A Taste of University Life

by Lauren Morley, Year 13 Student Kaipara College

For those of us in year 13, not only at Kaipara college, but across the country, now is a very busy time in our lives. With the end of high school rapidly approaching, it’s time to think about our next steps, where do we want to go? What do we want to be? For many of us, the next stepping stone on the path to our future is university. Across the days between August 24th - August 26th, Victoria University of Wellington, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, The University of Auckland, and Auckland University of Technology all hosted their open days for potential 2024 students. These events saw many of our year 13, and even some year 12 students attending tours, seminars, asking questions and talking to professors.

For some people, a certain University may have always spoken to them. I for example have been set on Victoria University since I was about 12 years old. For others, these open days were the perfect way to get a taste of everything and for people to find out where they belong. The decision making process for university is not always based on the institution itself, or the degrees they offer, but instead on the experience they offer or the surrounding environment. The choice to attend university often means choosing independence. It may be the first time in your life you get to make a decision for yourself, and yourself only. Many of us who live in the Kaipara region have lived here our whole lives and have only ventured out on day trips or short holidays; but now the opportunities are endless. Not only can we move out of home, or to a new city, but many universities offer global exchanges, where from the second year onwards, you can choose to pursue your course almost anywhere.

Victoria University Open Day

Because four universities had their open days across three days, many students put together a plan. Late night or early morning flights were booked, spreadsheets were made, and steps added up into the tens of thousands. One of my friends, Jessica Smith, who visited AUT, said that she instantly fell in love with the campus. While you are of course inside, she said the entire building was so bright and open. Jessica is planning to do a Bachelor of Creative Writing and she commented on how personable and passionate her future professor is. Another one of my peers, Ella Fournier, is planning on studying paramedicine at AUT.

After finding out more about the university, it is now one of her goals to finish her course with an internship based in the United Kingdom.

Overall, these university open days were the perfect opportunity for us future students to get a taste of the life we’ll be living next year. Sitting in the main area of Victoria University, I looked around at all of the potential future students and thought to myself ‘my future best friends could be in this room’. It is that kind of thinking which makes me, and all of my peers so excited to begin this next chapter of our lives.

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