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Read this before anyone considered going to UNSW-FBE
I can only comment on the FBE. How CRAPPY is it! If you look at the international stage, the stuff we learn at university is laughable. Residential housing for final year design? taught by the HEAD of architecture? are you fucking serious.
The FBE(UNSW) is also changing their course to a 5 year masters instead of bachelors. WITH no change in the course, just the fucking name. How fucking lame is that. People who did exactly the same course as us will get a bachelor of design arch and masters of architecture.
Seriously. If you are thinking about doing architecture and if its at all possible to do it in europe or the states then go! If you must stay, goto RMIT or USYD, atleast they have laser cutters. The FBE decided to close down its library and give all the books AWAY!
The only bright spot in the FBE and a couple forward thinking professors but they are stretched thin so there's hardly any chance for them to teach studio.
The FBE(UNSW) is also changing their course to a 5 year masters instead of bachelors. WITH no change in the course, just the fucking name. How fucking lame is that. People who did exactly the same course as us will get a bachelor of design arch and masters of architecture.
Seriously. If you are thinking about doing architecture and if its at all possible to do it in europe or the states then go! If you must stay, goto RMIT or USYD, atleast they have laser cutters. The FBE decided to close down its library and give all the books AWAY!
The only bright spot in the FBE and a couple forward thinking professors but they are stretched thin so there's hardly any chance for them to teach studio.
Comments
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Hey FBERocks,
Bad day?
Have a captain cook at www.archsoc.com. I think you may enjoy it
As a grad, not of that uni, it is quite "refreshing" now that a new generation of HECS (oh it is HELPS now what the?!!!!) are becoming demanding of their post-paid for education. Resos in 5th year nah man that is silly, 2nd/3rd year, unless it is a international comp. Is it?
I am amazed about the changes that have been going on in regards to BA-Masters changes. Interestingly you are concerned about people getting two diplomas....there is the other side that the "pros" are pissed that "students" are getting a masters for what they only recevied a BA or Dip for....
Interestingly I am surpised about the lack of "MAJOR" protest uprising etc about the fact that Masters will be a POST GRAD course and that you have to pay up front, and all students enrolled in POST GRAD are not eligible for any Austudy Youth Allowance Rent Assistance etc etc......
One thing though....does having a Lasercutter determine if your university is a fantastic school. Mine did by the way and you do not mention it. I could say the same old vomit about schools being the students and making the most of education la-di-da. But dont want to wind you up on a shitty day.I think I am more concerned that you dont have a library to speak off..... :shock:
PS. you could always throw the resi back in their faces:
a) camp in a tent on site for the semester document it as an installation piece. uni has only a digital library, then have a webcam and insist that your tutes occur on line.
b) create the ultimate mega mcmansion, just how much wasted space can you design/largest building envelope, most stupidest jones next door one up man ship you can muster.
c) build 1:1 model our of cardboard in the foyer at FBE and live in it for the semester, or even that space with the huge steps/slash seating
d) do an exchange to the unis you want to go to overseas
e) piss off travelling
f) drink
g) have a stupid amout of fun with it- have a wonk-a-vator out of CCF, swimming pools in the living room, all the amazing stuff you did as kid in primary school when you had the wonderful assignment of drawing the plans to your own dream house. Mine had a pool outside my bedroom door....swim to tea....
h) design a stand for a massive screen on site and travel sending video logs back that are projected around the clock...even better the old fashioned slide show...
Look enough of the sillys. You are obviously very pissed off at the moment.
And we here are your outlet. Once you have cooled off try the following.
If everyone else in your class is of the same thoughts about this project. Do something. Have a meeting of your class , get all the crap and aggro out of the way, get a spokesperson and/or student rep, identify the problem, have a couple of propisals for solution. Get spokey and one or two others and book some time with your HOS and sought it out.
Let us know how it goes and if you need any more headcracking!!!
I am off to the pub! -
Yeh, we did have a meeting. Basically a shouting match between us and our incompetent head of architecture......I suppose this thread will be binned if i mention names so i wont. Just search the FBE site!
