<p>Seems like it might be best to just stay in Australia for now then. I’ll try looking deeper into a possible exchange program and see if I can try that route.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice - I’ll sleep on it all (although it seems to be pretty much one-sided) - and it certainly has lessened my confusion a fair bit.</p>
<p>Thank you all once again - any additional comments would be appreciated though!</p>
<p>In reading the posts on this blog, I take exception to what most people believe is the best course of action given the current economic condition. Money is money is money.It is but one part to the consideration of what constitutes value.
My sense is that you, and your parents felt there was something to be gained by studying overseas for more than just a semester or year abroad program. UCLA is highly regarded overseas.
You will have a great university experience-and first hand insight into the 'quirks" and business thinking that comes with actually spending an extended period of time in the States.
You will develop friendships that will last you the rest of your life.
Now, how do you balance that with the desire to be closer to home to spend time with family and siblings. That can only be answered by you. But, you can use Skype to talk to them/see them.
This is your life-how do you want to live it?</p>
<p>“My sense is that you, and your parents felt there was something to be gained by studying overseas for more than just a semester or year abroad program. UCLA is highly regarded overseas. …
This is your life-how do you want to live it?”</p>
<p>The above is fine if the OP is wealthy and his decisions won’t affect the educational option for his “many” younger siblings. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine that his paying an extra $150 k to go to a U.S. college would offset restricting his siblings’ educational options.</p>
<p>Yes, the experience would truly be interesting. But I’m not sure if it’s worth the hefty price tag, even for an internationally reputed university like UCLA - I think I might even have this dilemma even if it were a school up there like HYP. </p>
<p>About my family, the internet truly is a blessing there, but I’ll just have to think about it even more, I guess.</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>EDIT: I’ve got 3 younger siblings and I’m not sure if it’s really fair if I limit their opportunities for one that might not be entirely worth it - just as Northstarmom said. Although my parents have said that while they may have to cut some costs, it will not terribly affect our lifestyle as it is now (e.g. my siblings would still be able to attend decent private schools etc.) - I do question how much truth there actually is in that though!</p>
<p>Truly am going to have to sleep on it all now. Thanks again everyone. I’ll check this thread again the first thing tomorrow. Thank you!</p>
<p>Shoyz-</p>
<p>I had a friend who did her MA abroad while she had two younger sisters still at home. She did miss them terribly especially that the youngest was about 8 when the said friend started her MA program. She was able to return home for a month after almost every semester to see them. As much she missed them, she didn’t regret being where she was, especially that she met her now-husband there. However, if they’re mostly going to be teenagers, chances are, they’re not going to want to be around much. There won’t be much to watch unless they’re very active in sports or music or arts that you have to attend their performances and games. I was away as well for my brother’s teenage years and believe me, I do not regret it at all.</p>
<p>As for “saving money” for the younger sibs, have you asked your parents about that? They might have already set aside money for them that they didn’t tell you. Ask your sibs as well- do they want to see you go to the US? Do they want to study there too?</p>
<p>A full academic year in the US is perfectly fine and just enough to get the American college experience. You’ll have plenty of time to travel across the country with our low-fare airlines and with friends you’ll make at UCLA who will come from all over the country whom you can stay with (there are no such thing as hostels here).</p>
<p>As for cutting costs, if they say that they CAN afford to send you to UCLA and will do some cost cutting at home, more than often, it’ll just be less of eating out and being a bit more conscious of the monthly budget. They might skip a family vacation even with two children at home. They’ll also probably want to be able to save in order to see you in the US at least once or twice over the next four years. (International students really love it when their families can make it out to the US).</p>
<p>But $50K… define your idea of a college experience. And don’t say “Animal House”. 
