What university should I go to on international exchange?

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Vasco

Vasco

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Vasc0
Well, it's still 2 years before I go on university exchange, but I have to start planning now so that I can complete my major before I leave. At this stage my preferred country would have to be USA or the UK, although I'm not too attracted to the UK because apparently the cost of living there is apparently very high, and I'll be on a budget.

I would like to go to a university which has a good campus atmosphere (i.e. plenty of events to get involved in such as sports and clubs), but also has a decent 'reputation'. I'd probably be studying business or IT type subjects there (as we are allowed to choose any subject we wish to study overseas).
The full list of countries/universities is here, and top of the list so far for me is California State University at Sacramento. It seems to be in a nice and central location in California, which gives my an opportunity to visit lots of places there easily. I'm definitely looking for recommendations though.

A few people I've talked to who have been to Canada say that it's a very good place to go as well, with it apparently having a similar feel to Australia (except it'd obviously be a lot colder, which is a bit of a turn off for me as I love warm weather).

I also wouldn't mind going to an English speaking university in Italy, as I have a basic knowledge of the language already (which I could probably enhance if I go there for 6 months) - but I am unsure as to the costs of living in that area.

Obviously I'll be talking to the relevant student information centre with regards to accomodation and other details later in the year, but I'd like to have some input into some universities which I could research a bit further (there's just such a large list!) before I go there.

So yeah, any input would be greatly appreciated. :)
 
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I think Bovine University is in the US, but I could be wrong.
 
I think you would enjoy Canada. I spent quite a few years growing up in the states and have been visiting since; but when I moved to parkaland I felt much more at home with the environment. Everyone is laid back, and extremely open to diversity wether it be sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural, etc.
 
The US would be a good choice if your funds are going to be coming from Australian dollars. Just try not to pay anything in a lump sum.

I think an English-speaking university in Italy is Perugia. My Uncle's bother-in-law went to U. of Bologna and had a fantastic experience even though he had to learn the language and do all the work in Italian.

Texas also has some good schools with hot chicks whose parents are oil-rich. :lol:

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 
Omnis
The US would be a good choice if your funds are going to be coming from Australian dollars. Just try not to pay anything in a lump sum.

I think an English-speaking university in Italy is Perugia. My Uncle's bother-in-law went to U. of Bologna and had a fantastic experience even though he had to learn the language and do all the work in Italian.

Texas also has some good schools with hot chicks whose parents are oil-rich. :lol:

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
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Mmm...hot chicks, sounds interesting. I'll have a better look into Perugia University then, and Canada sounds really good. Gah, so many good choices!
 
Vasc0
and Canada sounds really good. Gah, so many good choices!
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To be honest I think I feel more at home in the US rather than Canada (Got tired of all the Candians complaining about the US :lol: ), though considering you are in Sydney, Toronto might be your style. :p
 
You might want to have a look through this list... http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=144

Some unis on your list make the World's Top 200... Univ. of Arizona is the highest ranking American university in your list (I think). The highest ranked Unis on your list are Univ. of Amsterdam (48) and Uppsala (71)... A year in Amsterdam would be very cool :D I've been to the Technical University of Denmark and Copenhagen is a cool place to be. Both TUD and Univ. of Copenhagen are in the Top 200...

Student life in the UK is not too much more taxing on the finances than anywhere else, really... perhaps London is a bit expensive, but otherwise I wouldn't let it put you off if you were thinking about the UK.

However, if I could choose anywhere to spend a year at Uni, Canada would be very high on my list 👍
 
SDSU is, IIRC, one of the better business schools in America. And you can’t beat San Diego weather. :D
 
Vasc0
Mmm...hot chicks, sounds interesting. I'll have a better look into Perugia University then, and Canada sounds really good. Gah, so many good choices!
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Whoops, I meant in Perugia, not Perugia University itself. No idea how good it would be, though. I know Bologna is great and I'm sure U. of Perugia is good too, but they aren't English schools.
 
