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 <strong>MAC</strong> 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 <strong>2019</strong> 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 <strong>MAC</strong> 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 <strong>MAC</strong> 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".
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