MAC Magazine 2019

Where
A r e
T h e y
NOW?
BELLA FRASER
Best All Round Girl 2018
The thought of university always made me feel
scared but excited at the same time as I had no
idea what to expect. I was buzzing to move out
of Wanaka where I had lived my whole life to a
new place while studying something I always
dreamed about.
I followed this dream and I am now in
Christchurch at the University of Canterbury
studying a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning
in Primary. I am halfway through the second
semester and getting prepared to go on
placement for four weeks.
My highlight of this year has definitely been
living in the halls. I have always heard past
students say living in the University Halls of
Residence is one of the best experiences
you will ever have… they were not wrong. I
would recommend anyone who is thinking
of attending uni or polytech to live in a
hall. The social environment means you
will create lifelong best friends. The social
aspect is amazing, but most halls offer extra
academic support from residential assistants
and tutors. The house mums and other staff
help the transition from home to uni life. I
would recommend being in a catered hall as
this means you do not have to stress about
cooking and cleaning. This allows you to
focus on attending lectures, spending more
quality time on assignments, exercising (to
avoid the “Fresher 5”... or 15!) and having a
social life. The first year of uni is full on and
there is so much to take in. It is important to
maintain a healthy balance between having
fun and keeping a high standard of your work.
Halls will, most likely, be the best part of your
university experience.
My advice to Year 12 and 13 students would
be… Be excited and do something you enjoy.
I think this is very important if you are going
10
to study or work, as it will make you so much
more enthusiastic and diligent. If you still don’t
know what you are doing, don’t rush to make
a decision as there is no pressure. To the Year
12’s who have to start thinking about what they
will do, I think the most beneficial thing to do is
talk. I talked to Year 13’s, I talked to people at
uni so I could get an idea of how they found the
teaching degree and the city. This helped me
decide if going to Christchurch to do teaching
was the right decision for me. I also volunteered
at the local primary schools for Students in the
Community. By talking to people and getting
involved in schools, I knew that I found teaching
fun and interesting and it was definitely
something I could see myself doing.
I didn’t feel fully prepared when I moved away
from home to uni, but I quickly realised you just
have to open your arms, soak it all in and be
ready to step out of your comfort zone. Moving
out of the bubble we call Wanaka is so different
to what I could have imagined. Christchurch is a
fun city and very different from the small town I
grew up in as there is so much happening and
I still learn new things all the time. It is hard to
be fully prepared because living at home and
going to MAC is completely different from
being in a big city with new people and high
expectations from the tertiary institution. I
am quite nervous to be teaching the future
generation but I am looking forward to seeing
where I end up and what I achieve.
To the 2019 Year 13’s: Good luck with the rest
of your schooling adventure and I hope you
all have a good time at university, polytech,
travelling or anything you do!
SAM COUPLAND
Best All Round Boy 2018
After leaving high school I initially moved to
Timaru where I completed my private pilot's
licence through the South Canterbury Aero
Club. This would have to be the highlight of
my year so far. I am now living on-campus
at the Nelson Aviation College where I am
currently completing the theory exams for my
commercial pilot's licence.
The thing I have found most difficult since
leaving MAC was not having a course structure
for the first half of the year; I was required to
self-manage my studying and organise times
and dates to sit my exams. I found this a bit of a
shock coming straight out of high school.
The best advice I can give to current Year 13
students would be to consider every available
option and not feel pressured to go to
university if that isn't what you are wanting to
do. And the best advice I can give to Year 12s is
to get amongst everything that your final year of
school has to offer as you will regret it if you just
watch from the side-line.
ZACHARY KAYE
2018 Dux of Mount Aspiring College
Zach is currently studying a Bachelor of
Engineering at the University of Canterbury and
planning to specialise in Software Engineering.
Initially, moving to live and study in Christchurch
seemed like a huge step but, "once I settled in, I
found it easy to remain focused and motivated
with my course work and also to enjoy the
time meeting new people. If I did have any
issues, the University of Canterbury and Hall
of Residence staff along with my family were
incredibly supportive."
Zach says that he felt well-prepared for his
university course because Mount Aspiring
College had provided him with a wide number
of NCEA internals and externals. Some of his
university friends struggled because their
schools had not offered such a broad scope
which meant that they had to learn whole new
topics from scratch within a matter of weeks.
A highlight of Zach’s time at university so far
has been meeting new people. "The University
of Canterbury and its clubs and societies give
you a great opportunity to meet new people
as they host many social events throughout
the year". What aspect of university life has
been harder for him than expected? "In the
last week of term, you often find out that
there are multiple tests and assignments due
the first week back from break", says Zach,
"I found it difficult adjusting to the fact that
your lecturers expect you to do a lot of study
during the term breaks".
Zach has some sound advice for MAC students
thinking of attending university or polytech
next year: "For the students who are interested
in tertiary education, I would recommend a
hall of residence in your first year. At a hall,
you get to meet a bunch of new people and
the halls offer numerous services, tutors, social
events, etc. I would also recommend studying
a degree you will enjoy. Most degrees offer
electives, so if there is a subject that you
enjoyed at school but is not what you intend to
major in, then you can still take it".
And advice for current Year 12 students: "Next
year is your last year at high school. Don’t
stress too much over your grades and exams.
Try and spend as much time as possible with
your friends because it can become difficult
to remain in contact once everybody leaves
school. Don’t worry if you are currently unsure
of what you want to do when you leave
school. Talking to friends who are already at
uni can be a major help in deciding if it is the
best option for you".