
University of Birmingham (England)
University of Cumbria
University of Lancaster (England)
University of Leeds (England)
University of Lincoln (formerly Lincolnshire and Humberside)
University of Newcastle
University of Sheffield
University of Sussex (England)
University of Ulster, Coleraine Campus (Northern Ireland)
University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus (Northern Ireland)
University of Wales
University of Warwick (England)

Do any of these stand out for you guys as great locations or schools?

 

[streeters]

Cost of London:
My missus spent £120 a week on rent in student halls, food was extra.
If you rent privately, we shared a house in zone 3 in London (a bit out) and it was about £110 a week, plus bills/council tax/food/etc.

UK - the better universities on your list are:
Birmingham and Leeds have good campuses. newcastle is (apparently) a good city to live in.


Heriot-Watt University (Scotland) - never been there, but has good rep especially for engineering
University of Birmingham (England) - really good campus and good rep. My brother did his degree there. About 20,000 students go there and the city itself is big and has a lot going on.
University of Leeds (England) - big uni. Leeds is a uni town and it swells during term time. I love Leeds
University of Newcastle - never been there. fantastic accent. They bang like rusty doors.
University of Sheffield - A friend of mine does material science there and enjoys it. A smaller city.
University of Warwick (England) - In Coventry, really. Small student body (8000?). I went around the campus (i was going to read physics there) and it is mostly full of people rejected by oxbridge (i.e. smart but bitter). Really good rep in the UK though, just behind oxbridge really

Any of these will be good. All of them have lots of research and take themselves seriously as research institutions.

Please, don't go to Uni of Wales. a joke of an institution.

Australia:

Macquarie University - its a pain in the arse to get to from the rest of Sydney. Sydney is good though. Uni is bleargh (i've only ever associated it with finance but i guess they have a science department).
Monash University - melbourne is a lot of fun, uni is good but spread over a few campuses.
University of Queensland - this campus is nice and Brisbane is hot and good.
University of Technology Sydney - Bang in the middle of Sydney. Pretty good uni, not much of a campus. It's near Sydney Uni which has an amazing campus if you want to go for wanders.
University of Western Australia - I loved this campus (they have peacocks!) and Perth is lovely, but it is tough to go anywhere from there. If you are there for 6 months and are happy to stay put, great place to go.


I haven't been to any other campuses.

p.s. i used to live in Sydney and now live in the UK so that is why I've been around all these places.

 

[dacruick]

p.s. i used to live in Sydney and now live in the UK so that is why I've been around all these places.

I was about to ask how the heck you knew so much about all of those campuses.

I appreciate all of the information you've given me . Thank you!

 

[mal4mac]

No one likes Canadian accents.

You're supposed to add a smiley after comments like that!

In my experience, British girls tend to go for anything foreign :(

I'd second the Birmingham recommendation - but, be warned, the architecture of the centre is a paen to sixties brutalism. That said, Birmingham Uni. campus is much less brutal... and there is a lot going on around the city... and it's very central for getting to everywhere else... and it's real cheap - especially if a trip to the Indian restaurant is your idea of a night out.

 

[AlephZero]

You didn't say what subject you are studying, but on the UK list, why is the Lincoln in there? It's more or less brand new. Bear in mind that a "meteoric rise up the league tables" might mean from the 100th percentile to the 75th. If you are interested in a specialist course (e.g. agriculture or food technology) the general comments might not apply.

Lincoln is a very nice historic small city (though geographically rather isolated) but if you want that sort of environment plus a good university, Bath would probably be a much better choice IMO.

The U of Wales is involved in a major academic scandal about accrediting degrees from institutions in the developng world. Even if that doesn't affect your particular courses, best avoid it for a few years until the dust has settled, IMO.

U of Cumbria is another "new" university but some of the colleges that were amalgamated to form it have a long history and good reputation. Again it doesn't seem an obvious "mainstream" choice unless you have a particualar reason for it.

The rest of your UK list doesn't wave any "red flags" at me.