What is it like to live in ...

[ChronoGrl]

Originally Posted by Sistinas666

Higher Learning is now on instaque.

I've never seen it... Any good?

Originally Posted by ManchestrMorgue

It is interesting what you said about your University life. Very different to University in Australia. I went to one of the larger Universities in Australia, and I think it was far more education focussed than you describe. I wasn't into team sports at University, and honestly I could have gone through my whole 6 year degree without even realising that my University played any sports.

Sure, there were clubs/teams that you could join, but their activities all pretty much occurred away from the eyes and consciousness of those not involved or interested.

Mostly, people tended to involve themselves with their faculties and their friends. There were "groups" but it wasn't like there was a rich kids group, an Asian kids group etc. There were bands that played on campus, a few bars, stuff like that. There isn't any real "fraternity life" in Australian universities. There is on-campus accommodations, but they are just big buildings with lots of individual rooms (probably like dormitories at US universities?)

I might have been overly-cynical... To be honest, the college I went to is in the top 20 ranked schools in the United States... I think that I was just bitter because I didn't really connect with a lot of my rich, white, jock classmates (which is a TOTAL generalization, I know... I think I was very angry in my youth)... That being said, I joined the Debate Club and made a lot of friends whom I connected with... I just think the atmosphere was more conservative than I was expecting. I mean, we are a Tier 3 school, meaning that our sports teams are not at the top of the collegiate sports divisions... Could be that there was just a lot of dumb people who could afford it (again with my cynicism!!)

Originally Posted by ManchestrMorgue

I know what you mean about saving for a house and spending frivilously. I was lucky that I bought a house as soon as I could, and just paying off the mortgage month to month meant that I could build up equity to buy a nicer house later. I know that there would have been no way that I could have had the discipline to save for the deposit for a nice house right away. Way too impulsive for that :) Good luck with it - it is nice to have something that is your own.

With regards to your previous post - it is similar here. There seems to be less and less difference between the two major parties. Here, though, we don't have a choice about whether we vote or not - everyone over 18 is forced to vote. If you don't, you get fined.

Thanks for the luck on the house!!! We need to get pre-approved, which for some reason is really paralyzing me... I'm so scared I'll pick the wrong loan institution.

Question for you - How do you think forced voting impacts how voters approach voting? I've always been curious...