Anyone heading to UQ?

[justinmicoud]

oh i heard the on campus ones are much more expensive thats why im opting outta it , dun wanna spend so much, hows the bills like tho / like internet and stuff ?

Some colleges actually offer meals on all days (eg Union College), that's the reason why it's more expensive. It saves you a lot of time cooking and buying groceries if you dread cooking or find it a waste of time (quite true in some occasions). Meals are quite alright here. Heard breakfast is quite sumptuous: Bread, cereal, bacon, yogurt, fruits, drinks, etc.

Internet is not unlimited here. Usually it's by usage quota meaning to say that there is a limit as to how much u can download; which includes the mb for viewing websites, etc. The quota can range from a few hundred mb to a few gb. I'm paying 35 a month for broadband, inclusive of telephone line.

Water utilities is included in most rent, so most probably you need not worry too much.

Food is typically around A$7-10 dollars here. If you are staying at Manors, you'll probably cook at home or at Hawken Village; a students' typical food haunt 10 minutes walk from school.

Transport shouldnt be a problem for you since you need not take a bus/train/ferry to school. But if you need to travel to the city/suburbs, it's around 1 dollar plus for one way trip.

Entertainment: I dun really do much during weekends, probably eat out once and rarely watch movies here. Movie tickets cost around 8-10 dollars (not confirmed) but hop over to Southbank (near the city)for a movie cos it's only $5.70 on certain days. I'll probably enjoy a meal with my mates at Toowong, Indooroopilly, city more than spending on other stuff here. Ha.

Hope this helps..

 

[joanna.87]

heys thanks =) yeahs im having a room at A140 but its fully furnished everything is here! =) im doing pharmacology i guess =) are u in biomed ?

 

[doinker07]

I'll probably enjoy a meal with my mates at Toowong, Indooroopilly, city more than spending on other stuff here. Ha..

oh! you have indeed been heavily influence by the aussie culture!

 

[justinmicoud]

oh! you have indeed been heavily influence by the aussie culture!

I supposed you are also influenced by the culture since you've been here for the past 2 years or so?

 

[Carbuncle]

hi guys,

sorry to intrude like that...but seeing that there are quite a few ppl here in Queensland now...I was wondering what you guys think of the law school at the University of Queensland?

I heard that it is a good law school, if not the best in Brisbane itself. That said, it still cannot match up to the law schools at UNSW and USYD which are perceived as the more prestigious schools.

 

[justinmicoud]

hi guys,

sorry to intrude like that...but seeing that there are quite a few ppl here in Queensland now...I was wondering what you guys think of the law school at the University of Queensland?

I heard that it is a good law school, if not the best in Brisbane itself. That said, it still cannot match up to the law schools at UNSW and USYD which are perceived as the more prestigious schools.

I am quite sure that UQ is probably the best in the state of Queensland and not just in Brisbane itself! However having said that, I'm not too sure about comparing with other unis from other states. I've seen and heard that there are a few sg law students here, but don't really know them. Probably the other guys here can lend a helping hand?

 

[alvina87]

accountancy courses in Brisbane

Hi I'm new to this forum,

Just would like to find out what you guys think about biz courses in either UQ or QUT? Will prospective employers (eg. big 4 firms) think highly of UQ/QUT grads? I'm torn between the 2.. QUT cos of its city location and UQ cos there are many singaporeans..

btw, any idea how much it costs to stay in a zone 1 locale? like south bank? or west end? I don't know these places, only heard from friends.

 

[justinmicoud]

Hi I'm new to this forum,

Just would like to find out what you guys think about biz courses in either UQ or QUT? Will prospective employers (eg. big 4 firms) think highly of UQ/QUT grads? I'm torn between the 2.. QUT cos of its city location and UQ cos there are many singaporeans..

btw, any idea how much it costs to stay in a zone 1 locale? like south bank? or west end? I don't know these places, only heard from friends.

Personally, I wouldnt choose a university based on just its location or how many fellow singaporeans are studying there. However, having said that, there are quite a number of sg biz students in UQ though, taking either Biz Mgmt or commerce courses here.

Zone 1 will consist of the city, southbank etc. West End is considered Zone 2 if I am not mistaken. West End is pretty near to UQ. A short ferry ride of 3-5mins excluding the waiting time is all it takes to reach UQ. Southbank is separated from the city by one bridge. Don't really know a lot of people staying there, but seems to me like it's quite expensive to stay there since it is quite close to the city. Southbank is nearer to QUT since it is situated right in the city.

 

[alvina87]

UQ / QUT

Hi there,

Thanks for the prompt reply..

