Back to school

For a while I had forgotten that my schooling was going to start again! I can’t complain about the long break I had before classes started. This semester will be my last and final one before I receive my B.A. in Communication Studies, thank God! It is nice to know that all of my requirements for my major and minor have been met, so I am able to take courses of any subject matter here. While I thought I would be taking advanced photography classes, I learned that in order to be in advanced art classes at AUT I would have needed to study abroad for one year. Advanced courses last for two semesters and not just one. So instead of studying art I have enrolled in two “papers” as they call classes in NZ that are suited for international students. I still need to learn the names of what the courses are called in the Maori language without having to look at a piece of paper! It seems like all the names here have some kind of sound like taka taka or puka or tuta or other crazy sounds within them. When people ask me where I have traveled to, I have to often look up the name because I can’t pronounce or remember it because it is in the Maori language! Before I came abroad people made it sound like classes in other countries were as easy as you could imagine with no attendance policy and little work. Maybe in other countries it is that way, but not at my University here. We have attendance and in every class I have a decent amount of work and papers to write.

So the first class I am taking is called Ki Te Whaiao: Introducation to Maori Society. I am really happy to be in this class because part of the reason I was drawn to New Zealand was to learn about the Maori culture. If any of you haven’t seen the movie Whale Rider, then go check it out! It will give you a little taste of what I am learning about in this course. Lots of Maori vocabulary is used which is something I need to get use to and will be a bit of a challenge. Although I need to brace myself for learning new words because the more I think about it, the more I would like to learn German! Two of my best buds Claudia and Stephie are in this class (who speak German!) which really helps make the time go by faster. It’s a good thing Stephie is in there because she is the best note taker ever! I find myself drifting more than often since I have six hours of class in a row. By the end I am a bit antsy! On Wednesdays from 2-8 my classes are held in a building called the Marae, which could be compared to a church. Shoes must be taken off before entering the building and no food or drink is allowed either.

The second course I am taking is called Te Ara Pou: Leadership. I really enjoy the teacher that I have, he is a small little Maori man that is an excellent guitarist. I thought that it was cool that by the first day of class (which is a class of about 150) he somehow knew my name and greeted me with a “hello Bethany. How are you doing today?” I have been very pleased with student teacher interaction here, it seems like the professors really care about their students. So far we have learned about personality types in this class and the strengths and weaknesses of both. The first sessions have been interesting and the teacher keeps the class laughing the whole time.

A normal schedule here at AUT is four courses as a full time student. Instead, I am in a program that allows me to take two courses with one internship. My internship counts as two courses in credit. Like my university at home, while I have to work around 16 hours a week for a company I also have worked required within school as well. I am glad that the schoolwork required here is much less than it was back at home. I find it strange to require additional schoolwork on top of paying to work for free. Regardless, two research papers aren’t too bad for additional work. AUT was supposed to place me into a company within photography. The school was having a difficult time finding a photography firm. Regardless, I was placed into a creative industry and I am content with that. The company I am interning with is made up of three men Dale, Luke, and Parish at a print and graphic design firm called Make Ready. The office is located on top of a coffee shop a block away from the beach. Views of palm trees and sun can make it sometimes a little difficult to be inside! Clients of theirs include Starbucks, Red Cross, and local companies as well.

I really enjoy getting to know these guys; I like their sense of humor and laid-back attitude. It seems like they are happy to have a girl around the office as well. Luke has been my supervisor and is very pleasant to work with. The only problem at the beginning was not having any set tasks assigned for me. I needed to create one for myself, I hate just dilly-dallying around and waiting for the time to pass. So I made the recommendation that I help create a photo library of images that the company can use within their designs to save them money from having to purchase from an outside source. The company was fine with that. I was also happy that an additional project was given to me. Make Ready wants images of their printed designs to create a slideshow they can show potential clients. While taking pictures of literally pieces of paper may not be that exciting, it gives me something to do and something to be good at. With the resources that I have, I think I am doing a good job so far and the company seems to be pleased as well.