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Recently, I was offered the opportunity to move to Brisbane from Singapore with my Uncle, Aunt, and 3 cousins. I have no problems whatsoever with these relatives. However, I'am but a mere adolescent. Having to make such an important decision is rather overwhelming.
Having to move to Brisbane would mean leaving my family, friends, and whatever ties I have here in Singapore. I'am certain that being in an English environment would be beneficial to me since my language of choice is in fact, English although I'am of Chinese ethnicity.
I would like to pursue a career in linguistics when I'am older. Would Australia be a good choice for me? Are they any Universities there that specialise in linguistics or have a good reputation for linguistics?
I'am still struggling with this decision and I hope that TL can provide me with some insight on studying in Australia compared to the rigorous and stringent school system that Singapore has.
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I can only tell you that Brisbane is a great city to live in. Two of my fellow students moved there to study for 6 months and both told me it was the best time of there life. I've been there for a couple of days as well and I always wanted to get back there, but never manged to 
I'd say, yes. Do it. Pretty sure you don't regret it, even if I can't tell you anything about linguistics.
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On January 05 2012 20:58 Jayjay54 wrote:I can only tell you that Brisbane is a great city to live in. Two of my fellow students moved there to study for 6 months and both told me it was the best time of there life. I've been there for a couple of days as well and I always wanted to get back there, but never manged to I'd say, yes. Do it. Pretty sure you don't regret it, even if I can't tell you anything about linguistics.
Leaving my parents temporarily to pursue a better education in order provide them a better life when I start working and when they're older is justifiable right?
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On January 05 2012 21:04 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 05 2012 20:58 Jayjay54 wrote:I can only tell you that Brisbane is a great city to live in. Two of my fellow students moved there to study for 6 months and both told me it was the best time of there life. I've been there for a couple of days as well and I always wanted to get back there, but never manged to I'd say, yes. Do it. Pretty sure you don't regret it, even if I can't tell you anything about linguistics. Leaving my parents temporarily to pursue a better education in order provide them a better life when I start working and when they're older is justifiable right?
Sure, going to a foreign place on your own always develops your personality. I went to Chicago for six month.
What is it about your parents? Are you afraid that they need you? If so, in what way?
Other than that, they'll be fine and will cope with you being aways.
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- I imagine you will find Australia very laid back compared to Singapore and I'm sure you will have alot of fun.
- Brisbane is the most laid back of the major cities in Australia (the other 2 being Melbourne and Sydney).
- Brisbane is quite a small city and it's very spread out. This can be a little annoying if you don't have your own transport. Public transport in Australia generally is quite awful.
- To the best of my knowledge there aren't any schools in Australia with a particular reputation for linguistics.
- Obviously, being in an English speaking culture and environment will accelerate your English speaking skills far more than being in Singapore.
Stop stressing and worrying about it so much, you are never going to really know what it is like until you go there.
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On January 05 2012 21:10 Jayjay54 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 05 2012 21:04 Azera wrote:On January 05 2012 20:58 Jayjay54 wrote:I can only tell you that Brisbane is a great city to live in. Two of my fellow students moved there to study for 6 months and both told me it was the best time of there life. I've been there for a couple of days as well and I always wanted to get back there, but never manged to I'd say, yes. Do it. Pretty sure you don't regret it, even if I can't tell you anything about linguistics. Leaving my parents temporarily to pursue a better education in order provide them a better life when I start working and when they're older is justifiable right? Sure, going to a foreign place on your own always develops your personality. I went to Chicago for six month. What is it about your parents? Are you afraid that they need you? If so, in what way? Other than that, they'll be fine and will cope with you being aways.
I'm just not comfortable with the idea of leaving my parents at the moment. My dad is quite busy though. He recently started his own clinic that gives treatment to the needy completely free of charge and is meaning to expand this. Perhaps into a 'free hospital' or 'free nursing home'. My dad pretty much just comes back only to spend time with me (like watching TV series' like Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, etc.) My mom well... she doesn't really give a shit about whatever I do because all she does is bark at me to turn on the television for her.
On January 05 2012 21:13 Netsky wrote:
- I imagine you will find Australia very laid back compared to Singapore and I'm sure you will have alot of fun.
- Brisbane is the most laid back of the major cities in Australia (the other 2 being Melbourne and Sydney).
