NZ: Week One of Univeristy

The first two weeks of university have passed quickly, very quickly. It just goes to show how fast the next four months will pass as well. They have been two intense weeks, though much more comfortable than I had expected. Victoria University of Wellington is easily five times the size of UH Hilo, and this sometimes is what I struggle with most. With around 20,000 students, it’s not the largest of universities, but compared to Hilo it’s a seething metropolis. During the day the masses of students fill every gap of the halls and any surface that can be sat on has a student perched on it from about 9 until 3. I have to wander through every crevice of the library and often several floors of it to find an empty computer or reading space. Lines for the cafes seem miles long, and when classes end the streams of students exiting the lecture halls create a flow that is hopeless to fight and so I must flatten myself against the wall and hope for the best. Of course, this is all probably very normal to most university students, but it may take some getting used to for this small towner.

The university is split between three campuses, with the largest being Kelburn Campus. Perched on a tall hill overlooking the city and bay it is a short walk away from the iconic Wellington Cable Car and the Botanical Garden. All my classes are located here which makes for beautiful views, but a grueling morning walk up from the place where I’m staying. It’s a beautiful walk and as Wellington is a pleasantly walkable city I always see people on their way up or down the hill.

I was happily surprised to find the education system more like the one back home then I had thought. The structure of lectures and timetables is almost the same and they use a similar online education platform that acts as a space to get course materials, communicate with the professor and turn in assignments. However, their degree is usually completed in three years instead of four, and they take fewer classes per term, between 3-4. On top of the weekly lectures, they also have tutorials for each class, which was new to me. The concept of tutorials is to provide a more intimate environment for in depth study and discussion, so they split the class into smaller groups where we meet outside of lecture with a tutor who leads exercises and answers questions. I find that I enjoy this model as it helps me feel more connected with my classmates, even when my class size is a few hundred students, and can be a great way to ask questions about difficult concepts. Over all, I get the impression that the classes here are more focused on critical thinking and application of the topic involving fewer, but more involved assignments, while in the United States we have a lot of tests and shorter assignments that occur more frequently. I am taking mostly liberal arts classes while I’m here, so it could simply be unique to that faculty, as opposed to science courses, but many students I have spoken to from the US among many disciplines have shared the same feeling.

I made a few course changes at the beginning of this term, but I am finally enrolled in three classes. Economics is a degree requirement for me and is for many other students as well judging from the large class size. The professor is charismatic, which does wonders for the course material, but the class is challenging and progresses rapidly. Language Teaching Theory will count towards the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate I am working towards at Hilo. I really enjoy this class as the content is simply fascinating; learning about how the mind learns language and how to apply that in language teaching. A bonus is that the two professors lecturing for the course are both from Russia, and it is lovely to pull out my already rusty Russian for some polishing. My last course is Victorian Literature, and I added it at the last minute in lieu of a different class. It’s different from the courses I’m used to taking but I find it delightful. There are two lecturers instead of one, and they tag team the classes, one of them a sharp, enthusiastic woman and the other a wonderfully academic-sounding man. They often read the poems we are studying to the class, taking turns to say their lines with much gusto and drama, which I think they enjoy almost more than the class does. There are some monumental readings for the course, and I am currently making my way through David Copperfield which is turning out to be a fantastic story.

For now, I am cautiously comfortable with university and my classes as I know the winds could change at any moment and I’ll have to write three papers, take two tests and read War and Peace by next Monday. (Luckily War and Peace isn’t on any course reading list). I’ve also been lucky so far not to have gotten lost or missed a class. In general, the beginning has gone smoothly, and I’ve met some great people a long the way. That’s probably the reason for such a pleasant start to the term; all the people, whether student or staff, have always extended a helping hand if I needed it, and continue to be incredibly warm and friendly.