Phoenixuk2oz

Agree. Rankings can be VERY misleading.

Uni I went to scored within top 50 in world yet on certain courses it scored lowest!

Since then....Uni has gone down in rank....yet Exec course I waz on has remained sought after worldwide

Also look out for who's doing the ranking i.e credibility and independance

Phoenixuk2oz

szuberts

Thanks, I agree that finding precise criteria to make a fair ranking is difficult.
Also, public perception is slow to change. Cambridge,Harvard will always be seen as the tops, Monash will be seen as a suitable university and Wagga Wagga will be seen as a joke. I don't know if there is a uni there but you get my point. Even if Wagga Wagga were to work hard to prove they were the tops in such and such a research, they would be bashing their head against the brick wall of traditional opinion.

Phoenixuk2oz

Agree.

Unfortunatly even in the world of academia......snobbery rules [and money / support for research!!]

Good luck with whatever the choice in Uni

Phoenixuk2oz

szuberts

Thanks! And good luck to you too, I guess you are still waiting for the visa? My process ended up taking two years so I know the agony...

MikeStanton

Rankings can be very misleading. For example, the UK's LSE should be in the top 20 (however, this is because of the list's science/engineering bias). If somebody can point to a more respected list, please do. Somehow, I don't think Oz's standing will be improved.

All the very bright Australians I know have done their 2nd degrees in either the UK or USA. I know of one Aussie who did an MBA in Oz and then did another in USA. Yup, he thought that highly of the Oz MBA

Unfair though it may be, one of the reasons people go to the best unis is because of perception/image - or the 'brand'. Also, the general Oz attitude of being anti-intellectual and sports-obsessed doesn't exactly help their case, does it?

If your children want to stay in Oz or NZ, no doubt an Oz uni education will suffice for a first degree. But, if they want to compete with the big boys and girls in Europe, USA or other countries - almost all of the Oz unis aren't going to cut the mustard.

Megalania

Having worked with graduates from various Unis, including Cambridge, I'm not convinced that the quality of the Uni made a lot of difference to the quality or quantity of their work relative to a non-graduate with an enquiring mind. Elite Unis like Harvard are well funded and do produce highly valuable patents and papers.

Far more important seems to be the willingness to continue post graduate private study and research.

I'd go so far as to say that in most cases Unis are for dummies with insufficient get up and go to do their own studies and insufficient nouce to be able to open the right book at the right page and comprehend what they read.

Phoenixuk2oz

Wanna bite Meg

Phoenixuk2oz

Megalania

Not really - happy enough being opinionated.

Phoenixuk2oz

Phoenixuk2oz

ABCDiamond

I know of many people who have come to OZ and retaken courses, that they had done back in their own country, inc UK.

So in your words - Yup, they thought that highly of their own countries education. ?

Or is it a different answer when its this way round ?

MikeStanton

Ahh, sounds like somebody who doesn't have a degree... Let me guess, University of Life, blah, blah

Megalania

Got a dummie?

Phoenixuk2oz

Phoenixuk2oz