Talofa Lava Rotary Club,
My university journey started in February when I attended UniPrep. UniPrep is a 5-week transitional program run by AUT University. It provides workshops and activities ranging from academic to life experiences to team bonding. My UniPrep experience was one of the highlights of my year. I was able to learn and thrive in a very supportive environment. It was a special 5-weeks for me as it opened the opportunity for me to connect with my cultural roots on a deeper level. I also met so many other people from all over Auckland with whom I am blessed to still be in contact. All in all, UniPrep provided me with cultural identity, academic skills, life skills, and friends for life.
Last year I mentioned that I intended to study a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. However, my plan changed shortly after seeing my final NCEA grades. It was not the best grades, and I definitely was not confident going into first year like that. So, I decided to study a Certificate in Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. The Certificate program is also known as Hikitia Te Ora, and it is a foundation program run for Māori and Pasifika students who intend to study at a tertiary level and pursue a health profession. The curriculum focuses on Population Health, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Academic Development.
Semester one proved to be a challenge. Although I enjoyed the classes and the content I was learning, I was very distracted. I would attend all my lectures, tutorials, and labs, but I hardly ever did pre/post class studying. I found that I let myself loose being in a new environment and making more friends added to the distractions tenfold. Online exams did not make the situation any better as I was so accustomed to studying on campus around friends. I was not at my best and it could be seen in my grades as my term GPA for semester one was 4.6.
In semester two, however, I learned from my mistakes and cut down on the distractions. One of my tuākanas (tutors) advised me to separate my friend groups into study groups and hang-out groups. It was very helpful as I was able to study properly with my more studious friends, but also have a break with my ‘fun’ friends. I also learned to change my studying methods and made sure to do pre/post class studying. When online exams came, I was prepared and did exceptionally well compared to semester one. My term GPA was 6.4 which I was very happy with. My cumulative GPA is 5.5 which allows me to apply for Nursing, Health Sciences, and Biomedical Sciences. I have not made up my mind yet, but I intend to study one of these courses for my first-year next year. My long-term goal is to excel in first year and hopefully secure a spot in Medicine the following year.
Overall, the Certificate program provided me with the relevant academic and literacy resources for any undergraduate health program at the University of Auckland. Through the Certificate program I was able to bounce back from failure and it is an experience that I will hold close to my heart as it refocused me and reminded me of my why. I will forever appreciate the Certificate lecturers, tuākanas, and MAPA’s staff who constantly supported me all throughout
the course this year. Without them, my friends, or my family I would not have made it to the end.
I also want to end and say a very massive thank you from the bottom of my heart to the Rotary Club. The Certificate program provided all course resources for free so the scholarship money I had received primarily went to travel costs and additional course resources. The average cost of travelling by public transportation was $60 a week so without the help from the Rotary Club, I would not have been able to travel to campus every day. I was also provided with an iPad to support my learning and studying. Having an iPad on hand during lectures and tutorials worked miracles as it was so much easier to make notes and file them electronically. And for that, I will forever be extremely grateful for the support from the Rotary Club as they truly did enhance my first experience of university.
Fa’afetai Tele Lava,
Juvina Auva’a
My university journey started in February when I attended UniPrep. UniPrep is a 5-week transitional program run by AUT University. It provides workshops and activities ranging from academic to life experiences to team bonding. My UniPrep experience was one of the highlights of my year. I was able to learn and thrive in a very supportive environment. It was a special 5-weeks for me as it opened the opportunity for me to connect with my cultural roots on a deeper level. I also met so many other people from all over Auckland with whom I am blessed to still be in contact. All in all, UniPrep provided me with cultural identity, academic skills, life skills, and friends for life.
Last year I mentioned that I intended to study a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. However, my plan changed shortly after seeing my final NCEA grades. It was not the best grades, and I definitely was not confident going into first year like that. So, I decided to study a Certificate in Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. The Certificate program is also known as Hikitia Te Ora, and it is a foundation program run for Māori and Pasifika students who intend to study at a tertiary level and pursue a health profession. The curriculum focuses on Population Health, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Academic Development.
Semester one proved to be a challenge. Although I enjoyed the classes and the content I was learning, I was very distracted. I would attend all my lectures, tutorials, and labs, but I hardly ever did pre/post class studying. I found that I let myself loose being in a new environment and making more friends added to the distractions tenfold. Online exams did not make the situation any better as I was so accustomed to studying on campus around friends. I was not at my best and it could be seen in my grades as my term GPA for semester one was 4.6.
In semester two, however, I learned from my mistakes and cut down on the distractions. One of my tuākanas (tutors) advised me to separate my friend groups into study groups and hang-out groups. It was very helpful as I was able to study properly with my more studious friends, but also have a break with my ‘fun’ friends. I also learned to change my studying methods and made sure to do pre/post class studying. When online exams came, I was prepared and did exceptionally well compared to semester one. My term GPA was 6.4 which I was very happy with. My cumulative GPA is 5.5 which allows me to apply for Nursing, Health Sciences, and Biomedical Sciences. I have not made up my mind yet, but I intend to study one of these courses for my first-year next year. My long-term goal is to excel in first year and hopefully secure a spot in Medicine the following year.
Overall, the Certificate program provided me with the relevant academic and literacy resources for any undergraduate health program at the University of Auckland. Through the Certificate program I was able to bounce back from failure and it is an experience that I will hold close to my heart as it refocused me and reminded me of my why. I will forever appreciate the Certificate lecturers, tuākanas, and MAPA’s staff who constantly supported me all throughout
the course this year. Without them, my friends, or my family I would not have made it to the end.
I also want to end and say a very massive thank you from the bottom of my heart to the Rotary Club. The Certificate program provided all course resources for free so the scholarship money I had received primarily went to travel costs and additional course resources. The average cost of travelling by public transportation was $60 a week so without the help from the Rotary Club, I would not have been able to travel to campus every day. I was also provided with an iPad to support my learning and studying. Having an iPad on hand during lectures and tutorials worked miracles as it was so much easier to make notes and file them electronically. And for that, I will forever be extremely grateful for the support from the Rotary Club as they truly did enhance my first experience of university.
Fa’afetai Tele Lava,
Juvina Auva’a