And maybe we might be able to tell you a little better.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why you think the “college experience” would be superior at UCLA compared with your Australian university. I agree that a semester or year abroad would be a good idea. But honestly, the American kids I know who do a year abroad in Australia are the ones looking for the least amount of cultural adjustment. I don’t see such a huge difference between the two countries.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>Australia has several top rated universities in the world rankings so I would go to one of them and save the money. Certainly the difference in law studies is significant, so your chosen major makes studying here even more of an issue with the gain rather questionable. </p>
<p>Travel opportunities are great, but I’d wait for the opportunity that really is a win-win.</p>
<p>Some students from other countries do a year of study abroad in the United States as an extra year. Sometime during their regular educational program, they take a year’s leave of absence from their university and spend that year at a U.S. university. Yes, it costs money, but nowhere near as much as getting your entire education in the United States. For someone like you, who has dual interests and therefore will have a rather rigorous (and rigid) academic schedule, the extra year idea might be the most practical.</p>
<p>Another point: Engineering is something you can study anywhere, but I think that it’s best to study law in the country in which you would like to be licensed to practice law. The differences from one country to another in that field are quite dramatic.</p>
<p>Doesn’t the Aussie government subsidize your university education to a huge degree? I was talking to the foreign exchange person for an Aussie University last week and she was telling me how minimal the cost of a college education is for citizens. I think you should probably stay home for undergraduate and then either do a study abroad or come to summer school at UCLA. You can get your graduate degree in the US if you like. You will probably need to purchase health insurance while you are here; it is available through the school, but the coverage can be quite limited and is not at all what you are used to at home. As a Californian whose son attends a UC, I have to honestly say that UCLA is a great school, but I’m not even sure it would be worth it even if you were an out-of-state US citizen. Keep in mind that with the current financial difficulties California is experiencing, financial cutbacks could affect your education there and could potentially result in your needing a fifth year to graduate. Check the four-year graduation rates for UCLA and figure that they could dip a bit if classes are cancelled or other cutbacks occur.</p>
<p>Oh wow. Thanks for the replies everyone.</p>
<p>tickle -</p>
<p>I doubt I’ll terribly regret not being here for my siblings, and I would be able to come back for winter and summer breaks, so I guess that isn’t much of an issue compared to everything else.</p>
<p>The thing about cutting costs is not so much about how my family will be financially, it’s just whether going to UCLA is worth those cut costs…if that makes any sense.</p>
<p>For me, I’m just mostly after the school life. Like someone brought up in a previous post, most Australian students stay at home during college and everything here closes at around 5pm. So a day for a typical student here is pretty much College -> Home -> Study -> Sleep unless they have days off. </p>
<p>Sports are terribly small here too. I remember visiting the campus here once, and the cricket game in the middle of the school field was supposedly “big” with about 100 people watching it. </p>
<p>So for me, I guess I’m just after a decent education with good career opportunities while experiencing life in the US, I guess. So would the career opportunities coming out of UCLA be any better than from graduating here? Who knows. But is the experience worth the cost? I’m not so sure. Funnily enough, I’m not too much of a party person, so I guess that’s good in a way?</p>
<p>But a full academic year is certainly an option, I suppose. </p>
<p>anneroku -</p>
<p>Similar to what I wrote above, the Australian student life is extremely dull with no sports teams and stuff like that. I’m the sort of person who loves to try everything, so I’ll probably see if I can pick up football and baseball while I’m over there. So while universities here are decent academically, the student life is rather lacking, especially since there is very little interaction with the university apart from classes.</p>
<p>ctyankee -</p>
<p>The law studies are indeed a factor in this. With the degree from here, I wouldn’t be able to practice in many of the US states unless I take up a JD with an accredited university (even more study!), whereas a JD from the US would work here as long as I manage to pass the bar. </p>
<p>In that sense, a US J.D would be more versatile - but then again, it is a bit of a risk to assume I’ll get straight into law school…so I guess there’s that to consider too…</p>
<p>Marian -</p>
<p>I believe that since the university here and UCLA have an agreement, I would actually be able to go over and get credit for the courses that I actually do. Not so sure about law, but if I beg and grovel, perhaps I have a chance? Probably would have to get stellar grades for that - an incentive, I guess? Haha.</p>
<p>The thing about law, is that I’m not quite sure where I want to practice. While I would like the US, apart from corporate law firms, there isn’t much for me over there. In that sense, an Australian degree might be better. I’m still below the legal age in many countries for everything, and I have to decide on my life now?! Oh life.</p>
