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Anyone here at a university in Australia?

Reply 20

Ye well I am at Curtin in W.A, and it is same kinda story, not much happening, people aren't really into the whole 'staying in halls' thing etc (unless they are international students) - there is not even really many events organized here.

A shame really, because the best courses for me are located in Melbourne and Sydney instead of in the U.K... :frown:

@Chriz

Message me about it if you are really interested.

Reply 21

mml

flugestuge

Australia has a serious and continuing problem with racism. Australian students are just as racist as the older people.
Here is a typical anti-Asian racist comment from an Australian student site:

http://community.boredofstudies.org/...=174595&page=3

"Asians are useless in group assignments. I've done assignments where I have basically had to do the work of 5 people all by myself because they have had no idea what they were doing and/or were incapable of writing a single sentence in proper english.

In a tutorial where all you do is listen to presentations for the entire session, having to sit through the presentations of 20 asians that
you can't understand is unbearable.

They talk in their annoying foreign languages.

They are not attractive.
I look forward to tutorials for some subjects because they are full of hot girls... this is not the case for ones full of asians.

They smell."

Ask yourself if you would want to study in a country like that.

the student who posted that is saying that "asians" and "people who cannot speak proper english" are the same thing.
those asian students could have been white european students who can't speak proper english, but would he be as racist?
just shows how ignorant and closed minded some australians are... but in a way it's not really their fault that they've never seen a hot asian girl before or met asians who speak proper english. there's people like that in UK, US, Canada, EU, etc.. too

what i mean is, before i came to australia i had some stereotypes about australians too (they're all lazy, not as smart as asians, etc...)

Reply 22

mml

about doing group assignments (related to the above post):

i am asian (also an international student) and even i find it frustrating do group assignments with international students with poor english. i'm lucky i haven't had to do much group assignments so far in my course, but it does shock me how someone with such poor english can expect to study a course in a language that they aren't even comfortable speaking in.

Reply 23

JDon

flugestuge

My point is that I am advising people to not go to Australia to study.

Australians are not nice people when they are in their home country.
They hate Asians, they hate the English, they hate blacks, they hate Muslims.
They are equal opportunity haters, they hate Japanese, Koreans, Indians, Indonesians and everyone who is not an Australian of Anglo-Celtic ancestory.

Oh I see.

You just jumped from someone i hate, to someone I love. That statement is so true. I am desperately trying to find a uni in U.K that is good and has my course, or I will be forced to go to Sydney/Melbourne to get my degree...which is terrible for me!!

Reply 24

mml

flugestuge

I have spent time in Australia (in NSW and Queensland ) .
Those stereotypes are pretty accurate. The only hard workers and intelligent people there are the recent immigrants (Asians, English, Scots, Germans )

although what you find in uni is that many of the top students are white australians mainly because most of the international students have very poor english.

Reply 25

JoshW

JDon - there might be increasing numbers of "Asians" in the country, but saying that Australia is being "taken over" by Asians (or any other group for that matter) is incorrect. The statement has negative connotations and is factually incorrect, because there are clearly more migrants who are not of Asian background than there are Asian migrants in Australia - look at all the Kiwis and Poms. Just because your Asian friends laugh it off does not make your statement correct, or make it less offensive. In fact, don't stereotype all Asians to be the same - just because your friends are ok with it doesn't mean other people won't - and I meant other people, including non-Asians.

To put it bluntly, it's just as incorrect as saying all Poms in Australia are whingers and racist, especially those that leave the UK because they are sick of the migrants there. Now just because I'm British and don't find that offensive, does it mean it is all OK? Come on - just because Asians look different you say that they are "taking over" the country. If you could spot whether someone was a British or Kiwi migrant on the street so easily in Australia, you'd think those people are "taking over" the country too.

And I'm British and not Australian.

I would agree that there are a lot of Australians who are racist, but there are also many who aren't. Those that don't speak English well at universities in Australia are likely to be from non-english speaking countries, i.e. international students, and most international students in Australia are from Asia. But that doesn't mean that all Asians have very poor English. Sigh.. I really hate people that make sweeping generalisations and make race-based stereotypes.

