I’m back in SG and can I just declare how horrible the weather is right now?!! I complained about the Australian heat, but at least it was dry and not humid like it is here. Ugh. Thus, I’ve been staying away from the nasty weather by hiding in my air-conditioned room all day. Global warming? What’s that? (OK I’M JUST KIDDING, it’s a huge problem, I know. But, shush, let me enjoy my aircon in peace)
Anyway, today I’m going to continue talking about the other universities I checked out in Australia. I’m sure this one’s going to sound pretty familiar to many. Tons of Singaporeans go there - the University of New South Wales (UNSW)!
One interesting thing about UNSW is that it seems to be a predominantly Asian school, so walking through the campus felt kind of familiar, almost like walking through NUS or NTU. In fact when I visited, there was a bunch of students filming a Korean drama! I don’t know what course they were from but they looked REALLY professional. Kind of made me miss doing LocVid! So, hey, for those of you keen on film, sound & video, UNSW has stuff like that!
Tiny COFA campus! Doesn't look like a school at all.
I was told that the College of Fine Arts (COFA) in UNSW is better than the one in The University of Sydney (USYD), but that’s just a few people’s opinion. All I can say is that COFA’s campus is tiny! It took me less than 5 minutes to circle the entire place. I was really quite surprised.
The actual UNSW campus was way bigger. It’s located about 15 minutes from COFA’s campus on Oxford Street/Paddington, near some awesome boutiques, cafes and vintage stores. A perfect location for an arts school! Just about any bus from Oxford Street brings you to UNSW. This is a bit like a chicken-and-egg kind of situation, but there are lots of Asian food stores/cafes/etc around UNSW, so maybe that’s why so many Asians attend that school. Or vice-versa? Like I said, chicken-and-egg! Either way, it’s cool.
The campus isn’t too bad. Not gorgeous like USYD’s but pretty enough. Kind of standard “university” feel though:
At UNSW, I looked at degree programmes from the Arts and Social Sciences, Law and COFA faculties (you can view the rest here). On top of your actual degree, I think it’s also possible to take short courses to gain extra credits or just to widen your learning experience.
The degree programmes I’m most interested in are Art Theory/Arts, pure Art Theory (my parents would murder me though), Media (Comms and Journalism), Media/Laws, Social Science (Criminology) - THIS WOULD BE SO COOL, Design (sigh, if only), Fine Arts/Arts, Commerce/Law and, of course, Psychology. There’s just so much I want to do, and so many things I have to consider! Like taking the SATs. That means more studying! Man…
Out of all the schools I visited, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) had to be the most dreary! That’s what i think anyway. UNSW and USYD both had a little (in USYD’s case, a lot of) greenery and they felt like real school campuses (even tiny COFA managed a small green field in the middle of campus! Plus it’s located near residences so at least there’s the quaint factor). UTS on the other hand, just seemed like one big, tall, brown office building. Seriously, it looked like something out of Singapore’s Shenton Way. The interior was much better, modern decorating and all, but you kind of feel pressured to be very quiet. It’s just the whole… aura of the place.
UTS seems like a polytechnic, but… not. Apparently it’s a technical school where you learn practical skills (like poly!) but graduate with a degree. I really only checked out their design/art/film/media courses (the info was packed very compactly into just 2 pages of a very thin brochure). I probably wouldn’t go to UTS unless I decide to take up design.
The design courses are pretty interesting because there’s a lot of attention on photography. There are also courses on architecture and industrial design, amongst others. All the information you need is here! If you do apply, remember to compile a portfolio. You’ll need that on top of your diploma if you’re a poly student.
As you can see, there is a LOT to consider when choosing schools, whether it’s university or poly (for the secondary school students out there). To each his own, but for me, the most important thing is my parent’s approval.
I really, really want to study design or fine arts, but my parents think it isn’t practical. The main reason for their hesitance is the cost of overseas education. Why not make it worth the money and do something that, I quote, “uses your brain?” Apparently, they feel that one doesn’t require a degree to succeed in design. What can I say…whatever happened to following your dreams?
I guess I just need to mull over everything. At least I still have half a year before I complete my diploma at Ngee Ann Poly. Goodness, time does fly. Nerve-wracking!!
Passion or practicality? I can’t decide! What do you think?