- Brisbane is quite a small city and it's very spread out. This can be a little annoying if you don't have your own transport. Public transport in Australia generally is quite awful.
- To the best of my knowledge there aren't any schools in Australia with a particular reputation for linguistics.
- Obviously, being in an English speaking culture and environment will accelerate your English speaking skills far more than being in Singapore.
Stop stressing and worrying about it so much, you are never going to really know what it is like until you go there.
Thanks for the advice. I feel that I have to stress and worry about this as much as possible! This is my future I'am deciding at such a young age!
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If you go, you'll develop that baller Aussie accent that girls simply can't resist. Gogogo
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On January 05 2012 21:13 Netsky wrote:
- I imagine you will find Australia very laid back compared to Singapore and I'm sure you will have alot of fun.
- Brisbane is the most laid back of the major cities in Australia (the other 2 being Melbourne and Sydney).
- Brisbane is quite a small city and it's very spread out. This can be a little annoying if you don't have your own transport. Public transport in Australia generally is quite awful.
- To the best of my knowledge there aren't any schools in Australia with a particular reputation for linguistics.
- Obviously, being in an English speaking culture and environment will accelerate your English speaking skills far more than being in Singapore.
Stop stressing and worrying about it so much, you are never going to really know what it is like until you go there.
Pfffttt... everyone knows that Perth is the place to be!
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On January 05 2012 21:28 Azzur wrote:Show nested quote +On January 05 2012 21:13 Netsky wrote:
- I imagine you will find Australia very laid back compared to Singapore and I'm sure you will have alot of fun.
- Brisbane is the most laid back of the major cities in Australia (the other 2 being Melbourne and Sydney).
- Brisbane is quite a small city and it's very spread out. This can be a little annoying if you don't have your own transport. Public transport in Australia generally is quite awful.
- To the best of my knowledge there aren't any schools in Australia with a particular reputation for linguistics.
- Obviously, being in an English speaking culture and environment will accelerate your English speaking skills far more than being in Singapore.
Stop stressing and worrying about it so much, you are never going to really know what it is like until you go there. Pfffttt... everyone knows that Perth is the place to be!
I have an Aunt in Perth! She is old, but she used to be a chef at one of the 5 star hotels here in Singapore. She makes the best bacon.
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5673 Posts
I'm not Australian and have never been there. However, I have been looking at it for postgraduate study and know that the University of Queensland does have Applied Linguistics courses. Check it out!
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Australia is good but i thought singapore is a pretty awesome place to be =S
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On January 05 2012 21:32 riptide wrote:
I'm not Australian and have never been there. However, I have been looking at it for postgraduate study and know that the University of Queensland does have Applied Linguistics courses. Check it out!
Thanks for the heads up! I have not really check what's the difference between Ling and applied Ling, but will do asap.
On January 05 2012 21:32 ShadeR wrote:
Australia is good but i thought singapore is a pretty awesome place to be =S
Singapore is great if you're one of the millions of robots that can just soak up information ezpz. I'm not like that, I play STARCRAFT man! Singapore is also getting unbelievably hot and I would also love to do sports without the risk of getting a heat stroke. (33 Degrees celsius, holy batman!)
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YEAAAHHH BOIIIIII Brisbane is where it's at, yo. UQ is pretty legit when it comes to most things, but don't just take my word for it, check them out yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/plan.html?acad_plan=LINGUX2000 or you can search for yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/future-students.html
Also, we have a UQ Starcraft Society :D
@Netsky, I think it's too harsh to call the public transport "awful", sure, it has its issues, but hey, I get to and from the city, uni, other parts of Brisbane ezpz if I just look at the timetables and go for one that will get me there on time.
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On January 05 2012 21:38 Suc wrote:YEAAAHHH BOIIIIII Brisbane is where it's at, yo. UQ is pretty legit when it comes to most things, but don't just take my word for it, check them out yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/plan.html?acad_plan=LINGUX2000 or you can search for yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/future-students.htmlAlso, we have a UQ Starcraft Society :D @Netsky, I think it's too harsh to call the public transport "awful", sure, it has its issues, but hey, I get to and from the city, uni, other parts of Brisbane ezpz if I just look at the timetables and go for one that will get me there on time.
Oh shiii! Linguistics and an SC society? Awww yeah!