UC here in NZ :sly:

Loads of clubs and stuff to get involved with (CurrySoc - curries, MotoSoc - automotive stuff, etc), plus we're not all that far from Aussie. :p

Comes in at equal 188th on the top 200 list that TM posted.
 
Yeh, Australia certainly punches above it's weight, with 6 in the top 50, and the third highest number of Top 200 Unis per head of population :eek: Scotland (1st :D) and Netherlands (2nd) have the best population/Top 200 Uni ratios in the world, but only have one Top 50 University each. England and Canada are 4th and 5th... The US has by far the most Top 200 unis, but England arguably has the most impressive overall record, with a very high ratio of top universities per head of population, and 4 of the top 9 universities in the world! Belgium, Switzerland and Hong Kong also figure pretty well too.
 
Sorry for the late reply (went away for the week). That list is fantastic and exactly what I was looking for! I think New Zealand is a bit too close for me to consider - the culture is probably very similar to Australia as well, which is not what I'm looking for.

Also while the European universities look quite appealing, there's not many spaces available and I think I wouldn't get that 'living on campus' experience I'm really looking for.

San Diego looks nice, I think Arizona sounds a tad too hot for me (and I'd like to be closer to the sea). I'll have a talk with a few grads from my course to see where they've gone and what they thought in the coming weeks...hopefully that should help narrow down the prospective list further.
 
Mega bump! So I'm going to University of Miami Coral Gables for the (American) 'fall' semester. Should be staying in housing on campus, and really looking forward to it! Will be the first time I'll be living by myself so I have to ween myself off being a spoiled brat...

Myself and two other mates (one going to San Diego State, the other Uni of Arizona) will be going on a roadtrip for a month before we start uni, heading up the west coast from LA to Vancouver, then flying over to New York to do an East Coast loop (up to Boston, then Canada and then back around through Chicago and DC)...going to Lollapalooza on the way through Chicago :D

If anyone has some cool places to visit which lie somewhere along here that aren't the typical big name tourist attractions please let me know!
 
Nice... Close to Miami... Nice weather... Palm trees... Beaches... Babes... Damn I miss living in FL....

Hope you have a good time there.... If you were heading to the Uni of Amsterdam then I couldve shown you around here... :lol:
 
Vasco
Mega bump! So I'm going to University of Miami Coral Gables for the (American) 'fall' semester. Should be staying in housing on campus, and really looking forward to it! Will be the first time I'll be living by myself so I have to ween myself off being a spoiled brat...

Myself and two other mates (one going to San Diego State, the other Uni of Arizona) will be going on a roadtrip for a month before we start uni, heading up the west coast from LA to Vancouver, then flying over to New York to do an East Coast loop (up to Boston, then Canada and then back around through Chicago and DC)...going to Lollapalooza on the way through Chicago :D

If anyone has some cool places to visit which lie somewhere along here that aren't the typical big name tourist attractions please let me know!
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Just the Fall semester? Dang. I've applied there for the next year. If you need a campus tour or something, I know a guy that works doing that as a student. My grandpa also taught medicine there. What are you studying again?

Now that you're coming to south Florida you have to hit me up or hang with Giancarlo. :D
 
Ive been to Arizona once weather is great and the women are top notch plus its in a good location to go to Cali or mexico during your long weekends and breaks. Or if you are looking for some latin flavor might I suggest University of Miami. You will not find a place with more hot Spanish chicks anywhere else in the US.
 
Mikey, he already said he's going to the U. Lol. Vasco, get used to the Miami accent:

 
University of Houston. Good business school, good atmosphere, in a big city. And you can hang out with me!:D
 
Go somewhere that gets snow. You'll love it, you'll hate it, but it will be different :p Say, University of Washington in Seattle, or somewhere in Canada.
 
Go to the University of Miami ;)

;)
 
Vasco
If anyone has some cool places to visit which lie somewhere along here that aren't the typical big name tourist attractions please let me know!
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Laguna Seca & Infineon Raceway? They're not too far inland from the West Coast if you're going to be taking the scenic route up Pacific Coast Highway.
Definitely stop in Monterey, SF, the Redwoods National Park further North.
If you've time check out Yosemite too.
Oregon coastline is beautiful so worth sticking to, but I'm guessing you're going to be under-21 while you're here so you'll miss out on all the great Northern Cali & Oregon breweries. :(
Portland and Seattle are both great cities.

