Can't decide between UNSW or USyd Com/Law (2 Viewers)

[moodchanger08]

Hey guys, I was really hoping to get some advice. I can't decide whether to put UNSW or USyd law down first. I'm reasonably sure I'll get the UAI for both so whichever one I put down first in UAC will prob be the uni I end up going to.

Anyway, so here's my dilemma, I would like to eventually do business law, maybe be employed as an in-house consel writing contracts and advising on mergers and acquisitions etc.

People tell me USyd law is more prestigious but the commerce degree is not so good. I am hoping to work overseas and people tell me USyd law degree is more internationally recognised. On the other hand, people also tell me there is not much difference between the law degrees at USyd and UNSW but the commerce degree at UNSW is much, much better. My parents want me to go to USyd for the prestige while my friends want me to go to UNSW because they all plan to go there.

Personally, I find the environment and etc not as important as the quality of the degree itself, and its ability to allow me to work overseas, I mean, obviously that depends on my grades and other factors, but the uni from which you obtained your degree matters as well.

Thanks for the advice in advance!

 

[melsc]

One word of advice don't go to a particular uni because of your friends. It won't be like school where you see eachother all the time and you will most likely have different classes on different days.

Good luck with your decision

 

[Forbidden.]

One word of advice don't go to a particular uni because of your friends. It won't be like school where you see eachother all the time and you will most likely have different classes on different days.

Good luck with your decision

This is so true.
We had almost every class together in Semester 1 and by Semester 2 we were pretty much split up.

Rock On

 

[lionking1191]

well at unsw you could do a double major in commerce with one major in the languages stream, and/or take a concurrent diploma in languages (since you want to work overseas)

i don't think you could do that at USYD (the languages major at least)

unsw and usyd are equally good at law, but USYD has greater international recognition while unsw has recently been given the #1 teaching uni recognition

its a tough decision

 

[04er]

I was in the exact same position as you. I chose usyd due to the:
-prestige of its law degree
-general atmosphere
-travelling time

Unless you plan on doing actuarial studies i don't think there's a significant difference in the commerce degree.

EDIT:
I think that if I had close friends going to UNSW i would have definitely chosen UNSW. For me that was a major deciding factor as well.

 

[Frigid]

well at unsw you could do a double major in commerce with one major in the languages stream, and/or take a concurrent diploma in languages (since you want to work overseas)

i don't think the first part is correct: you cannot take a double major in commerce as part of commerce/law at UNSW. however, you can take a concurrent diploma in languages.

 

[melsc]

The only place I know of that allowed a double major in a double degree was UWS with a double of Buisiness (eco and finance)/Law but they stopped offering it

 

[lionking1191]

i don't think the first part is correct: you cannot take a double major in commerce as part of commerce/law at UNSW. however, you can take a concurrent diploma in languages.

oh ok, hm i might have to reconsider my application as well

 

[Rorix]

People tell me USyd law is more prestigious but the commerce degree is not so good. I am hoping to work overseas and people tell me USyd law degree is more internationally recognised. On the other hand, people also tell me there is not much difference between the law degrees at USyd and UNSW but the commerce degree at UNSW is much, much better. My parents want me to go to USyd for the prestige while my friends want me to go to UNSW because they all plan to go there.

What people tell you is generally full of shit. As far as I'm aware, USYD and UNSW in Commerce fields are treated pretty much as identical in the eyes of employers. I'm not sure about law, but I'd imagine it's about the same.

I personally planned on attending UNSW, but got offered a scholarship for USYD so went there instead. Had no complaints (I have complaints, but they are equally applicable to UNSW). I'd say going with either would be fine. The real gap is between USYD/UNSW and UTS/MQ/UWS etc.

 

[lionking1191]

What people tell you is generally full of shit. As far as I'm aware, USYD and UNSW in Commerce fields are treated pretty much as identical in the eyes of employers. I'm not sure about law, but I'd imagine it's about the same.