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On January 05 2012 21:38 Suc wrote:YEAAAHHH BOIIIIII Brisbane is where it's at, yo. UQ is pretty legit when it comes to most things, but don't just take my word for it, check them out yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/plan.html?acad_plan=LINGUX2000 or you can search for yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/future-students.htmlAlso, we have a UQ Starcraft Society :D @Netsky, I think it's too harsh to call the public transport "awful", sure, it has its issues, but hey, I get to and from the city, uni, other parts of Brisbane ezpz if I just look at the timetables and go for one that will get me there on time.
This is a little OT I suppose, but...If you're going A to B (i.e. work/school) in the morning/evening then the public transport is satisfactory. But if you spend any time in large cities in other countries it's relatively pretty bad. It's not a huge deal, but some people coming from other countries (particular a densely populated Asian city like Singapore) might become used to it. Brisbane is sort of like a big country town in that regard.
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On January 05 2012 21:35 Azera wrote:
Singapore is great if you're one of the millions of robots that can just soak up information ezpz. I'm not like that, I play STARCRAFT man! Singapore is also getting unbelievably hot and I would also love to do sports without the risk of getting a heat stroke. (33 Degrees celsius, holy batman!)
Hahaha don't come to Australia if you want to escape the heat, and brissy especially if you dislike humidity!! 40 C is not uncommon during summer.
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If you're around university age then it's the perfect time to go abroad. Learn a bunch of stuff, make some new friends, discover that feel when you can drive in one direction for hours and not leave the country...
Being apart from friends and family isn't such a big deal anymore, with crap like skype and facebook it's pretty easy to stay in touch and with cheap international flights it's not all that hard to head home for the holidays either.
And yeah, if 33 is hot to you then Queensland in general probably isn't the best choice (but it's nice here in Melbourne lol)
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On January 05 2012 21:58 Netsky wrote:Show nested quote +On January 05 2012 21:38 Suc wrote:YEAAAHHH BOIIIIII Brisbane is where it's at, yo. UQ is pretty legit when it comes to most things, but don't just take my word for it, check them out yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/plan.html?acad_plan=LINGUX2000 or you can search for yourself: http://www.uq.edu.au/study/future-students.htmlAlso, we have a UQ Starcraft Society :D @Netsky, I think it's too harsh to call the public transport "awful", sure, it has its issues, but hey, I get to and from the city, uni, other parts of Brisbane ezpz if I just look at the timetables and go for one that will get me there on time. This is a little OT I suppose, but...If you're going A to B (i.e. work/school) in the morning/evening then the public transport is satisfactory. But if you spend any time in large cities in other countries it's relatively pretty bad. It's not a huge deal, but some people coming from other countries (particular a densely populated Asian city like Singapore) might become used to it. Brisbane is sort of like a big country town in that regard.
Yeah, fair enough. To be honest, I haven't travelled enough to know how other public transport systems really compare to Brisbane's, so it could be rubbish compared to ones you've seen. It's solid enough to get you from A to B.
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So the weather in Brisbane is hot and humid? You mean like Singapore? What.
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Don't come here for education. Expensive and a total rip off especially for Asians :/ but again like any education it's what you make of it but if you have the money to pay for an education, there are much much better choices out there oh with out PR, you will be required to put down approximately 15K per year for university.
@Melbourne university they even make you retake high school year 12 if you don't come from an English speaking country. I'm not sure if Singapore is part of the approved country list or not so you better sort it out with the school before you come down, preferably with a offer of enrolment from the university beforehand.
Every city in Australia is hot and humid except for Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne (Melbourne summer still gets to 40 degrees), Melbourne weather in general is just... miserable... get this, 2 weeks ago we had hails and rain storms, this week the temperature is 34 degrees T_T
I've being to Brisbane and Perth and Perth is my pick for a city to live.
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On January 05 2012 21:38 Suc wrote:
@Netsky, I think it's too harsh to call the public transport "awful", sure, it has its issues, but hey, I get to and from the city, uni, other parts of Brisbane ezpz if I just look at the timetables and go for one that will get me there on time.
It is awful compare to Asian public transport. Singaporean public transport is some thing that only lives in the dreams of Melbournians.
Sydney's public transport < Melbourne but I heard that Brisbane has a pretty nice system (safe and clean) but no enough regular service.
