Julian Peddie

“Being an Arts student definitely gives you a lot of freedom of choice in what you can learn. It’s great to explore a variety of things to help discover more about yourself and what you have a passion for.

"The Arts faculty is incredibly supportive with any issues you might have, and I really feel like I’m being cared for. All of my classes involve a lot of interaction with my lecturers and peers, which is great because it really enhances the learning process. It’s also great for me because I typically like to ask a lot of questions to make sure I don’t miss out on any information.

“When deciding which university I wanted to go to, a big factor was student exchange opportunities. I have a passion for learning Japanese, and therefore want to use the opportunity to study overseas in Japan so I can fully immerse myself in the language. The University of Auckland has the 360 International programme, which has an incredibly wide range of exchange partners overseas to choose from. They’ve already helped me take steps towards doing an exchange to Sophia University in Tokyo.

“I have also been involved in a Japanese language exchange social club called JAM+. We have weekly meet-ups where we mix and mingle with students learning Japanese and Japanese international students. There are snacks and drinks, and after our meet-up, we will often go to dinner and karaoke. It’s a lot of fun and great if you want to learn Japanese and make friends at university.

“Once I graduate, I plan to teach English in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) for around 3-5 years. After this, I will most likely begin teaching English full-time in Japan.”