I'm so glad you didn't opt for Loughborough University in England.
I did my M.Sc there & it's a dump! A campus university which is almost bigger than the town it's attached to and the local yokels don't seem to like students. :ouch:

I had to :lol: at Clarkson University on that list too.
Is that where people go to learn to be a bit of a knob like Jeremy Clarkson?!!! It reminded me of this:

(Mild language warning.)
 
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Blitz187
Hope you have a good time there.... If you were heading to the Uni of Amsterdam then I couldve shown you around here... :lol:
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Actually I've got a friend going to Tilburg!

Omnis
Just the Fall semester? Dang. I've applied there for the next year. If you need a campus tour or something, I know a guy that works doing that as a student. My grandpa also taught medicine there. What are you studying again?

Now that you're coming to south Florida you have to hit me up or hang with Giancarlo.
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Yeah just for the Fall semester, but I'll be in the USA from July up until New Years (planning on going to NYC to do the cliche thing). I'm studying business, but I'll be doing four elective subjects over in Miami - I'm thinking Spanish 101, Financial Modelling (to fit with the job I've landed for next year) and then two other non-business subjects.

Would definitely be keen to hang out, you'll have to show me round town too!

Note: It seems a few people didn't see the time of that first post haha, thanks for your late suggestions though :P

Smallhorses
Laguna Seca & Infineon Raceway? They're not too far inland from the West Coast if you're going to be taking the scenic route up Pacific Coast Highway.
Definitely stop in Monterey, SF, the Redwoods National Park further North.
If you've time check out Yosemite too.
Oregon coastline is beautiful so worth sticking to, but I'm guessing you're going to be under-21 while you're here so you'll miss out on all the great Northern Cali & Oregon breweries.
Portland and Seattle are both great cities.
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Thanks for the suggestions, I forgot about the racetracks! I will be under 21 (slightly), but this is easily 'fixed' before I go over. Pretty crazy to think I'm actually underage somewhere!

I'm so glad you didn't opt for Loughborough University in England.
I did my M.Sc there & it's a dump! A campus university which is almost bigger than the town it's attached to and the local yokels don't seem to like students.

I had to at Clarkson University on that list too.
Is that where people go to learn to be a bit of a knob like Jeremy Clarkson?!!
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Ah, I deliberately stayed away from England - cost of living and the depressing weather threw me off that track...seems that Clarkson has penetrated the US market though!
 
Schools in Florida are on the cheaper end of the tuition, and the education is not that bad actually compared to schools in the North like university of Illinois or University of Michigan. I currently go to University of South Florida.

Undergrad is pretty much the same all over the states, what separates them is the costs.

It's the graduate schools that separate the universities.
 
Vasco
Ah, I deliberately stayed away from England - cost of living and the depressing weather threw me off that track...seems that Clarkson has penetrated the US market though!
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Except Lougborough is the sports university of the UK, and hence has the female talent to go with it ;)
 
Smallhorses
I'm so glad you didn't opt for Loughborough University in England.
I did my M.Sc there & it's a dump! A campus university which is almost bigger than the town it's attached to and the local yokels don't seem to like students. :ouch:
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Mmm, Loughborough is like that. The locals don't like students because, as far as I could tell, 75% of the houses were occupied by them. That said, I've had 2 relatives go there with seemingly no complaints - one of which had their wedding reception in one of the sports halls... for some reason.
 
There's no shortage of good looking women in Miami either, that's for certain.

It sounds like you'll see more of this country than I ever have in your short time here. Pennsylvania isn't a bad place if you're passing through...but only if you stop in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia...there's pretty much nothing here between those two cities.
 
UBA (University of Buenos Aires)

Do it, you wont.
 
Vasco, you'd better edit your post with some big bold letters that say

I'M GOING TO MIAMI

 
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