Hey guys, As a recent HSC graduate im finding it difficult and almost frudtrating at deciding what degree I should do. I got an ATAR of 99.6 and can pretty much get into anything apart from medicine as I didnt do too well in my umat. So right now the courses im considering are Usyd commerce and law, UNSW actuarial and commerce, optometry, possibly engineering. Thees so much to consider including future job availability, earnings, amount of stress and work life balance associated with each of the future profession. I hope the ozbargain community can give me some advice and suggestions especially some if the lawyers, actuarys,enginners and other professionals here.
What degree should I study in uni?
Comments
how is this not getting any upvote?
Thanks for sharing this. Even as a uni graduate working 6 years already in something I don't enjoy and contemplating change, it's helped me think about a few things and what I can do to change them as I am not happy doing what I'm doing despite the money.
what are you doing?
I have felt this way as I chose engineering and was in absolute regret that I chose not to do medicine when I could have. I'm now 4 years out of uni and moved onto a new job that requires me to put in an extra 25% of my time compared to my old job doing similar things. However, the money is now 75-100% better and I love going to work every day. I'm proud to be at my work and my wife loves it.
I tell you, finding something you have an interest in is sufficient if you get paid enough. It's all because you're not getting paid enough that you complain about how your job sucks and it's a daily grind. The reason is because if you get paid enough, you'll have everything you want to come home to and to be able to go on holidays and live life to the fullest when you're not working. The more you like a job the less need to get paid to be happy, however, unless you don't need a partner in your life, you also have to consider that they need you to buy a house, car and holidays etc.
Thus, that video is only accurate if you've decided to be a checkout chick or a child carer for the rest of your life and you don't like people or kids respectively.
Something you might like to look at:
That's all well and good but how many male prostitutes does society need? :/
Always room for one more to fit, and if not - there's a lube for that.
Where is that cave ? is it the same with this http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/earth/10914…?
TRUTH
I can relate to this video. I had that epiphany almost 5 years ago after working in what i would describe as a well paying but soulless and unsatisfying career working in an office for a corporation i’d describe as the devil and full of narcissistic and fake people. It was dismantling me as a human being every day being there to the point i suffered catastrophic health problems, namely a heart attack and severe depression. I was 33. I walked away from it after almost a decade and haven't looked back spending majority of that time travelling the world and doing what truly makes me feel free and unchained. In my opinion the OP should strongly consider deferring at least a year or 3 and travel the world..ozbargain style of course..travel as far and wide as you possibly can on a shoestring of budget with the intention of gaining real world knowledge..read interesting books, learn a new language, talk to people of different cultures the world over..discover, learn and absorb as much as you can. You will have a much better idea what your life's purpose is upon your return with benefit of experience and wisdom. Don't waste your money (or your parents) if you are not 100% certain what you want to specialize in..its crazy that any 18yo fresh out of Uni should have any idea..break away…it might seem an intimidating idea at first but you won't regret it.
What do you like and actually enjoyed learning at school? Eg. no point be dentist if you cant stand looking into peoples mouths. If you enjoy your job, rather than just doing something you hate just for the money, you'll likely to exceed, be content with your life and you won't see it as 'stress'.
Eg. no point be dentist if you cant stand looking into peoples mouths.
A dentist can also sit down to look into peoples mouthes, they don't have a no legs policy in dental school
Tough crowd.
I had a giggle - got a plus from me!
With an atar of 99.6 its extremely easy to change courses after a year if you don't enjoy what you're doing. So don't stress about what you're studying.
All of the courses you have highlighted are well-respected and generally have good career prospects for a smart (or well-connected) individual.
Which is better than getting stuck in a degree/career you hate and having to start again when you're 35. It's your life, you can decide what to do but in the grand scheme of things you may find (as a lot of my friends have) that a year isn't a huge deal.
+1
I had a class mate who got into medicine but hated it - quit halfway through the year and switched to computer engineering and has been way more happy since.
Considering all the courses you mention have good earning potential seriously consider the most 'interesting' one for you…
yup definitely asian
Or may be Indian though in the literal sense, still Asian.
but changing courses pretty much "wastes" a year
Dont look at things that way. That year was "invested" into finding out what you really like which opens up to +30 years of stable career prospect.
- Who cares what your parents say?
- Living a fun, fulfilling life at uni doing something you enjoy for 5(+) years is 10000x more important than buying a house
You're trolling on both points right?
Please don't worry about this. Just focus on finding something that you like and want to do. Otherwise you will burn out way too early.
