<p>I am currently a sophomore Industrial Engineering major at Northeastern Univ and really wanted to go for Study Abroad. I spoke to my coordinator and she said that the only option for me would be Monash University in Australia since the rest either require knowledge of a native language or dont fit in with my school's schedule. I was wondering, can anyone shed some light on Monash itself? Are the academic courses challenging and are they at par with American courses in terms of difficulty? I'll probably take 2 engineering courses and 2 elective courses ( business related hopefully ). Now, I've been traveling since I was 10 and I've been to Australia before so I wanna do this study abroad purely for a good social experience while experiencing a different education system. Would Monash satisfy me or does it not have a very social campus?</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. Well, I was hoping to get a more first hand perspective of the social scene and its ethnic diversity rather than depending on the marketing pitch of Monash through its website... </p>
<p>I live in Sydney, though have a few friends at Monash.
Largely respected University, and because, unlike most US Universities, people declare their major prior to entry, it will (compared to most US Universities) actually be more in-depth than the American standard.
All my friends down there love it, and Victoria is a great state to live in.
I'd say go for it - if anything it'll be more challenging than what you're doing now, and socially great. Aussies love a good American to hang round with :)</p>
<p>My sister went to Monash for a year, and left because she hated it. She said she encountered a number of racist remarks towards her and towards others. She had this one professor who spent a whole lesson ripping the Japanese, to the point where several students walked out. It was all rather surprising, especially at a reputable uni as Monash.</p>