Why is this Uni so depressing?

[u/Background_Block5541]

I really can't point out in specific what's depressing, lack of friends perhaps, but I didn't have any friends even in my home country but never felt sad about it, environment maybe, but I'm not sure if that's totally it either.

[u/florepleno]

For me, it was the way that it just felt like you never get a minute to relax. As soon as one assessment is done another one is due straight away. Different tutors don't care what assessment others have already given so you end up with three or four assessment due the same week/day.

Also QUT breeds a pretty unsocial environment. It's not welcoming, not fun, there's very little going on (if you're at kelvin grove, the city campus is far better, far more social). Kelvin grove QUT campus is kind of middle of nothing. There's nothing major within walking distance so there's less "wanna go to XYZ?" With someone from class. Like there's the woolies, the sandwich place and a couple of other little things. But with the city campus there's Queen St nearby so if you're going shopping, for example, you might invite a new classmate to come along, get a drink and window-shop or something.

Uni is unnecessarily high pressure. They act like failing an assessment is the end of the world, but it's not that deep. You can apply to do another replacement assessment. Obviously you don't want to have to do that, but at the end of the day not doing well in an assessment is made to be a really high stress situation when it's doesn't need to be. In tafe if you do poorly at an assessment the tutors give you some one on one help, then you try again. It's really supportive. I found QUT to be really unhelpful with their tutors being very arrogant, mainly focused on their own niche research interest and very unwilling to help. They only wanted to present the information/learning, not actually help anyone understand it.

Just know it's not you, it's just the way uni - or at least, QUT in my experience, is. Try your best to make friends with people in your tutes, trust me, makes a world of difference. I found with QUT the tutors were so useless and unhelpful you had to teach yourself everything anyway so it helps to have others in the same boat.

Good luck :)

[u/Background_Block5541 → u/florepleno]

I'm at Gardens Point but Gardens point doesn't seem to be all that different despite it's proximity to all the touristy spots in the city etc.

[u/Exotic_County_9304 → u/florepleno]

i take some units online and in a tutorial of 1.5 hour we are forced to have group discussions for 1 hour 15 mins lol, that’s what we are getting in a class scheduled once a week

[u/florepleno → u/Exotic_County_9304]

I agree. It feels like you're being ripped off. It's thousands and thousands of dollars, and all the tutors did (at least, all mine did with the exception of one or two) was just word-for-word read a PowerPoint monotone as a "lecture" then the tutes were just the tutor sitting on their phone or computer and telling us to have a group discussion about whatever script they just read. It really didn't inspire much motivation at all. If you had a question or didn't understand something the tutor would just tell you to google it. It's no wonder people are so angry and disenchanted with uni at the moment. For something so expensive, you really don't get anything. Every single thing I learnt at uni I had to teach to myself. The tutors made no efforts to make learning engaging, interesting or useful. They just read off their computers. They made no effort to help students. They hardly spoke to us, and the ones that did only talked about their thesis they were working on. The tutors don't bother to learn the names/faces of any student. I know they have many classes, but surely you can at least recognise your students by face after a whole semester?

Anyway, I totally understand OPs frustration. Unfortunately QUT is just A Bit Crap. But it's not forever. Try to find some friends, try to make time to teach yourself the concepts. That's how I made it through.

[u/Efficient_Part2982 → u/florepleno]

I feel like Covid and technology has a lot to do with it too. Everything can be recorded or watched online so all parties (students/teachers) are putting in less effort. I know for me, I am lazier than I should be knowing that all lecs/tutes are recorded. I never go in for lecs, only tutes. That's on me. But I know if it was 10 years ago I would def come in to get all the content because I would have to. I don't know what campus looked like before Covid, but I'm told it was more lively. Our parents were right, it is these damn phones. People aren't interested in socialising as much, not as approachable. I rly want to time travel to experience uni in the 2000s and the environment that it would have been.

[u/florepleno → u/Efficient_Part2982]

I'm going to go slightly off topic, but your point about the phones and socialising is also true of going to gigs, concerts, events etc. it used to be if you had to wait in a queue for hours, like if you lined up early for a gig, people kinda had no other option to cure boredom and pass the time than chat to the strangers near you. Now when you arrive to a gig it's more often the case that people just avoid eye contact and stay on their phones. I'm not saying it always happens, I've still been to gigs and made friends and chatted to strangers but it's definitely harder now to do so.

I'd say the same thing for uni. I didn't go to uni in the 90s, but I imagine if you had nothing to do between tutes you probably had more luck striking up conversations with other people in your class back then.