Lol. You are so wrong. I realise this is OzBargain but if you are only looking at life considering the housing market, you are living life properly.
As a fellow Asian, a habit that I see in my parent's generation is having a high value in 'having a lot of money'. Don't let the parents entirely influence you because in a few years time you will become more if not fully independent and living your own life. Being brought up in such a blessed country as Australia we know that realistically 'money isn't everything'. Quality of life earning 60k is pretty similar to 100k same same a bit different..
Ultimately at the end of the day we all want to have lives that we will enjoy. And being as young as you are you might not know yet what brings you delight. It could be;
- Having the time for family
- Making big bucks and not having a need for family
- Owning a ute, dog, fishing rod
- Becoming a pastor and spreading the good news of the gospelFrom a 31yr old Asian bruddah who dropped out of software engineering over a decade ago and is now starting first year in a bachelor of social work, I encourage you to go out and get any work experience possible in various fields of your interest. Whether it be following a dentist around for a day or whatever just do it. Do it while you have your youth, bills paid and unlimited rice from your parents.
Don't get suckered in to and addicted to video games, porn, drugs, sex and you should be right mate.
After your first year (depending on uni) ATAR is often not considered, your first year GPA will.
UNSW definitely considers both. Although I think you might be right about Usyd.
This is very true.
The issue with this is that first year at university is usually extremely generalised and often has plenty of breadth subjects, so it is hard to get a feel for whether you'll enjoy the course or not.
Would disagree to some extent. Had an amazing ATAR, but I'd argue your first year WAM/results matter a lot more if you want to transfer. Having said that a Melb Uni/American general degree model allows for far greater flexibility, at the cost of money/time wasted
dedotated WAM
Do Law/Commerce, Law/Engineering or even Law/Arts if you are interested in learning another language.
As a well connected Asian, you can get a job anywhere.UNSW Engineering/Commerce is a great degree. Very easy to get a job provided you do electrical or civil engineering.
Software Engineering as a single degree is good if you are excellent at maths and solving problems. Similar logic problems in the UMAT are found in software engineering. So many software engineering jobs are on offer. If you're a HD student, then you will find it easy to get a job.
Don't do Engineering at USYD. They're undergoing a massive change in many of their degrees and renovating their facilities.
Tell me what your personality is and I will give you a proper recommendation. If I was you, I would apply for USYD Law/Commerce (Economics??)
Getting a job as an actual lawyer ain't nearly as easy as it used to be (http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/news/16023-law-graduate-unem…), and not just in Australia. But becoming well-connected with Chinese businesses can definitely help. I would highly recommend using a spell-checker to the OP though.
A law degree with a credit average is useless. But a HD law degree still has a good chance at finding work.
The bigger problem with law is that the job itself isn't very fulfilling
As a lot of Law is black and white, I think it's primed to be hit hard by automation in the coming years.
I'd say law is hardly black and white. If it was there wouldn't be the need for interpretation acts and practice guidelines. I'd say law is quite akin to marketing in how you present the argument. That being said I do agree and can see much law being automated and some of it is.
Credit average here. Got a law job no worries. I found most individuals that were good test takers were just that. Well practiced rote learners, not necessarily creative or smart. You're right that there is too many law graduates and it's a shit job but If you want a job the interviewer has to like your pitch. Hell I turned down a graduate IT role with Fujitsu and I applied with a law degree.
I had housemates that were getting awards and scholarships struggling to get a job because they just didn't have any social skills or get how the real world operates. Maybe I am an outlier but I don't think people should be putting so much stock into grades.
@jenkemjunkie: You're definitely an outlier. I've two degrees with hons from a G08, five internships, spent five years on a law journal and at a community legal centre, won a few academic prizes (though my average was 69 overall), have done research work with professors and have good social skills. Nearly a year later, I've no jobs or even interviews to show for it.
Im really outgoing, enthusaistic, talkative upfront. I like to think.I have good communication and interpersonal skills and have a decent connection with many people.
Maybe you could do one of those online Myer-Briggs test that offer some leads to jobs that suit your 'personality' type. https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
I would avoid law if you ever want to practice as a lawyer.
It is brutal out there for law grads - the market is saturated with too many law schools pumping out too many law grads.Yeah ive heard that too but doesnt graduating from somewhere one of the top law schools like usyd increases ur chances and makes u more ecompetitive?
Speaking from Melbourne experience (but this applies for Sydney as well), graduating from a top law school definitely keeps options a bit more open but it's still really, really rough out there for law grads.