And mml - you would also find that the selective high schools in NSW have 99+% Asian-Australian students. These students continue to do very well at university, so it really depends on the university you go to etc..

Reply 26

ozcharlie

This thread is wrong on so many levels. Don't let the voices of a few speak for the rest!

Australia is a great place to study. We have some fantastic universities here (I just graduated from ANU, now ranked just outside the top 10 in the world!)

I can't speak for other universities, but I know ANU has a thriving international student population. A few of my friends, who came from China, Malaysia and Jordon respectively, all commented on how comfortable they felt studying there. Furthermore, there is a fantastic international students society, with regular events and extensive support networks.

Don't let stereotyping and slander disuade you, Australia is a lot more accepting than people on this board make it out to be.

Reply 27

mml

ozcharlie

Don't let stereotyping and slander disuade you, Australia is a lot more accepting than people on this board make it out to be.

I think one of the most important things that international students really need to do when they come to australia is to really take the opportunity to get into the local culture. I know it is easier said than done, but a lot of international students have few or no australian friends, only eat out at asian restaurants, mostly shop at asian groceries, etc...

As an international student myself, i do find it hard to start a conversation with aussie students at uni, mainly because i don't know what to talk to them about. also some of the things that i hear aussies talking about amongst themselves, i would never have a conversation with friends at home about either because they're cultural taboos or we would just never talk about those topics.

So since it's difficult to take the initiative to step out and make friends with random people, another way (and i'm glad i did this) is to get a job or volunteer where you will have to interact with locals. i volunteer as a student mentor/tutor at a local high school which is 100% aussie students and teachers, and in the beginning i did it mainly for my CV and to get work experience but the biggest reward i felt i got was finding out so much about aussie life and culture. i know that sounds so cliche but before i started volunteering there, i hardly knew anything about aussies even though i had lived here for nearly a year already.

my point in saying all this is:
as you are going to be in australia for at least a few years, if not more, trying to integrate into the local culture is not a bad idea. it will also give you a new perspective to what is happening around you in australia, and also helps you to better understand the differences in culture.

Reply 28

Chriz

OP

ozcharlie - Well, i lived in Australia for a few years after i was born there so i wouldn't call myself an outsider. You simply can't put ANU in the context of a top 10 university. First of all, it is probably in the top 40 in the rankings, which should be taken as a grain of salt. Second, most of its recognition comes from the endowment from the government to fund research.

Also, isn't it a common stereotype that Aussies are the most friendly people in the world? or am i mistaken.

mml - I agree, international students who are reclusive to the Australian culture kind of miss the point of studying here. That is to visit another country and gain experience. As for making friends, isn't there o-week where all students can just say hello to each other? Maybe thats the time to take the step to meet new people.

Reply 29

mml

Chriz

.
mml - I agree, international students who are reclusive to the Australian culture kind of miss the point of studying here. That is to visit another country and gain experience. As for making friends, isn't there o-week where all students can just say hello to each other? Maybe thats the time to take the step to meet new people.

there is an oweek (fresher's week/orientation), but as someone else mentioned before, very few local students move away from home to attend uni so during oweek most of them just show up for a few hours as they've probably all visited the campus before on open day or on some other occasion.
also all their friends from high school are going to the same uni and often the same course with them, so i think they sort of don't feel the need to meet new people.

compare this to the international students who usually will show up for most of oweek because they don't know anyone at uni yet and they're hoping to meet people. so guess who the international students are going to make friends with? hmm, let's see... the other international students who come for oweek!!!

i guess all of this is part of the reason why international and local students find it hard to become friends.

