jinx_58
Hey jinx_58,

I'll probably let someone else inform you of the uni subject stuff as they can probably explain that better than me (also because my degree forces me to do specific 4 courses every semester so we can't choose).

In terms of laptops, I am currently using a Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 which is touchscreen but it cannot flip over so it's kind of difficult to write notes on. It does depend on your budget but here are a few options for 2-in-1 laptops*:

*Ensure you buy your laptop in the Black Friday deals or Boxing day or something like that because that's when I got my laptop last year. I highly recommend figuring out what specs you need and then finding your laptop. If you are using only for uni, then my minimum recommendations are in bold but take them with a grain of salt (I am no expert):

  • Core: i5 or i7 or AMD (😆) etc.? i5
  • Storage: 256 or 512 GB etc.? 256 GB
  • Memory: 8 or 16GB RAM etc.? 8GB
  • Screen size: 13" or 15" etc.? 13"
  • Battery life (very important if for uni): 10 hours or more? Probably min. 12 hours*
  • Ports: this can vary a lot but ensure it at least has a USB-C port but also a headphone jack, USB-A port and an HDMI would be a bonus (note: I believe most, if not all, Microsoft laptops do not have an HDMI)

*You might think that's a lot of battery life but trust me to stay on the safe side, you want to divide the advertised battery life by like half and see if you're happy with that. You will regret it in uni if you have a bad battery life.

This was a way longer post than I expected but hope that helps. Good luck with everything and feel free to ask any questions as always.

  • PP

      jinx_58 personally i recommend a tablet like a surface pro or an ipad. most laptops that can fully flip over (2 in 1s) are pretty bad for not taking.

          Thank you PhytoPlankton and nolongerhuman for the tips, I appreciate it!

          If I want to do engineering next year, how would I prepare for it? Like, how would I study ahead? What textbooks should I borrow? Any other general tips?

          @PhytoPlankton hey dude, also I’m curious as to what you’re studying and where if that’s cool? You don’t have to, as I understand the whole privacy thing haha

          Thanks y’all,
          -jinx_58

                jinx_58
                Hey jinx_58,

                Again, I will probably let someone else tell you in more detail about the engineering course. However, I tried to also study ahead for my courses (which I will tell you below) so I emailed the course coordinators beforehand to ask the same question. They referred me to the course outline which, in some detail, goes over the content needed to study. What university are you expecting for engineering? I have a few friends that does engineering that I can ask if you like.

                As for what I do (that's all good for asking haha), I study the Bachelor of Med Sci at UniSC which is for pre-med students. So, as long as I maintain a GPA of 5.0, I get a place in Griffith MD program.

                Hope that helps!

                • PP

                    PhytoPlankton

                    Thank you! I plan to go to engineering at QUT so if you could ask around, that’d be really awesome because I have no friends in uni haha 😅

                    And damnnnn a 5.0 GPA??!!!! I would have dropped in the first 3 weeks 😂

                    Thanks again,
                    -jinx_58

                        jinx_58
                        Hey jinx_58,

                        Hope post-school life is going well for you.

                        I asked a friend that's doing engineering at QUT and they said that in the first semester of engineering at QUT you have to do 4 set subject. A math subject, a coding subject, a physics subject and a professional practice & principles subject (apparently, this is a very big subject with one large group assignment). At the end of your first semester, you choose your major. Then from second semester, you start subjects of your choice of major (eg. electrical, software, civil).

                        So, from his answers, it seems like you could choose quite different subjects from someone else doing engineering as well. What I would do is search up the specific courses (the maths, coding, physics and PPP) and then take a look at the course outlines.

                        P.S. you'll realise when you get to uni that a GPA of 5.0 isn't too difficult to maintain 😆.

                        Hope that helps and let me know if you have any more questions to ask about QUT engineering.

                        • PP
                          7 days later

                          Immmm backkkk lmaoooo

                          I’m asking for a friend who wants to do a Bachelor of nursing next year, and she’s wondering what laptop to buy next year, she’s looking for something that's a laptop but also is touchscreen and she likes the idea of a folding back laptop. Any ideas?

                          -jinx_58

                            jinx_58
                            Hey jinx_58,

                            I would probably refer your friend to my post above about laptops. But I do actually have a friend that does Bachelor of Nursing at UQ and she actually uses a MacBook Pro so its neither a touchscreen nor can the screen swivel all the way around. Its best if someone else gives recommendations too just for diversification.

                            Let me know if your friend has any questions about BoN. Hope that helps!

                            • PP
                              5 days later
                              3 months later

                              jinx_58 Hey! 4th year student here! The subject selection process at uni firstly depends on what University you attend. I would recommend taking a look at your course progression map if they provide one to understand your courses core units/electives/majors this will help you select what to do and when! If you are super stuck, reach out to the university, they often have a call centre or email inbox dedicated to subject inquiries!

                              As for subjects per 'Term' - the word 'term' is often used at school and your school year is broken up into 4 terms. At university, you complete semesters, where the year is broken up into 2 main blocks rather than 4! There are typically 12 weeks in a Semester (not including exams/mid-semester break ect...) then you get a huge break in between! Some students decide to do trimesters, which are a little different and consist of 3 blocks however if you are doing the typical progression of 2 semesters per year, and you are a full time student, you often complete 4 subjects (commonly referred to as 'units').

                              If you are working or just need a little extra time you can do less than this, this is called under-loading! However don't be fooled - you still have to complete the units you un-enrolled from, just later, which will mean your degree completion will take a little longer!

                              Hopefully that helps!
                              Sven

                                16 days later

                                Hey guys,

                                I have a question. For anyone who is going to UQ, what subjects do you need to do to get into medical school?
                                I'm not sure what the prereq is... Like I would like to do languages because I enjoy it, but I'm not sure if I have to do physics. Like I don't want to take the wrong pathway.

                                Thanks, Leeshi.

                                  Leeshi

                                  You can find the requirements for UQ postgrad med here. I'm not from UQ, but it looks like they're a series of units, with the first unit also having its own prereq meaning in total you need to complete three units:

                                  -BIOL1040 (Cells to Organisms) - Sem 2 offering
                                  -BIOM2011 (Integrative Cell & Tissue Biology) - Sem 1 offering
                                  -BIOM2012 (Systems Physiology) - Sem 2 offering

                                  Best of luck!

                                    a month later

                                    Joseph41 finished midsems and it ain’t looking pretty with a million things due straight after the break

                                      Joseph41
                                      The first lot are done, the next lot are on there way :')
                                      There are also exams to prep for so theres that

                                      -jinx_58

                                        5 days later

                                        Hey guys, so I am a year 11 student and I'm considering taking a gap year between high school and uni. I feel like I've revolved my life around my studies, and whenever I talk to someone, I literally just talk about school. I was thinking of a gap year because I wanted to discover and create a part of me that isn't all about studying. To be honest, I think I am already burnt out from studying. Its eating me alive. I told my parents but they basically rejected the idea (immigrant parents iykyk) but I think if I keep insisting they will let me.
                                        I would like to know if this is a good idea from you guys, especially if any of you guys have taken a gap year at that time.
                                        Also is a semester gap also possible?

                                          Taaaa76 I didn't take a gap year, although I did take a big break after uni initially before returning to study.

                                          From what you've said, a gap year sounds like a good option to me, though you still have a little while before you'll need to decide. What do you think you might do in that time if not study? And if you're keen to study at uni at some point, what area might you be leaning toward?

                                          Semester gap - there's no reason why you can't just take the first half of the year off, but it might make starting some courses a little more logistically challenging (for example, some courses may only accept start-of-year enrolments, or some compulsory units may only be available in Semester 1).