Having said that, if you're okay with not working as a lawyer, a law degree does still open up a fair few options for you - it's a good general degree.
Yeah, as etns says being a top grad from a top school helps.
So do other things like language skills, useful second degree and contacts.
But it is still rough out there.
The industry has allowed itself to be gutted by accrediting too many law schools offering too many places. We'll look like the USA soon enough.
They have turned it into a generalist degree - but it still carries a top HECS level debt.Studying a law degree doesn't mean you need to become a lawyer. Maybe a third to a half of law graduates don't go into law.
Law graduates from USyd/UNSW are in higher demand because 1) the selectivity means the calibre of graduates is high and 2) law is actually a great training ground for many other degrees because it teaches out to synthesise large amounts of information and be able to draw conclusions quickly.
I-banks and consulting firms love law graduates.
You could couple it with either Arts-Law to study something you really enjoy or Comm-Law to enhance your job prospects post-graduation.
Agree. Law plus some form of business / management / accounting / economics.
You've done no career research and planning before this stage? You've visited no Open days, spoken to no course representatives, used no career development tools?
Your choice about career plans rests squarely on your shoulders. However, as an absolute minimum I recommend you use the website called www.joboutlook.gov.au which will at least allow you to investigate the skills and attributes required in the various career pathways you have mentioned as well as to consider industry and employment data and predictions.
While you are at it you might also like to get yourself a copy of the Good Universities Guide to investigate courses.
Ive been to many open days, read many guides, looked up joboutlook nd.spoken tomy school career advisor, but just cant figure out what to do. I have interests in most of the above courses ive listed but just cant figure out what toto do. In year ten at high school we got to test out all the subjects but there isnt such thing in uni so im pretty sure im not the only one struggling.
You could try doing some work experience, if you call up a few companies you should be able to go in and see what their work looks like in an average day or week. It might help you figure out which you are more attracted to.
Think worked for me, I was able to decide against architecture, design or engineering, I then started working in quantity surveying during and after my studies but then moved to work for a big building company which I am now happy with.
I agree with Freitag. Talk to people who are in the fields you are interested in, ask them what they like or dislike about their jobs. Do some work experience. Best way to find out more about the jobs you are interested in instead of reading guides or going to open days. Also go into careers that suits your personality and strengths. It will go a long way for both your career satisfaction and advancement.
I know with UWA and uni Melbourne (and any other that's copied the American system with undergrad plus postgraduate) you can essentially sign up for whatever, do a bunch of different units in your first semester or even first year just to get an exposure to a bunch of different things. That's really the only advantage of the new Uni system. It's really good for people who don't know what they want to do
I would recommend to do a harder degree now.
If you might be interested in engineering, you should start with that as that is not something you can do later in life.
Judging by what you listed I think commerce + law interests you most.
Actuarial commerce should only be done if you actually want that career - that degree closes doors by being far more difficult than a regular comm degree. Your GPA will suffer - and thats what counts more than yout major
Go into a magistrates court near you for the day. Look at the case lists find a find few that sound good and go sit in the court room.
Every year.
So I teach one of the things you listed at one of the universities you listed.
My main advice would be to cross Optometry off the list unless you have some kind of strong gut feeling that it's going to be something that you'd really enjoy. It's the only thing there that's really going to pigeon-hole you going forward (as an Optometrist).
Everything else you've listed gives you options, which is great right now because you seem to have nfi. If you pick Civil Eng, for example, even though the work may have similarities across the fields, there's a large range of different areas that you could wind up applying that in. Same with Mech Eng etc.
If you pick Commerce, you're still going to have to pick your major after you've pretty much tried everything through the level 1 subjects. You may find you hate Accounting, but love Marketing… so you double-down on that. Or you hate Management but love Finance, so you major in that. Again, the major is not something you're going to have to decide until after your first year of the Commerce program. So it gives you options (& time to work out what you might really like).
Law obviously has a tonne of areas. Crim law may be your thing or maybe commercial. And picking Law often means you don't wind up picking a career focus anyway until after you're already working. Pretty much all the top firms would rotate you through 3 different teams (say property, banking, IP) in your first year or so as a graduate before you settle anyway. If it turns out you don't want a career in law, then having that Law double degree would help make you stand out from everyone else in your other field (say the other 5,000 kids graduating in 2022 with a straight Commerce degree).
Actuarial is pretty narrow, but it does help open up consulting career opportunities beyond just Superannuation & Insurance. And because everyone knows Actuarial is hard af, doing well at it as part of a double degree will help send a signal to potential employers and help get you interviews.