Reply 30

JDon

/\

And that is why I dislike the Aus universities :frown:

But then again, I am used to the W.A uni's, so I am hoping if I go to Sydney/Melbourne it will be alot different....I'll be disappointed if it isn't :frown:

Reply 31

ozcharlie

Chriz

ozcharlie - Well, i lived in Australia for a few years after i was born there so i wouldn't call myself an outsider. You simply can't put ANU in the context of a top 10 university. First of all, it is probably in the top 40 in the rankings, which should be taken as a grain of salt. Second, most of its recognition comes from the endowment from the government to fund research.

It is not the be-all-and-end-all, but ANU ranked 14 in the world in the THES 2007 rankings, I believe it has gone up this year, too (12 from memory)

Reply 32

~LEAH~

mml

just shows how ignorant and closed minded some australians are... but in a way it's not really their fault that they've never seen a hot asian girl before or met asians who speak proper english. there's people like that in UK, US, Canada, EU, etc.. too

Ummm... I think you may be jeopardising your own argument there in Australian's being "closed minded" and "ignorant". Are you saying that cultural-tensions can be solved by getting what you deem "hot" Asians to study in Australia? I can see how a low level of English proficiency could isolate International students and perhaps make them a target of resentment but I don't think this is an argument about being from another culture it is simply the ability to communicate effectively.

I'm Australian and so obviously I am quite biased but I'm very offended by the generalisations not only made about Australians being bigots and racist but also in general about immigrants and International Students on this thread. Australia is one of the most multicultural places on earth with 1/4 being born overseas. I am not doubting that racism occurs but in my experience in Sydney, racism is rare. I have no idea about W.A. as I have never lived there and so will not pass judgement.

I completely agree with ozcharlie. Give Aussies a chance! :smile:

Reply 33

JDon

flugestuge

And one of the most racist places on earth.

Yer it is racist.

At school people usually resort to racial slurs...wogs/*****/chink/crout/paki etc...and then some depending on the type of race. I have been to two different school in W.A and they were the same, and I know alot of people from other schools and they act the same way.

So when we state Australia is a racist country, sure its a large generalization, but you cannot say that it is not true.

I was born in Britian, im white, and the first day I attended school in Australia i was automatically nicknamed the pom - a racial slur, although I don't find it offensive, i am sure some do tho.

It is just the way the country is. If you are Australian, unless you spend a few years living in a different country, you won't understand why people call it a racist country. You would get beats if you walked into a regular English school and said some of the rubbish people say in Australian schools. Australians are very mellow, which is probably why they think it is O.K to do it.

Reply 34

JoshW

I was going to disagree with this.. but then thinking about it a bit more, Australia really has some of the most racist people i've ever seen, and some of the most racist legislation in the past (and even at present).

I haven't been to WA or high schools in Australia. I have a feeling that racism in Perth/WA is pretty bad because it is so isolated from the rest of the country/world. I am sure Melbourne and Sydney is a lot better. But in rural areas or urban fringes, there can still be a lot of racism.

Reply 35

rubysolstice

Hello! I'm currently studying in Western Australia. University life here is pretty laid back, and enjoyable, although we are faced with so much freedom that it can be somewhat daunting. Perth is relatively quiet, but beautiful in that way. There are plenty of ways to meet people and make new friends: join a university club, attend social events, get a job, take up a sport or leisure activity (such as those offered by the UWA recreate club), etc. And of course that's in addition to lectures/tutorials/group assignments.

People.. friendly, in general. And I think from my experience of university, people are very careful not to make racist comments. It is quite upsetting for me to see Australia being portrayed so negatively in the above comments. I've completed almost my entire education in Perth and I think that the most racist thing that has ever been said to me in was "where are you from?", asked by a gentleman whose accent clearly revealed that he was not Aussie born and bred either.

Also, if you are tossing up between Australian cities, Perth is obviously the best :wink:

. But if I were forced to live away from home I'd go to Melbourne. It is a lovely, quirky city, and almost as beautiful as Perth. Sydney is very crowded. And don't believe what they tell you about ANU, I can't see why anybody would want to live in Canberra :p:

Reply 36

JDon

rubysolstice

Hello! I'm currently studying in Western Australia. University life here is pretty laid back, and enjoyable, although we are faced with so much freedom that it can be somewhat daunting. Perth is relatively quiet, but beautiful in that way. There are plenty of ways to meet people and make new friends: join a university club, attend social events, get a job, take up a sport or leisure activity (such as those offered by the UWA recreate club), etc. And of course that's in addition to lectures/tutorials/group assignments.

