This could make your decision a lot easier if you live in Brisbane or on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. Recently released tertiary guide, the 2011 Good Universities Guide, has given the University of Sunshine Coast (USC), the only public university, a five-star rating for teaching quality.
The guidebook also gave USC five stars for graduate satisfaction with the skills obtained in their study at the Uni.
Would you change Uni’s based on these ratings? The answer I can not provide, but I do recommend reading this guide if you get a chance. Having the right course in the wrong Uni is not necessarily a bad move. But having the wrong course in the best Uni could be?
One thing to realise with these systems is that sometimes the time of the year the survey is conducted or when the results are collated it is taking a snapshot of that moment of time, or a range period. Surveying a student who has had a frustrating time in a subject might provide a different result when they graduate. These resources are just what they are called; a “guide”. The best rating I personally could give is “ME” or “YOU”, go and visit or talk to the institutes, you rate them, you decide what you think they rate in your perception of them. Again not everyone will jump at the notion this Uni** is now five-star so quickly enrol into their courses, next year it may only rate a three-star, then what are you going to change to next five-start Uni? If you feel that what they offer is not quite in line with your expectations then look around….just dont think oh well this will do….Remember you are going to do a course to help set your life up for a Career…you want the best start that fits YOU.
**please note this is no reflection on USC, they are a very good Uni and deserve the rating thy received. The phrase is for generic use of all Unis.
The guide is released every year so it is keeping things up to date which is a big benefit as reputations of courses and Unis change as quickly as Apple can release the next iPhone. All I am saying is keep looking at the big picture! Take an aerial snapshot of what you are about to embark on…after all spending $25,000 for 3 years or even $82,000 for 2 years with some courses across Australia is not small charge to a lot of Australian Students.
You could take it to the Coke vs. Pepsi or PC vs. Mac debate…but I shall leave that for another blog session.
How is the rating made up?
The rating comes from many sources from, including the Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). The Good Universities Guide presents independent ratings and rankings across the fields of:
· Entry flexibility
· Student-staff ratios
· Teaching quality
· Generic skills
· Graduate satisfaction
· Finding a job after graduation
· Graduate starting salaries
· Cultural diversity·
Research, and much more
This is a good guide to get your head around the nitty-gritty aspects of the University. Find out more about them than just what courses are on offer and what their International ranking are…
How do the Unis at the bottom feel? What do they do to get their ratings and rankings higher?
I would be interested to hear your views on which Unis, TAFES and Private Colleges you rate highly or lowly…and Why? Are these ratings as accurate as they say? What is the public opinion?
Until next time….
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