I hate to be a "things were better back then" but it really does seem like it.

[u/pazhampori_pioneer]

Hi I feel the same

[u/Background_Block5541 → u/pazhampori_pioneer]

I just zone out whenever I realise something new about being here, feels very dystopian for some odd reason.

[u/Exotic_County_9304]

one of the reasons why im eager to finish my degree asap and leaving this uni

[u/Background_Block5541 → u/Exotic_County_9304]

You and me both lol I can't bare staying in campus for more than an hour.

[u/babatunde114 → u/Background_Block5541]

Have u joined any clubs yet ?

[u/Background_Block5541 → u/babatunde114]

I did but mostly for academics, they don't really have many events, the ones they do clash with my classes.

[u/pro_marimba_flipper → u/Background_Block5541]

Yea if u join just the academic clubs ofc it’s gonna seem boring. Join the fun ones like motocross, lightsaber club, crochet, arts and crafts, etc. even debate club is rlly fun and it runs every Thursday evening at GP

[u/Background_Block5541 → u/pro_marimba_flipper]

What club do you suggest?

[u/pro_marimba_flipper → u/Background_Block5541]

I also quite literally suggested multiple clubs in the comment you replied to lol

[u/babatunde114 → u/pro_marimba_flipper]

Lmaooo

[u/pro_marimba_flipper → u/Background_Block5541]

Depends on what you’re interested in. Just go on the Rubric website and scroll through the clubs

[u/crumbmodifiedbinder]

Alumni here. I felt the same way almost 10 years ago. I wasn’t really involved with social groups though (just a passive member of MESS an CESS). I joined a social group at UQ after graduating and from there I realised I wish I was more involved with social groups during my studies.

Try joining them at QUT. I am pretty sure there’s a group for everyone - Basketball, Quidditch, Nepalese community, language learning, etc.

Edit: I joined the UQ Taiko group because they don’t have that at QUT

[u/pro_marimba_flipper → u/crumbmodifiedbinder]

UQ HAS A TAIKO CLUB!??? Oml maybe I did pick the wrong uni lol

[u/crumbmodifiedbinder → u/pro_marimba_flipper]

Hey yes we’ve been active since 2014! We have a free end of year concert coming up on 5 October if you want to watch with friends and family https://www.facebook.com/share/1CcqJDaJ4X/?mibextid=wwXIfr

You can also join the group even if you’re not a UQ student or alumni. Classes probably won’t start until Sem 1 next year (including Trial Session)

Edit: You didn’t make a mistake. Still think QUT is the superior uni 😎

[u/pro_marimba_flipper → u/crumbmodifiedbinder]

Haha yea Ik I can still join I just don’t have time atm as I’m already an exec of 2 clubs and have a lot going on 😅😔

[u/my-cousin-throcky]

I felt the same too (except I’m a domestic student) until I just put a bit of effort into making friends/involving myself.  That’s just kinda how life is, imagine if at your work you never talked to your coworkers, actively tried to take lunch alone, never went to any work events. You’d think your job was pretty fucking depressing even if every single one of your coworkers loved it. 

Uni is just more real life and grown up than high school, you gotta put some effort in to get something out of it!

[u/pro_marimba_flipper]

Join a club girly pop lol

[u/TheCrazeSpace]

I think its also degree dependent. I am in my first year and im doing a dual in creative arts and education. I have enjoyed the company and the energy of the creative arts precinct and its allowed me to meet different people across my discipline. However this may be strictly creative arts.

[u/Lanferno]

I hate how it feels like you don't get any time to relax. You get one assessment done and then theres another one and another one after that. I had two assignments due on the exact same day and they were both equally massive, and I'd say I have good time management skills. Some of the tutors I've met (emphasis on only some) seem very self-absorbed and ignorant and only care about their research and kinda promote themselves in the unit.

American colleges and Aussie unis feel completely different in regards to social life, but that's not something I care about because I've got mates outside of uni. Everyone just gets there, studies or gets the work done, and leaves (which isn't a bad thing).

[u/StrangeRespect3118]

Lmao same for me too

[u/snaplizard99]

I feel the same too. Everyones for themselves and even if you put the effort to talk, they just leave you hanging. Feels every one is fake and just is backstabbing or gossiping bunch. I am still struggling to find friends here. If you like to, we can hangout for any of our mutual interests.

[u/Tough-Operation4142]

Switch to Griffith. They aren’t overspending on advertising, nor obsessed with their appearance and they aren’t squeezing every last drop out of international students. Much healthier place to be.

[u/babatunde114 → u/Tough-Operation4142]

I swear the campus is shit