People.. friendly, in general. And I think from my experience of university, people are very careful not to make racist comments. It is quite upsetting for me to see Australia being portrayed so negatively in the above comments. I've completed almost my entire education in Perth and I think that the most racist thing that has ever been said to me in was "where are you from?", asked by a gentleman whose accent clearly revealed that he was not Aussie born and bred either.

Also, if you are tossing up between Australian cities, Perth is obviously the best :wink:

. But if I were forced to live away from home I'd go to Melbourne. It is a lovely, quirky city, and almost as beautiful as Perth. Sydney is very crowded. And don't believe what they tell you about ANU, I can't see why anybody would want to live in Canberra :p:

You obviously have not lived in Perth if the worse thing said to you was 'where are you from?' unless of course you are socially inept and do not speak to anyone. I am English and I have lived here for five years, and although people joke around with me the things people say is still racist lol, but like I said, I know when they are messing around or not. If you are asian then you would have definitely been exposed to racial slurs because I witness it every day whilst I was at school.

Perth is the best? You obviously have never been out of the city if you believe that, unless you actually prefer the bush, in which case it is personal choice. For people who like a quiet, laid back lifestyle then Perth is definetly for you. For people who like big cities with lots to do and see, then I do not recommend it.

I have been to Sydney, I really liked it but it was a little 'too' crowded for my liking as it reminded me of New York and London. I hope to visit Melbourne soon as I have heard only good things about it.

Reply 37

mml

rubysolstice

People.. friendly, in general. And I think from my experience of university, people are very careful not to make racist comments. It is quite upsetting for me to see Australia being portrayed so negatively in the above comments. I've completed almost my entire education in Perth and I think that the most racist thing that has ever been said to me in was "where are you from?", asked by a gentleman whose accent clearly revealed that he was not Aussie born and bred either.

That's because you've been there for almost your whole life (I assume that's what you mean by "my entire education" ). So as JDon said, you've grown up believing it's ok to make those sorts of jokes and comments. Whereas someone who's in Australia for the first time may find them offensive.

All in all, even though foriegners think a certain comment or joke is racist, aussies may have been brought up thinking it's nothing serious.

Btw, congrats on the unconditional offer to cambridge, rubysolstice!!

Reply 38

Bernadette

Hey,

Just wanted to say that I am at a university in Australia (I am a local Australian student) and it is really not as bad as some people make it out to be, especially with the racism thing!

The important thing about people in Australia is that they are very friendly if you are friendly back. We don't have anything against international students or Asians, but we have a lot against people who keep to themselves and talk to each other in their own language, or whatever. Someone quoted a post from BOS (of which I am a member), which pretty much sums up how Aussies feel (although that particular post was written quite offensively). Anyone would feel the same about people who don't do any work in group assignments.

The other thing is that people aren't very PC here. I would say that more than half of my friends are Asian, and I don't consider myself at all racist. But we joke A LOT about it, and make a lot of comments which I do understand would sound terrible from an outsider's point of view. My friends do it as well; in fact my Asian friends are the ones most likely to sound insulting to Asians! That said, we don't generally joke like that until we know the other person well, and are sure they won't be insulted (with the exception of certain idiots, but they are NOT representative of the general population!).

A general note - lots of people stay in halls, especially at ANU (because nobody lives in Canberra anyway), and even if they don't they do go out a lot, and go to a lot of organised events. In the end it is what you make of your Aussie experience: if you try to get involved, you will be welcomed with open arms, if you stay in your room, well, you'll get what you deserve :smile:

Reply 39

flugestuge

3

Bernadette

The other thing is that people aren't very PC here.

That is the modern euphemism for "I am a racist"

Anyone here at a university in Australia?

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