There are plenty of Actuarial/Commerce & Actuarial/Law students that go into Commerce or Law careers and only ever use the Actuarial credentials to help get them in the door. Same as there are plenty of Comm/Law students that never do anything with their Law degrees. Or Comm/Eng students that never do anything with their Comm degrees. But they all give you career options to choose from at each stage along the way as you work out exactly what you want to do over the next few years.
…whereas choosing to study Optometry now is much more akin to actually making a career decision now that you'll have to live with 5+ years down the track when you graduate (unless you drop out / change degrees etc.).
I also get a lot of questions from prospective students like "Will this X/Y double degree help me get a job in X?". And the answer is "Yes, having the Y in X/Y will help you stand out… all else being equal. BUT if you get shit marks because it turns out you hate Y, it's actually going to hurt. If you know you want to work in X, then getting a stack of High Distinctions in a single X degree means you wouldn't even need the double degree".
Hope this helped a bit! Boxing Day sales have been disappointing :(
Good luck!
Haha thanks so much for you time, I really appreciate the advice. Im guessing you teach at UNSW cuz usyd doesnt offer actuarial.Im really leaning towards com law but then I hear things about hard to get jobs in the law sector and the stress associated with it. I also like actuarial but heaps of top maths brains from my school (second best math school in the state) are doing actuarial and it will be highly competitive and parents feel actuarial is something that is likely to disappear once robots and AI are advanced enough.
Yeah your parents are right about AI. The same applies to the already-tight Law grad market. There's already some firms moving toward using AI to do a lot of the work people in junior roles would have traditionally done. So things are only going to get tighter there from here on out. Same with doing Accounting and many people traditionally having Auditing as a backup career role if all else fails. It might not be there for much longer.
You could hedge against the AI trend by studying a relevant Comp Sci discipline alongside whatever else like Actuarial. Worried about AI putting actuaries out of jobs? Instead… why not YOU be the guy creating the AI that's putting other actuaries out of their jobs? Or at least working on that team. You'll find your affinity for math will pay off in the computer science field as well.
That'll get you a few extra career years before the AIs can write & improve themselves.
Then we're ALL boned :)
What potential jobs are there with computer science. Ive never been a huge fan of peogramming and anything related with computers. Ive also thought baout teaching in high school, but my plan was to do that decades after working in another field. Also what are your thoughts on a gap year?
Not big on gap years. With your level of uncertainty, I think the most reliable way of working out what you want to do would be to pick whichever of the above options you listed feels most right. And then work hard at it, even if you don't like it (ESPECIALLY if you don't like it). And then decide after a year or two whether you want to stick in that field or swap to something else.
Get the gap-year experience by using your 3.5 month summer breaks instead. If you do choose a 5-year double degree, that gives you 4 summer breaks. Assume the last one is for a career-related clerkship or internship. So that leaves you with 3. Use one of them to work two or three part-time jobs in different areas. Use the next to go backpacking. Use another to do a volunteer program or something.
You can still get all of the gap-year value while you're moving forward in your primary studies. You're not going to know for sure that actuarial or law isn't for you until you've done a semester or two of full-time studying on it. So why delay it?
But spending my summer breaks doing stuff like 3 months volunteering in South America etc. was also hugely clarifying about what I did/didn't want to do going forward.
And yeah whether you like computers or not now, sooner or later having some skill with Java/C/Python/etc. will be as expected for professional careers as being able to open MS Word/Excel lol. The only question is whether you are going to be prepared for when that day comes or not. Most of us (me included btw) are gambling that it's not going to happen anytime too soon.
Ive never been a huge fan of peogramming and anything related with computers.
Don't do engineering or computer science then.
Just stick with commerce/law and you can get a job at any large company. You don't have to become a lawyer. A lot of government grad roles hire law students to do work completely unrelated to law.
@2asian4this: Teach for Australia (marketed as a grad program but all applicants of whatever age are accepted) would be perfect for you should you plan to go into teaching after gaining some work experience. Just something to keep in mind for the future!
Just stick with commerce/law and you can get a job at any large company. You don't have to become a lawyer. A lot of government grad roles hire law students to do work completely unrelated to law.
Can you advise how to "get a job at any large company" and get hired by "government grad roles" as a law students because Im sure thousands of law graduates with decent average, several work experience as paralegal, law clerk, graduated from Go8 including myself are dying to know how?