I heard in brisbane, UQ and QUT are the more prestigious universities vs. Griffith/CQU etc?
I'm actually quite indifferent between the 2.. any views? What is the cost of pursuing accounting at either institution for the full 3/4 yrs?

I'm prepared to pay up to A$165pw in rent, any good ideas? BTW, is it usually safe? Like what if.. i end up with some weirdos or something? Any recourse?

 

[lycans]

Hi there,

Thanks for the prompt reply..

I heard in brisbane, UQ and QUT are the more prestigious universities vs. Griffith/CQU etc?
I'm actually quite indifferent between the 2.. any views? What is the cost of pursuing accounting at either institution for the full 3/4 yrs?

I'm prepared to pay up to A$165pw in rent, any good ideas? BTW, is it usually safe? Like what if.. i end up with some weirdos or something? Any recourse?

165? thats alot...

word of advice: dun stay with PRCs...not being racist its juz that i got a few frens giving me they have a bad time staying with them.

 

[justinmicoud]

Hi there,

Thanks for the prompt reply..

I heard in brisbane, UQ and QUT are the more prestigious universities vs. Griffith/CQU etc?
I'm actually quite indifferent between the 2.. any views? What is the cost of pursuing accounting at either institution for the full 3/4 yrs?

I'm prepared to pay up to A$165pw in rent, any good ideas? BTW, is it usually safe? Like what if.. i end up with some weirdos or something? Any recourse?

Cost of the degree program? Go check up the respective websites to know more about it. It should give u more details cos the school fees are always changing each year due to hikes. I'm not really into accounting so i cannot give u much info about the course.

If you are referring to 165 pw inclusive of water only, you should have no worries looking for a comfortable accommodation close to uni. However, that applies probably more for UQ. If you're going to stay in the city pursuing a course in QUT, it might be a bit hard.

Usually safe? U mean in campus or with your roommates? I've been here for almost 4 months, nothing drastic has happened to me yet. You have to take care of yourself when you're abroad. Be observant of people around you eg drunkards, etc. I don't see major differences between life here in OZ as compared to Sg. In fact, in some way there are probably slightly better off than sg ppl. Personal opinion.

 

[lelearn]

The State Unis are more prestigious, eg. UQ, UNSW, UWA etc. Was in UQ from 97-99.

 

[ah_leetw]

I wan to let go of my apartment by july .... located @ south bank

interested. PM me

 

[strawberryshortcake]

Just would like to find out what you guys think about biz courses in either UQ or QUT? Will prospective employers (eg. big 4 firms) think highly of UQ/QUT grads? I'm torn between the 2.. QUT cos of its city location and UQ cos there are many singaporeans..

btw, any idea how much it costs to stay in a zone 1 locale? like south bank? or west end? I don't know these places, only heard from friends.

I heard in brisbane, UQ and QUT are the more prestigious universities vs. Griffith/CQU etc?
I'm actually quite indifferent between the 2.. any views? What is the cost of pursuing accounting at either institution for the full 3/4 yrs?

I'm prepared to pay up to A$165pw in rent, any good ideas? BTW, is it usually safe? Like what if.. i end up with some weirdos or something? Any recourse?

UQ is more theory based while QUT is more pratical/technology based.

Griffith is better known for her design, film, photography programs, etc

CQU has more 'rich' international students. Hardly you will find/see local Aussie students. CQU is like the informatics of sg.

south bank is expensive cos it's just outside the city. west end is not cheap either. my friends are paying about A$130 to A$150 for a fully furnished room in west end, excludes bill.

I'm staying 4 zones away (cos it's nearer to my friends and my dad's and aunt's friend) and I'm paying A$95 everything inclusive, water, electricity, internet, fully furnished as well. But I pay more for travel and spend about 30 mins on travel, but I have classes 3 times a week only so it's ok for me.

 

[alvina87]

haha.. ok, now, if QUT is more practical than UQ, shouldn't QUT be the natural choice?

btw, what do prospective employers think of Oz grads.. i hate to say this, but i'm only going there because my A levels couldn't make it.

And, where r u guys getting your financing from? What if halfway thru I run out of money, possible to transfer credits back to a sg uni? Is it flexible for accountancy?

 

[justinmicoud]

haha.. ok, now, if QUT is more practical than UQ, shouldn't QUT be the natural choice?

btw, what do prospective employers think of Oz grads.. i hate to say this, but i'm only going there because my A levels couldn't make it.

And, where r u guys getting your financing from? What if halfway thru I run out of money, possible to transfer credits back to a sg uni? Is it flexible for accountancy?

I don't see why prospective employers wouldnt take a student with 1st class/2nd upper even though he is from Australia. With a sound attitude and good results, I am quite sure that it should not be a problem. However, prospects for Oz grads in accountancy context I'm not very sure, especially getting into Big4 companies and stuff.