<p>bessie - The Australian government does subsidize our education, which is why it only costs $10k AUD a year even with a full course schedule. On top of that, the fees that we do have to pay can be paid off as something called HECS. Which is somewhat like a student loan, except we never pay a cent while in college, and when we graduate, this is taken out, tax-deductible, from our taxes. Which is really quite nice, actually.</p>
<p>The budget-cuts for the UCs are indeed a worry, I heard school fees will increase exponentially in the next few years, and since I won’t be able to get any additional aid, I might be stuck there paying those extra school fees!</p>
<p>Once again, thanks everyone. Much appreciated.</p>
<p>Shoyz - first, you sound very mature and I’m sure whatever decision you’ll make will be good. </p>
<p>It sounds to me like you might simply be experiencing cold feet: normal jitters all of us experience before major life-changing transitions. </p>
<p>“Worth” is relative. Yes, for internationals, UCLA costs a great deal of money, far more than your education would cost at home. However, it appears your parents are supportive and can afford it without negatively affecting your siblings’ opportunities. At UCLA you’ll get a good education and a degree that is respected internationally. You’ll also have a fun experience which may enrich your life immesurably - and that’s something you’re looking for, right?</p>
<p>Look - if once at UCLA you decide the school isn’t really “worth” it - you can transfer home. But if you don’t go, you’ll always wonder “what if”. So I say, carpe diem. You’re young - now’s the time for adventure and risk-taking. You’re smart - you’ll know how to make the most of this experience. You have a loving family - you’ll always have their support, even from such a distance. </p>
<p>Go for it.</p>
<p>Good point katliamom… she can always transfer OUT of UCLA if things don’t work out, but may not be able to count on always getting IN to UCLA should she want to attend later. Go Bruins! Good luck, OP!</p>
<p>good MBA programs do not like to take students straight out of college. They want them to have 3-4 years (min) work experience. </p>
<p>After you graduate from college, getting a work visa is VERY VERY difficult. It has gotten so bad that companies like Google and Microsoft which have awesome in house HR departments to handle foreign engineers still could not crack the code, and very often they send their foreign hires across the boarder to canada indefinitely until the there is a space in the USA skilled worker immigration quota - it usually take a very long time. That’s engineering which is considered sort of “mission critical” on a national scale. Social science, humanities, and such, forget it! I know a woman - a law graduate. Passed the bar in NYC. Tried hard to find a job, but the moment companies hear that she needs employer sponsorship to get a work visa, they don’t talk to her anymore. She had to go back to her country - broken, very sad.</p>
<p>If your goal is to settle in USA eventually, a university where you do graduate study is a good gateway. Not much value for undergraduate.</p>
<p>Truthfully, there is really NO justifiable merit for you to go to UCLA at this stage of our life from a professional point of view. Austrailia and USA are both open, advanced western societies, so it’s not like your are escaping a suffocating local culture that makes women cover themselves up head to toe or treats homosexuality as an executable crime… </p>
<p>Of course, if you want to experience undergrad life in USA and don’t mind the expense, you can treat it as a very expensive life style you chose for fun.</p>
<p>Also, Austrailia has good universities with international level quality. If you were coming from some other countries, I may say undergraduate education in USA may be worth it. For instance, in several Asian countries, even their best universities don’t come even close to the USA elite (an not so elite) universities, NOT because their students are sub par, but because the culture and politics of the countries is such that the faculty is of much lower caliber both socially (abusive to the students) and academically, and heavy duty research experience that requires intense capital investment is just not there. Austrailia does not fall into this category. Besides, you don’t even need the time to hone your English before you enter the graduate school like some other international students!!!</p>
<p>Save the money. come to USA for summer courses. You get the experience at a much more manageable platform.</p>
<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>Just wanted to update this.</p>
<p>I have been able to discuss this properly with my parents, and they have (somewhat) managed to convince me that they are able to afford to send me over (shouldn’t it be the other way around?!) without terribly affecting my family.</p>
<p>So I guess the decision is whether or not I want the experience of studying in the US - since the opportunities post-graduation aren’t that much different than if I were to study here.</p>
<p>While that would be great, I have a “if you can save it, why not save it” mentality, and that’s still making me hesitate with making my decision. I’ll think a little more on it, but I’m definitely considering staying here and taking a year on exchange.</p>
<p>I’ll keep all of you updated. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Here would be the advice in our house:
The opportunity has presented itself and is feasible; take advantage of it now. You do not know what the future will bring. If you do not like the experience, you can always come back home. If you never have the opportunity, you may always wonder ‘what if…’</p>