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You don't have to worry about anything else really. Racism is not really an issue. There are large Chinese, Asian communities in every major cities, like if you walk in city, on some streets there are more Asians than anyone else!
In side the Asian communities, Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian Chinese are plenty!
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I work at UWA in Perth and have lived in Perth all my life. I love it here and regularly feel like I am super lucky to have been born here. I don't think you will regret living in any Australian city for a while, but my vote would be for Perth :D
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I can't comment on linguistic courses at the various unis but, brissie is a pretty nice place. Brisbane is miniscule compared to singapore (only 2mill ppl here) so that has its advantages and disadvantages.
Also the public transport system is very expensive.
But most people are friendly here, if a little bit uneducated.
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On January 05 2012 21:28 Azzur wrote:Show nested quote +On January 05 2012 21:13 Netsky wrote:
- I imagine you will find Australia very laid back compared to Singapore and I'm sure you will have alot of fun.
- Brisbane is the most laid back of the major cities in Australia (the other 2 being Melbourne and Sydney).
- Brisbane is quite a small city and it's very spread out. This can be a little annoying if you don't have your own transport. Public transport in Australia generally is quite awful.
- To the best of my knowledge there aren't any schools in Australia with a particular reputation for linguistics.
- Obviously, being in an English speaking culture and environment will accelerate your English speaking skills far more than being in Singapore.
Stop stressing and worrying about it so much, you are never going to really know what it is like until you go there. Pfffttt... everyone knows that Perth is the place to be!
What this guy said!
Brisbane is cool, best of both worlds. It's not as cramped as Sydney and Melbourne but there's still plenty to do.
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Australia7069 Posts
I live in brisbane. its a really nice place. doesn't get TOO hot in summer, really nice in winter, close to beaches, rainforest. decent shopping and nightlife and stuff and still nice spaces out suburban areas. pretty good public transport (for australia anyway) yeah
pretty cheap living too
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As a Singaporean studying at UQ, I can probably offer a more relevant perspective for you.
Yes, the public transport is utter crap compared to Singapore's - you actually have to check the timetable, because some buses only come once per hour (or even less frequently), and some services end by 6pm, or don't operate on weekends/public holidays. Which also leads to its only advantage - it's usually less crowded (doesn't apply for peak services to uni).
The whole place is mostly dead by evening (except for bars and such, which I'm not too familiar with), almost everything is closed on pub hols, and things generally move at a far more leisurely pace. They actually respect holidays/working hours here. Don't expect much to be available 24/7 as in Singapore. (Yes, we can do our groceries at 3am in Singapore.)
Almost every Singaporean I know says there's nothing to do in Brisbane.
Everything is a lot more expensive in Brisbane (and Australia in general), except for cars.
Brisbane weather is rather enjoyable most of the year, though I have yet to experience summer here (just hotter but less humid than SG).
Most enjoyable aspect is probably the outdoors - beaches, surfing, rock-climbing, mountains, sky-diving, road trips etc. (relatively easy to try everything)
I'm not too sure about high school in brisbane, but you can probably expect a far more easy-going/enjoyable environment compared to the grind in SG. I think you'll have far better prospects in Brisbane for an academic career in general (NUS tends not to accept its own graduates for post-grad and/or academic positions), and if you're going to do anything clinically/therapeutically-oriented, it's probably also more established in aus.
I'm guessing you're currently in Sec sch? And what's your plan for NS?
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On January 05 2012 23:59 Kiante wrote:
I live in brisbane. its a really nice place. doesn't get TOO hot in summer, really nice in winter, close to beaches, rainforest. decent shopping and nightlife and stuff and still nice spaces out suburban areas. pretty good public transport (for australia anyway) yeah
pretty cheap living too
I'ts not really close to any good beaches. you either have to drive up to the sunshine coast or drive down to the gold coast.
Whereas Sydney, for example, has beaches in it's very own suburbs.
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I'm a final year PhD and tutored over 500 students at UNSW over the past 2.5 years and have Singaporean relatives. I'll share some of my opinions with you.
In my experience as a tutor of many international and local students, I find that students from Asian education backgrounds are hard working and can regurgitate what you teach them (like you said, great learning robots). However, I find that they lack critical thinking and problem solving skills that I find in students with North American or Western European education background. Even though Singapore has a highly regarded education system, I would suggest you do your Bachelors degree overseas. I believe that it would make you more well rounded, but I have not met you personally, so this is only based off the mean of my students of similar ethnic background. (Btw, have you completed your A levels?)
