Should I transfer from Macquarie to USYD for Bachelor of Education (Primary)?

Hey everyone,

I’m a first year uni student and currently doing a Bachelor of Education (Primary) at Macquarie Uni, and I’m thinking about transferring to USYD next year. I’d love to hear honest advice from anyone who’s studied Education at either uni — especially about workload, support, placements, and the overall environment.

Here’s my situation: • I live in the Blue Mountains, so I spend over 5 hours commuting on my uni days (two days a week). It’s exhausting, and I’m wondering if transferring somewhere closer to Central like USYD would be worth it. • I didn’t get a Band 4 in Maths, so I’m currently taking a maths elective (“Mathematics for Primary Teachers”) at Macquarie to meet the NESA requirement. My marks are mostly good this semester, except for one tough unit. • I’ve read that USYD gives 90 days of placement, which is more than Macquarie and ACU (80 days of placements). That sounds amazing for gaining classroom experience, but the USYD units seem more assignment-heavy — like 3–4 assessments per subject instead of just 2 weighted ones like at Macquarie. • I checked the fees, and since both are public universities under a Commonwealth Supported Place, they’re roughly the same — around $4,400–$4,600 per year, so cost isn’t a major factor for me.

Another thing is the vibe. I haven’t really felt like I belong much at Macquarie. I’m bilingual and have lived in Australia for 8 years, but sometimes I feel like an outsider. A lot of my classmates seem more into the social/media scene, while I’m more focused on my studies and teaching. I don’t know if USYD would feel any more inclusive or if it’d just be a harder workload with less personal support.

One thing that really interests me about USYD’s degree is the Educational Studies major (which I think is compulsory) and the Special Education elective — I’d love to work in that area in the future.

Something I found interesting: the ATAR for B.Ed (Primary) at USYD is 85, while the B.A./B.Ed (Secondary) is 80. Does that mean Primary is actually more competitive?

If anyone’s studied Education at either uni or transferred between them, could you share what your experience was like — especially around placements, support, and credit transfers?

Thanks in advance 🙏 I really want to make a smart choice for my future, not just chase a uni name.