I personally planned on attending UNSW, but got offered a scholarship for USYD so went there instead. Had no complaints (I have complaints, but they are equally applicable to UNSW). I'd say going with either would be fine. The real gap is between USYD/UNSW and UTS/MQ/UWS etc.

MQ at least doesn't deserve to be in the same category as UWS for commerce

 

[Rorix]

MQ at least doesn't deserve to be in the same category as UWS for commerce

Agree.

 

[skynet89]

go to tafe and do combine law. so much more prestigious.

 

[moodchanger08]

I didn't end up going to any Open days but friends tell me USyd has a snobby atmosphere. Have any of you guys experienced that or did my friends' preconceptions affect their perceptions on the day?

 

[04er]

go where your friends are going.
uni friends pale in comparison.

 

[Rorix]

I didn't end up going to any Open days but friends tell me USyd has a snobby atmosphere. Have any of you guys experienced that or did my friends' preconceptions affect their perceptions on the day?

This post goes for everyone that's "heard" that people at XXX Uni were blah blah.

Apply a sense check mate.
Sydney Uni law has something like 2500 students.
Acceptance criteria is based on UAI.
These people are drawn from all Year 12 students.

It just doesn't make sense that snobby people will go attend USYD and non snobby people will go to (uni of your choice). There's going to be snobby people at USYD, and there's going to be snobby people at UNSW. Shit, there might even be snobby people at UWS. There's also going to be cool people at each place. People at all universities are pretty much the same.

That said, people that volunteer to go speak at an open day are usually the more snobby because it takes a really passionate student or a complete wanker to take a weekend off to go tell kids how great it is to study law

 

[blue_chameleon]

This post goes for everyone that's "heard" that people at XXX Uni were blah blah.

Apply a sense check mate.
Sydney Uni law has something like 2500 students.
Acceptance criteria is based on UAI.
These people are drawn from all Year 12 students.

It just doesn't make sense that snobby people will go attend USYD and non snobby people will go to (uni of your choice). There's going to be snobby people at USYD, and there's going to be snobby people at UNSW. Shit, there might even be snobby people at UWS. There's also going to be cool people at each place. People at all universities are pretty much the same.

That said, people that volunteer to go speak at an open day are usually the more snobby because it takes a really passionate student or a complete wanker to take a weekend off to go tell kids how great it is to study law

Passionate =/= snobby.

The real gap is between USYD/UNSW and UTS/MQ/UWS etc.

That does. Despite the argument it may be true.

 

[Frigid]

Roughly speaking, what does it take to be a good, successful law student? What's to it?

i can't say i'm good or successful, but from my observations, such law students are tenacious, ambitious, do everything - work, study, extracurricular - really live hard, play hard.. never rest.

 

[charlie_charlie]

they also have a caffeine addiction and eye bags from a lack of sleep.

then again, i have those traits and i'm not necessarily a 'successful' law student. depends on what you mean by success.

 

[Cookie182]

they also have a caffeine addiction and eye bags from a lack of sleep.

then again, i have those traits and i'm not necessarily a 'successful' law student. depends on what you mean by success.

But then again what uni student doing a worthwhile degree doesn't? Doing law myself, I can definitely say that friends who are doing full time enginnering/working/socialising are also very very squeezed for time. The contact hours are nearly 35 hrs per week, including all the labs and I'd say the content is much harder, due to the fact that every1 aims to pass and in most tests people seem to get like 1/10!

 

[charlie_charlie]

i guess the question is then what makes a law student different to any other uni student? apart from the obvious...lugging heavy casebooks around uni isn't really a worthwhile point.

but to actually assist the OP, i don't think there is a huge difference between UNSW or Usyd Com/Law. location might be a practical factor though, and the slight differences in the degree. but they're both very good universities, with their own problems, with talented students, snobby students, and lazy students. having said that, i've never actually studied at USyd, so I'm merely speculating.

i'd say go with your gut instinct at the end of the day. it's your degree, and you're going to be spending a lot of time at uni. you might as well enjoy it.