Also note that university education for international students is very expensive in Australia. So unless you can get a resident in Australia then you need to be prepared to pay a lot of money for a degree. That being said, UQ is a great uni, but I'm not sure if their Linguistics school is good or not (not my field, you will have to check it out yourself).
I am assuming you are a male and you still have to do your military service? It would be easier to do this when you are younger rather than returning to do after you have graduated from uni.
Finally, if you are very passionate about something, then I think you should go for that. Whether it is to do a linguistics course in Brisbane or to stay in Singapore. If you follow your passion, you won't have regrets.
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PERTH REPRESENT YEAH =)
Most public transport in Australia is relatively poor compared to SG's, however if you live near a bus stop or train station it really shouldn't be that bad. I've been to Brisbane, in the winter, so nice. If you enjoy low to mid 20 deg C temps and sunshine, that's the time to be there. The only bad weather is in the summer when the monsoon season hits. Also as a foodie i can proudly claim Brisbane's food is damn good value (Oishii, Piaf, Corner Store Cafe, Gunshop cafe (i think its rather eeehhh but its still decent) just to name a few). Unless you're a chinaman and only enjoy chinese food. Then Brisbane is not the place for you, come Perth =p
Education wise, i don't anything about linguistic courses. But if you're an international student, prepare to get gouged for cash.
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On January 06 2012 01:03 crypton wrote:
As a Singaporean studying at UQ, I can probably offer a more relevant perspective for you.
Yes, the public transport is utter crap compared to Singapore's - you actually have to check the timetable, because some buses only come once per hour (or even less frequently), and some services end by 6pm, or don't operate on weekends/public holidays. Which also leads to its only advantage - it's usually less crowded (doesn't apply for peak services to uni).
The whole place is mostly dead by evening (except for bars and such, which I'm not too familiar with), almost everything is closed on pub hols, and things generally move at a far more leisurely pace. They actually respect holidays/working hours here. Don't expect much to be available 24/7 as in Singapore. (Yes, we can do our groceries at 3am in Singapore.)
Almost every Singaporean I know says there's nothing to do in Brisbane.
Everything is a lot more expensive in Brisbane (and Australia in general), except for cars.
Brisbane weather is rather enjoyable most of the year, though I have yet to experience summer here (just hotter but less humid than SG).
Most enjoyable aspect is probably the outdoors - beaches, surfing, rock-climbing, mountains, sky-diving, road trips etc. (relatively easy to try everything)
I'm not too sure about high school in brisbane, but you can probably expect a far more easy-going/enjoyable environment compared to the grind in SG. I think you'll have far better prospects in Brisbane for an academic career in general (NUS tends not to accept its own graduates for post-grad and/or academic positions), and if you're going to do anything clinically/therapeutically-oriented, it's probably also more established in aus.
I'm guessing you're currently in Sec sch? And what's your plan for NS?
Yeah I'm in Sec 3 atm. For NS I think I'll go after high school (ends at 18?) then go to Uni. I might go after Uni though, depends on which Uni I'am going to and the deferment policy.
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On January 05 2012 22:24 Azera wrote:
So the weather in Brisbane is hot and humid? You mean like Singapore? What.
Yeah, the weather is pretty hot and humid in Brisbane.
Winter is nice though, it's not too cold.
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On January 06 2012 17:40 Goliathus wrote:Show nested quote +On January 05 2012 22:24 Azera wrote:
So the weather in Brisbane is hot and humid? You mean like Singapore? What. Yeah, the weather is pretty hot and humid in Brisbane. Winter is nice though, it's not too cold.
What's the temperature range?
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On January 06 2012 17:56 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 06 2012 17:40 Goliathus wrote:On January 05 2012 22:24 Azera wrote:
So the weather in Brisbane is hot and humid? You mean like Singapore? What. Yeah, the weather is pretty hot and humid in Brisbane. Winter is nice though, it's not too cold. What's the temperature range?
about 20-30 degrees. Brisbane's climate is a temperate climate, so it doesn't get too hot or cold. Humidity rarely gets below 50% though (because it is a coastal city).
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