It is hard to sum up my feelings about the University of Queensland in a few short sentences. I…read morecould almost right a novel about the my experiences here but I thought I would write a little about my first impressions of the University and then give some tips and hints. Now the first time I walked around the St Lucia campus I was struck by the beauty of the sandstone buildings that create the Great Court area. This is what you see in all the pretty pictures of the university but it really is breathtaking in real life. The more you look the more detail you realise is in each individual carving in the buildings and the meanings they have for the faculties within them. The Great Court is what I always imagined a university would be like. I soon ventured into the classrooms inside. Being in the humanities, these classrooms were old and in desperate need of repair. There were broken tables, dodgy air conditioners, peeling paint but it all added to the idea of the struggling arts student. Having also had classes in engineering buildings I can say that some of the newer ones are pretty swish and clean and you are lucky if you are in there. The student union complex is a little bustling centre with shops, a salon, pharmacy, dentist, bakery, refectory, and much much more. I almost did not know what to do with all the choice in food. There are also Wednesday Markets held here offering everything from bargain books to sunglasses. There is plenty to do on campus that doesn't involve classes, like drinking a few jugs at the Red Room, going to the Schonell Cinemas, perusing the UQ Art Museum, or just chilling with friends over coffee. There are few libraries on campus as well and rooms full of computers for your use. The university really is like a mini world of its own, one I could easily live in. Now I could gush about this place that has been such a massive part of my life over the past 5 years but I will stop here and just give a few hints and tips. 1. The UQ Art Museum is free and the perfect quiet spot to escape the hustle and bustle of campus. 2. The Fryer Library has some great spots for postgraduate students to study with plenty of room on the desks to spread your books out. 3. The line for the computers in the SS&H Library goes quick about 10 mins before the hour as a good portion of the people will leave for their next class. 4. Subway is open late :-) 5. You can get jugs of beer at the Pizza Caffe and they have a student discount and often have other deals on that you get from their pizza box. I could give you a hundred and one other tips and hints but I think the best part is finding these things out for yourself...

Well, UQ certainly has a good reputation--I'm told it's one of the best (/most prestigious?)…read moreuniversities in Australia. Without knowing anything about other universities, all I can give is my personal experience, as a student who has completed her undergraduate in the Faculty of Arts and is going on to do honours. In terms of the quality of teachers and resources at UQ, I've had a pretty good experience. As a student of the Writing major, in the school of English, Media Studies and Art History (EMSAH), however, I would advise potential writing students to think twice before enrolling. It depends on what you're looking for, but QUT could probably offer a broader range of writing courses with more focus on the creative side of things. When I look back on all the courses I took at UQ, the ones I got the most out of where not the writing courses, but the English Literature and French courses. That may just be a personal thing, but I feel the quality of some of the writing courses wasn't up to UQ standard. Aside from the very specific example I have given regarding my experience at UQ, everything about life on the St Lucia campus is pretty great. Nestled in a bend of the Brisbane river, it's kind of secluded from the outside world. There's a healthy atmosphere with people jogging or cycling the UQ loop and sports happening on the numerous ovals and courts dotted around campus. There are cafes galore, places to eat, a cinema, an art gallery, a hair dresser, book stores...pretty much anything you could need. So, in terms of the overall university experience, UQ St Lucia makes for a pretty good package.

This may not be the university for the real world, but this is the place you go to follow your…read moredreams in the face of everyone asking you how you're going to get a job afterwards. This is the place to go when the desire to work in a creative field outweighs logic and parental approval. This is the place to study fine arts, design, photography, sculpture and a myriad of visual arts. As a professional student, I've enjoyed walking the paths of many educational institutions. There's been University of Queensland, Southbank institute of Technology and Macquarie University but none compare to Griffith, Queensland College of Art. On the exterior, the QCA is in desperate need of refurbishment - walls need to be repainted, the main shoebox building should be razed and resurrected taller, angular with a funky facade made of colourful panels and glass. Strip back its worn exterior though and you'll find plenty of resources to help you achieve your career goals. The college has three gallery spaces at the Southbank campus for student exhibitions. They facilitate regular educational seminars through their network with industry and international art schools. The relative smallness of the campus promotes a sense of community and encourages collaboration across creative disciplines. I remember during my time studying an animation degree, I decided to exhibit some ceramic pieces. Even though I was not enrolled in the ceramics course, the staff from that department was extremely generous sharing their knowledge and equipment for my project. So if you've ever thought your childhood scribbles had potential or if you were begging your parents for acrylic paints by the time you were five because of the limitations of crayons, perhaps now is the time to consider a creative career.

Let your creativity flow and don't be afraid to dream. At Queensland College of Art you'll be able…read moreto develop yourself as an artist as you grow up. Let your imagination free and express yourself in your own way.

