Anu/uow/uws (1 Viewer)

Cheap Thrills · Oct 27, 2008

okay, so im in a bit of a situation...i really want to go to ANU and do law/arts (international relations)...like everyone else there. but i dont think i will get the 95 needed to get in. the problem is, should i go for a BA there and transfer after a year, or should i go to UOW for a year, see how that goes, and maybe look at transferring after a year. the other issue is UWS. i have already been offered a 20K scholarship to go there cos i topped my year in year 11. so should i just go with that...i mean it is a huge weight off the hecs debt...but while their law degree looks okay, the arts degree looks very restricted...

Any advice people???

PS i really want to get into gov service, UN work, that sort of thing

hfis · Oct 27, 2008

Ahhh, a prospective law student who wants to do UN work.

As tempting as it is to tell you to simply bail on your dream now, I would say go the UOW or UWS route. You want to do law, right? What if the transfer doesn't work? You're fucked, that's what. So if you want a legal background, do a law degree from anywhere that will take you and then look at transferring.

As to whether or not you choose UOW/UWS/other, go with whatever's the most convenient. If one campus is closer than the other, consider it. If you think $20 000 would reduce your need to work during 1st/2nd year (and have a tangential effect on your grades in the process), then consider that too. It sounds like you've researched what courses are involved in the respective degrees, so it's obviously important to you - if UWS wont give you what you want, don't go there. I mean, what's the point? Ditto for UOW.

Cheap Thrills · Oct 27, 2008

thanks for your help. it probably seems naive to get into the UN...probably not realistic too lol. if i cant get in there, id love to work with the DPP. i did work experience there in year 10 and it was awesome...
i noticed you're at UOW. how did you like the first year compulsory law? are the lecturers any good?? i went to the 'life at law school' day which was part of the early entry process (didnt get passed this), and all the law students there said it was great, but i couldnt help but feel they were forced to be that way...
the other option is journalism, but there seems a lot less job security there...

hfis · Oct 27, 2008

First year is generally good; it's law - it's what you make it, really. Certainly not difficult. The staff are good and I've been well supported. I was asked to help out on that 'life at law school' thing and know everyone who spoke there. They might have put a bit of gloss on it for the dean's benefit, but by and large I think they would have been giving an accurate record of their own experiences.

melsc · Oct 28, 2008

UoW is a good law school from what I have heard but hfis is right, consider travel time and working as well. If you wont need to work because of a scholarship that does make a difference to your grades.

UWS does have a bad rep but sometimes rep isn't everything, I'm at Mac and in the last two years its starting to prove to me that it really doesn't deserve its rep sometimes. UWS's program is highly practical and involves assessments beyond essays such as moots and law reform reports. Their Arts degree is rather restricted from what I remember so see if it suits you also have a look at the Social Science degree it has a 'Humanitarian and Peace Studies' Major which might suit you better. The Criminology major from Soc Sci would also be interesting to someone interested in the DPP

Good luck and remember where ever you decide to do, if after a yar you decide its not for you, you can transfer out

Cookie182 · Oct 28, 2008

<html>UOW is great but think deeply about whether you want your first year to be straight-law. The "immersion program' won't allow you to concurrently begin any arts subjects until your second year. This contrasts greatly with many other double degree programs across the state where you under take foundational legal studies and one specific area of law (Eg Tort I think at ANU) with 2 subjects from Arts right from the beginning. Having said that, UOW whips you right into law- first semester contracts, criminal, 2 skills subjects and foundations. By the end of the first year, <b>you have done 10 subjects from your law degree,</b> including criminal law which often is left till third year at many other uni's.</html>

trevolution2518 · Dec 15, 2008

You seem to be in the same position I was in two years ago (except I was considering just UOW and ANU, not so much UWS).

Having the advantage of being heavily involved in law student politics locally at UOW and nationally at the Australian Law Students' Association, I can safely say that UOW is a good, small regional university that is shaking it's party cred that it held in the 90's and coming into it's own. I would hold it somewhat above UWS in pure rankings such as the Times Higher Education Supplement and the Good Universities Guide, also personally I think its better but that said, I'm also biased by being there.

If you can get into ANU do it, I made a last minute rush of blood to the head decision and took UOW over ANU (even though I could have had ANU) with wanting to do arts go to the ANU, their arts degree is unrivaled in this country and is much better than any of the offerings from UOW or UWS. Their law degree is also very good for what it offers and they have recently just started poaching some of the best lecturers from around the country to go and teach there.

Ultimately it's up to you, and your UAI will dictate much of the decision making process, but if you can take the plunge and move I would reccomend ANU, then UOW and finally UWS, untimately however, it is up to you and your circumstance

Good Luck

RogueAcademic · Dec 15, 2008

hfis said:
You want to do law, right? What if the transfer doesn't work? You're fucked, that's what.

Seriously, if more career counsellors, or anyone giving any advice in particular, spoke honestly and straight to the point like this, the world would be a better place.

neo o · Dec 15, 2008

Just copy-pasting a response on alternative admissions scheme from another thread...

neo o said:
You should both take the uniTEST on the 7th of January in Canberra. It's an aptitude test used to fill additional vacancies in programs for people who just missed out because of their UAI. The only ground to qualify to sit the test is a UAI over 70, and you both fit the bill.

You can get more information on the test here: ANU - Admission - SAS

---

XDXD, I highly suggest that you do arts, commerce, science or economics for a year then add law on in 2010. It won't take you any longer to finish as you'll be doing units from the degree you were going to combine with law anyway, you'll have a chance to settle into Canberra which you wouldn't have if you did your first year somewhere else and you'll have a more relaxed first year. With your UAI you will get into law so long as you maintain a credit average, which is very easy to do, particularly in arts.

This program is specifically open to law students. I honestly don't know how many students they take (if any), but if your UAI is only marginally below the cut-off, I suggest giving this test a crack.

Regarding hfis' comment on transfers, yes if you don't get the average to transfer you are screwed. However, ANU doesn't have a high cut off for transfers and if you have a UAI which is only marginally below the cut off it isn't hard to get a credit average to make the transfer, particularly in arts.

Regarding working in the UN or for NGOs, like most people who want to work for the UN you're probably going to end up changing your mind after doing international law. That aside though, ANU does have better programs available for people with your interests including a Summer program in Geneva with a variety of UN organs http://law.anu.edu.au/Summer/Geneva.asp and for the luckiest of us, a yearly traineeship at the ICJ http://law.anu.edu.au/undergraduate/ICJ_Scholarship.asp. We also have a choose-your-own-adventure internship program with pretty much any NGO or government department http://law.anu.edu.au/Undergraduate/Internship.asp, but I'm sure most universities have similar programs.

Anu/uow/uws (1 Viewer)

Cheap Thrills

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hfis

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melsc

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Cookie182

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trevolution2518

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