Financing can come from either your relatives, parents etc. Personally, I'm taking a loan from my parents since I'll be here for 2 years for my degree. My personal advice to you if you run out of money:

Please do not even think of coming over first. Settle first and foremost the finance part. Calculate your rough expenditure and school fees for the entire course, consult your parents, decide on whether to take a loan etc. If you cant raise the money, then you will have to consider other alternatives, eg DL programs SIM etc.

It's going to be a huge mess if you decide to stop your studies and return to Sg, eg Visa, your rental bond for your accommodation, bank issues, school issues,etc. I don't know much about transferring credits back to sg uni. It is most likely that you are unable to trasfer credits and start 2nd/3rd year in sg uni.

 

[strawberryshortcake]

haha.. ok, now, if QUT is more practical than UQ, shouldn't QUT be the natural choice?

it is very subjective. theory can be arts, art history, psychology, etc....it's 'better' to do these subjects at UQ while some prefer to do IT, engineering at QUT

besides, not all unis offer the same course. for example, QUT is the only uni in brisbane to offer a degree in health information. this degree is not available at griffith or uq.

And, where r u guys getting your financing from? What if halfway thru I run out of money, possible to transfer credits back to a sg uni? Is it flexible for accountancy?

i'm paying my uni education on my own. i have a backup though. should i run out of money *touch wood*, i'll borrow from my parents

another option is for you to do acca if you are really keen in accountancy

 

[alvina87]

Hi all, thanks for the prompt replies..

I will keep all your advice in mind, esp the finances part

What if, I do foundation at UQ or QUT.. also no way to transfer credit back to sg? Plus, i heard there's some criteria to apply for Oz PR.. with some courses giving enough points to get PR after 2 yrs. Any idea what these are?

Alternatively, if i want Oz PR w/o staying the 2 yrs in Oz.. how much do i have to come up with? 500k?

And is it easy to find part-time work in Brisbane? like maybe working at a food court or something..

 

[justinmicoud]

Hi all, thanks for the prompt replies..

I will keep all your advice in mind, esp the finances part

What if, I do foundation at UQ or QUT.. also no way to transfer credit back to sg? Plus, i heard there's some criteria to apply for Oz PR.. with some courses giving enough points to get PR after 2 yrs. Any idea what these are?

Alternatively, if i want Oz PR w/o staying the 2 yrs in Oz.. how much do i have to come up with? 500k?

And is it easy to find part-time work in Brisbane? like maybe working at a food court or something..

I don't think foundation at any Australian Universities would provide any form of transfer credit to sg uni. It just doesnt make much sense that you spend money to do foundation year in Aus Uni and be allowed entry to study in a Sg uni. That's just my opinion. There might be a chance that credits can be transferrred, but I think the chances are extremely slim.

Criteria to apply for Oz PR? Google and search for Australian Immigration website. I've heard that the criteria is subjected to changes from time to time. It should be still based on a point system, whereby certain courses in university would put you in good stead for application of PR. You must attain 120 points if there were no new changes? Getting PR is going to take some time AFTER you graduate from the university, it will take somewhere between 3-6 months, or longer. Meanwhile you are most probably not be eligible for full-time work yet, so basically either you find some part-time work or just rot at home.

Without staying in Oz for a min of 2 yrs, I wouldnt know how much will secure you a PR? As i stated earlier, the immigration website should give more details.

If you are a student studying in Oz uni, you need to apply for a work permit to work here. There is a cap limit on the amount of hours you can work per week. Work here shouldnt be hard to find, since most Oz students here do work part time since they were 16-18. However, I can ensure that most people, including myself dont have enough time to do revision and finish assignments, let alone find time to work and earn extra cash. It is attainable, but I'll rather concentrate solely on my studies.

 

[strawberryshortcake]

Hi all, thanks for the prompt replies..

I will keep all your advice in mind, esp the finances part

What if, I do foundation at UQ or QUT.. also no way to transfer credit back to sg? Plus, i heard there's some criteria to apply for Oz PR.. with some courses giving enough points to get PR after 2 yrs. Any idea what these are?

Alternatively, if i want Oz PR w/o staying the 2 yrs in Oz.. how much do i have to come up with? 500k?

And is it easy to find part-time work in Brisbane? like maybe working at a food court or something..

maybe u can try tafe...it's cheaper...and you can try those 'hot' courses like baking, hairdressing then apply for PR then go to uni...but u will have to check the requirements of applying for PR. but min study is for 2 years before applying for PR.

in my opinion, it's a waste of time and money to study for courses just to apply for PR. u never know when they are going to change their requirements.

maybe u can redo yr A levels if finance is a problem or go to a poly