Anyway. I don't even mind not getting a masters, really. I know usyd only give out two bachelors anyway at end of 5 years. The fact that the FBE is considering giving its student this BS masters degree is............well............im embarrassed for them, really.
the people in charge of the FBE have nothing on their minds except getting more international students and the funding that comes from it. FBE obviously cant compete with USYD so they have to give our FAKE masters to attract people. It's quite SAD really.
I repeat, it is not about the masters. everyone would know its a fake and i would not be proud to show it around.
Im just pissed off that i didnt go somewhere better like RMIT or usyd.
all the current admin staff at the FBE should be ashamed of what they have done to the FBE -
Just to summarize.
Fact one: We have absolutely no resources available to the student. All we have are two color A3 printers and pentium 4s with 20% of the software USYD has. No lazer cutter, no model making facilities, no permanent studios.
Fact two: Our student resource centre and architectural library just closed down and all the books were GIVEN away for free. In its place is a 'materials library'....Ie carpet samples and brochures.
Fact 3: The degree is being changed over to a 3 year bachelors and 2 year masters. Let me explain that. At the end of 3 years We will get 'whatever we decide to give you'-Im quoting our program head there. But that 3 years course will not be a professional degree. we will then have to do 2 years of 'masters' after which we get our professional degree.
this 2 year masters will mean that local student WONT get AUSTUDY, of course it wont make a difference to international students. There for i deduce that this is a ploy to get more international students, and all the money that comes from that. the FBE obviously cant compete with USYD and other universities so this is their last attempt.
Fact 4: our program head said ' after 3 years, you will get whatever we decide to give you, but it wont be a professional degree'. I find that disgusting and really unprofessional. this was said during a meeting with students.
Fact 5: our dear program head is teaching a suburban housing studio for GRADUATION DESIGN and hes presentation looked like it was done on word.
Fact 6: ....fuck, do you need anymore?l -
um . . . what's an FBE?
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dharma bum wrote:um . . . what's an FBE?
FBE = Faculty Built Environment -
FBE Rocks wrote:I can only comment on the FBE. How CRAPPY is ...etc
This won't make you feel any better but as a geezer architect who graduated in 1971 from that illustrious establishment the Degree I did feels like a Masters you might do today.
What is proposed is just the inevitable dumbing down under the excuse of technology imperitives/excuses....knowing less and less about more and more.
No reflection on you, it's happening to all of us.
Then course was six years (longer than Medicine) part-time and held down a full time job to boot. The only HECs then was caleld WORK, we learn't on the job.
cheers.....have a nice day. -
ron mcbeth wrote:Then course was six years (longer than Medicine) part-time and held down a full time job to boot. The only HECs then was caleld WORK, we learn't on the job.
Well don't I feel ripped off? My current course structure is exactly like your course of old Ron, but not only does my university rely on my work placement to teach me everything...I have to pay exorbitant amounts for it too! -
Well don't I feel ripped off? My current course structure is exactly like your course of old Ron, but not only does my university rely on my work placement to teach me everything...I have to pay exorbitant amounts for it too!
I do feel for Oz students today as my fees 4 decades ago were $2-300pa (??) which is probably $3000 today, still way short of what you're paying..."the good old days"
I gave up teaching drawing at a private Interior design school this year as after 2 yrs could simply not accept the low standards expected for a Degree, scams on late marking, plagerism, the list goes on, nor the fact that students were paying close to $20,000pa for the privilege...I rationalised they were buying a degree, so left...my integrity was at stake as I couldn't stand students doing it the right way getting no more credit than the shonks.
What this all means to you is little, I suspect, but have no fear, just go out there and do your thing your way. Forget the rules and bits of paper, the're only there to average everyone out, a societalcontrol mechanism.
I respectfully say even forget this blog...it's just part of the current (temporary) mindset of talking not doing....all smoke and mirrors....things will cahnge, must change...grasp the netle.
I honestly believe things will improve via younger people when thay wake up and rejectthe staus quo. Forget my generation, they're to into acquisitions.
My means of resistence to the curent disfunction in society is "back to the future", hence my rev-up of old style manual drawing....I just loooove it....give me a call when the power goes off.....hahahah.
cheers and best wishes.
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