Duchesne College, more fondly known as Duch, is an all girls Catholic College. You don't have to be…read moreCatholic to go here but faith does play a role in this on campus accommodation. Snuggled between the UQ Lakes and the Brisbane River, Duchesne is in a lovely and quiet area of the campus. You just have a short stroll through the serene UQ Lakes to get to class. While I did not actually spend my college years at Duch, I did stay there during the holidays once with my sister. We were looking for cheap accommodation and Duch had some rooms available. The room was very comfortable with a single bed, desk, chair, lamp and plenty of room to move. Each morning I was woken up to a Duch college girl practicing cello which made the experience all the move lovely.

This is a great school. I went to this school when I was…read moregrowing up. Not sure if the same teachers are still there, but still an amazing school. Would recommend any parent to send there children to this school :) This school as grown and expanded over the years to accomadate the growing number of children. I hope this school continues to grow for many more yeaars to come.

IMA is a good place to start if you're looking to learn an instrument. The location in Bowen Hills…read moreis just outside the city and convenient to get to. Parking can be a little bit of a nuisance, so keep your eye out for an on-street park. The teaching rooms are a good size and well equipped, and the teachers are knowledgeable. At a teaching organization like this one, the schedules are run pretty tightly and the teachers are essentially directed by the company so once your lesson time is up, you're out. It's a good place to learn the basics, but if you're after some more personal instruction, lessons with a private teacher could be better suited to you.

Whoever created Reverse Garbage is a genius and should be given a medal for helping to solve the…read moreworld's waste problems. Don't get me started on my overconsumption rant! Reverse Garbage is a not-for-profit that accepts donations of industrial scraps or pays a small fee for them, organises them in a way that is consumer-friendly and sells them, saving "rubbish" from going into landfill. As a sewer, I love their fabric scraps. Most of it's off-cuts of pretty odd shapes but there are some small rolls of fabric too. Selling truly random things like bottle caps, brochures, long tubes of mesh-like fabric--things that would otherwise be considered junk--this is a great place for creative souls, kindergarten teachers in search of craft material and anyone who wants to look first for second-hand materials before buying something new and contributing to the cycle of consumption! Uh-oh, I feel that rant coming on again...

Full of bits of wood, mannequins, plastic, rope, fabric and thousands of other bits and bobs that…read morewere going to be thrown out by various industrial places. In this way, they are stopping waste and allowing things to have a second chance at life. They are always getting new things in and the best way to hear about their latest bargain is to keep an eye on their facebook page. They are a not-for-profit organisation that goes to schools to do workshops and have a small shop that sells upcycled handmade goodies from local craftspeople. If you love craft and DIY (or you're renovating your house), this is the place for you. Everything is priced reasonably. I have used some of their things for my own crafting projects. Perhaps the only problem is their location; they can be a bit hard to get to. I catch the bus and jump off at the P.A. Hospital. From there it's about a 15 minute walk.

The Manly Fruition Tuition is in one of the best locations possible; right on Cambridge Parade,…read moreadjacent to the hottest part of the Manly shopping precinct. It's clean and new and neat, but best of all, my friend's son was failing year 6 mathematics and after two terms here he scored an A. The downside is it's much more expensive than finding remedial help yourself privately; often if you can find a uni student willing to tutor, it would be about half the price of attending Fruition Tuition, but then again, whatever works is the best solution and it's great to have this option in the Manly area.

Truly a 0 star uni.. This university had the lowest quality education I've ever come across…read more(nursing/paramed) and having been to 2 different universities for a bachelor and a masters, I know what good education looks like, and this is 100% not it! .. Extremely rude teachers who don't give the slightest shit.. During covid, they'd smash in over 1,300 students in a class that's supposed to be no more than 300.. The teachers were tapped out, didn't care and provided incredibly low quality education, especially for what they charge. Don't study here!! Trust me.. You'll save yourself tens of thousands in poor quality education and shitty experiences.. A 0 star university..

This is the university I attend. In academic circles its known as the university for the real…read moreworld. QUT stands for Queensland University of Technology, this campus in particular is in Kelvin Grove. Built on top of what is known as education hill, QUT Kelvin Grove is home to the study areas of Creative Industry, Education, and Health. The campus is ultra modern in look and has a couple of awards under its belt. It has plenty of facilities some include, a bar, library, pools, parking, 24 hour Internet lounges, a theatre, multimedia video and music recording facilities. The campus has been designed around the principles of the urban village. From the top of the hill to the bottom students, business professionals, innovative institutes, cafés, parks and restaurants coexist side by side. There is range of quality eateries and shops, business is completely dictated by the university semester though. As an education facility, the lecturers and spaces for learning are of the highest standard and students who attend QUT are well looked after. There is also affordable student accommodation for those who need it.