There are a great many jobs for people with a Computer Science degree. It's given me a rewarding and enjoyable and profitable career for 25 years so far. I'm now CIO of public multinationals.
However, your response reveals why you shouldn't study it: you don't have a passion for it, so cross it off your list.
Really, the big question you should be asking is what is your passion? What subject at school did you most enjoy? What field catches your interest the most?
Network. You clearly didn't do well at university if you're finding it difficult to find a job.
I'm guessing you're Chinese. Try applying for Chinese companies or ask your family for help. All my Chinese friends who did LAW have absolutely no trouble getting a job.
I graduated from a non g08 uni with a bachelor of laws and got a government grad job and had offers with other companies totally unrelated to my field. I don't even know what G08 means because it doesn't matter to me (I could google it but I won't). I also didn't clerk or volunteer and never got caught up in this prestigious schools crap. All a degree was for me is paying way too much for a piece of paper. The ticket to a better job. I did do a placement but I don't think it really made a difference because no one asked about it.
I worked two part time jobs - stacked shelves at night, worked retail during the day averaging 35-40 hours a week. I only went to tutorials if it was assessed. I never, ever went to lectures, I'd rather hang at home with my dogs if I wasn't working. However I was disciplined enough to watch lecture capture at double speed. I strived for mediocrity but was militant with time management. Read notes I found online and just updated them where need be. I never bought a text book. Didn't need it for Law, just used the internet and slides. The beauty of every man and woman doing law is the abundance of over achievers that put their notes online.
When it came to studying for my exams, I just did example question after example question with the same mindset one has when doing an assignment the night before, southern cross uni had sweet ones I found with Google. I would be 'how the fu** do I answer this?' and figure it out as I went along. I always found the exam followed the same formula.
I am a risk taker though so I can't see people mirroring my method. I did things at my placement that were probably borderline not allowed but I knew my supervisor wanted to have lunch with the foxy lawyer that was feeling him and I didn't want to screw up his mack appeal so I didn't disturb him and he may have acted like he didn't know that I may have used his stamp to certify simple shit like a speeding fine. That's the world. The world is really held together with bubble gum and sticky tape and uni doesn't prepare you for that revelation.
This efficiency allowed me to work so much and live pretty well. I was actually making more money whilst at uni than my first year in my big boy grad job. I felt sorry for the students that blew tens of thousands more at bond to get the same job as me. Kinda like buying a TV and then seeing it for half the price on Ozbargain.
People that look good on paper are a dime a dozen and they all interview the same. They're boring. Then they will all 'network' the same and go to the same boring open days.
They know the answers but just don't get it.This is the roundabout way to answer your question. I'd attribute my job success from interviewing well. Life experience, going out and meeting people and having fun gave me the skills to interview well. The interviewer is going to forget about the other candidates stellar grades if there is someone average that can make them laugh or build rapport.
What is it you are currently doing if you haven't got your career position yet? How do you make a living currently? What do you do for fun that doesn't involve sitting in front of a console or being on the internet?
I just finished my 3rd year of actuarial and will be doing my part IIs next year. They tell you in high school that "if you are good at maths, do actuarial studies". This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions. Actuarial studies is first and foremost a business discipline. The math you do in actuarial studies is nothing like the math you do in high school and definitely not as difficult and in-depth as the maths you do in an applied math major/degree.
I also think that actuaries will be one of the last to disappear with the advancement of AI. I see people bringing up computer science and see that you don't like programming but this is all very related to actuarial. SQL/Python/R/VBA are all very commonly used in actuarial work and are the industry standard.
I was about to write something on the AI thing with actuarial and you beat me to it!
While there are definitely some actuarial jobs that will go by the wayside (sort of like when computers first came in), more areas will open up in the business acumen / risk management areas. It'll take a while for AI to completely kill judgement based jobs, and the best actuarial and data science positions are highly judgement based.
If you're worried about computers taking your jobs, I'd be running toward actuarial and not away from it.
Do actuarial only if you want that career path. If you are outgoing, you may not like it.
Law and commerce can be good for outgoing people.
If you are really good at maths and want to keep your marks high (D's and HD in all finance subjects), studying finance and heading toward an IB role can be a good path. You will need to be very outgoing and have connections already though…
good point, getting good marks is definitely one of most important things to get you a good starting point of career. Graduated in 2009 the time of financial crisis, I remember mum warned me to be prepared for the hard time but I laughed. By having all subjects High Distinction, I got an interview in one day and got the job few days later. Salary increased around 40-50% every year for the first several years. There is big rewards from working hard on your marks and practical skills (both soft and hard skills). How else can you better convince a employer that you are a performer and a good contribution to the team?
What career/ degree did u end up with?
I did bachelor of information management (kind of IT) under applied math before I came to Australia. Then I did master of engineering management (I don't think this one helped me finding a job, wasted time and money) and master of IT. University is important as well. I did my first master in Uni Melb, so I know master of IT there (it was under same faculty of engineering and I had friends doing master of IT at that time) is expensive and theoretical. But when I did master of IT in RMIT, it was way better for money and they made it practical so you are job ready.
when people go to ozbargain for career advice xD
Sadly, they also seem to come here for legal & medical advice…
Because OZBers are "professionals".
I actually feel that OBer are actually the real professionals because we know the power of money. Some of us have worked hard for money, and know it very well, and others are struggling with money, but know how to make the best out of a sticky situation. Together we are a community of winners.
"Together we are a community of winners." - can this be our motto?
Don't do law if you want to be happy, the profession is plagued by depression, substance abuse and suicide at very high rates relatively.
Do a trade instead
Leadership does not correlate to academic prowess
There is correlation. You're silly to argue otherwise.
@spammingb: you do not understand the fundamentals of leadership. It's experientially developed through practice, not through study
Honestly, I don't get why people insist on pointing out these highly successful people. They are 1 in a 100 million. They are not worth basing your future off of. Many (e.g. Gates and Jobs) of them have an extraordinary amount of determination and luck and having the right idea at the right time.
@taylorn8r: So you're arguing that people who are less academically inclined are more likely to hold high leadership positions? Nonsense. Pretty common sense to see that there is positive correlation between academic prowess and leadership.
None of these people you're arguing with hold any degree or job of note. Forget about them.
@taylorn8r: So people who are less academically inclined are equally as likely to hold high leadership positions as those that are more academically inclined? Ha, you're funny.
Honestly, what do you do?
I see a correlation, because most of my friends, including myself, got that UAI long ago. All are doing well in management positions.
My brother has a degrees in Physics and Finance. After working a management position he chucked it all in, did a mature aged apprenticeship and now he does refrigeration and gas as a trade.
I've got the whole degree and suit and tie management career thing and even I will tell you Tradies can and do make bank. I'm taking it you don't know too many tradies if you think otherwise. I mean you are talking about ATARs like they're relevant so you sound like you just finished school. Once you're a tradie, you have tradie mates that help you build a sick house at mates rates or paint your house at mates rates with paint that you paid for at contractor rate. They also won't throw their garbage down your wall cavities or under your new kitchen install and cheap out on materials which is standard practice in the industry.
His boss is younger than him. At 27 he owns a new mustang. 3 houses no mortgage and invited my brother and I to his holiday house to wakeboard. He just bought a new $180 000 speed boat. He left school in year 10. I think he's doing a lot better than that coveted management position you and your friends purport to have. Now that I think about it I don't even hang out with other white collar workers.
Now that I think about it I don't even hang out with other white collar workers
Sounds like you were never any good at your job.
I sound like someone with a wealth of experience trying to tell a Chinese high school graduate not to listen to these tradesmen who will never do anything of note in life.
I am also not a white person, so excuse me for having a better understanding of Chinese culture than you union fanboys.
Hahah ahhh mate one thing I noticed about fob or nerd Chinese Aussies is they throw around calling people white like the Americans. I'm not Australian or 'white' either ;).
Also know a lot of Chinese and Viet tradies. Even they feel sorry for the Asian tiger parents who make their kids do extra tutoring and learn violin because they think it'll make them smart and successful.
Your parents are deluded if you think lawyer and doctor is the path to prestige. I'm a lawyer and my wife is a doctor , my sisters are senior counsel doing lead work multi billion dollar international contracts. Money is made when you own business. My wife's parents own Asian grocery stores and they make a killing. They never forced their kids to do the uni shit and they still did it and got degrees and jobs in medicine and finance.
Your parents are deluded if you think lawyer and doctor is the path to prestige. I'm a lawyer and my wife is a doctor , my sisters are senior counsel doing lead work multi billion dollar international contracts.
If you're going to tell lies, at least make them believable.
The funny thing with the elitist Chinese is that they love to talk down the ambiguous concept of 'white/western people' yet still feel the need to drive luxury European/white cars, wear luxury European/white clothes and buy their partners luxury European/white handbags.
Something you might like to look at:
https://vimeo.com/60087670