Education student stories

Why Early Childhood Education?
"I want to break down the perception that early childhood education is mainly for women. As a Pasifika male, I can bring a unique perspective to the area and be a role model for other people like me who are interested in this career.

"It is a field that requires patience, hard work, and dedication, but it’s also a rewarding career that allows you to positively impact the lives of children and their families."

Why the University of Auckland?
"I was drawn to the University of Auckland because of the range of academic programmes and courses offered and I was really impressed by the university’s commitment to providing students with a well-rounded and interdisciplinary education.

"I was also excited about being part of a vibrant and dynamic academic community. Our lecturers and tutors are knowledgeable and passionate about early childhood education and are always willing to help us with any questions or concerns.

"The University of Auckland has helped me grow and develop as a student and a person, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me."

“Seeking a better life, my parents moved to New Zealand from their native islands, Tonga and Samoa. I was born in South Auckland and grew up in a disadvantaged community. My parents struggled to adapt in New Zealand, but they knew that their children would have better opportunities here. They worked hard in factory and labouring jobs to provide us with opportunities to succeed – and education was one of them.

“They inspired me to always work hard and give to others without expecting anything in return. They would often visit people in hospital, cook for others, and take people in when they needed a place to stay.

“I wanted to rise above social challenges and empower others to do the same. I chose a career in social work because it would help me to help many people.

“I began with New Start, a 12-week University of Auckland bridging programme that can lead straight into undergraduate study.

“In my degree studies, I’ve completed placements in children’s health and adult mental health settings. I enjoyed translating theories from the classroom into actual practice. And it was a great way to gauge what social work practice looks like in both community and organisational contexts.

“If you want to make a difference in the world, improve the lives of others, and enrich your own, then social work will be a very rewarding career for you.”
 

Excited to learn
"I enjoy getting to learn in-depth about physiology, anatomy and health. The lecturers and professors are passionate about what they are teaching, and about making sure you understand what you’re being taught.

"I’m excited about developing more practical skills through hands-on training. Engaging with peers and participating in workshops related to sports and health will benefit me in the long term."

Cultural interactions
"For example, the SPORTHPE 201: Whakatinanahia course is about cultural interactions through and about movement. It teaches you about dancing and using your whole body to show emotions and express feelings."

Personal growth
"I’m also looking forward to my own personal growth, along with building relationships, and improving my communication and leadership skills, which I can carry through to my future career. After I graduate, I am strongly considering doing the one-year Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) to become a sport and health teacher.

"If you’re at all interested in sport, health, and community wellbeing, this degree is definitely for you."
 

My work
“I support some truly inspiring individuals and have found a home within high-performance sport. I have also received various opportunities to travel around the country with sports teams.
“The best part is connecting with athletes from all over New Zealand and the world and hearing about their stories and journeys. Being a small part of that is incredible.

My studies
“I chose a mixed pathway in Sports Coaching and Leadership and Health Science. This stemmed from my interest in understanding positive coaching practice as well as an interest in mental health and wellbeing. In my latter years of studying, I was able to combine the two in assignments, placements and seminars.”
 

“I’ve always been involved in sports, and Physical Education was my favourite subject in school. At university I’ve loved learning about the body and how it moves and then being able to test these theories in practical settings. I am hoping to continue my studies after this degree so that I can become a teacher or sports psychologist.

“I chose the University of Auckland as they are one of the top universities in the world. Degrees from Auckland are well recognised internationally. I also picked Auckland because they redesigned the Sport, Health and Physical Education degree a few years ago, so the BSportHPE is a fresh new programme.”

The variety of courses

“So far this year we’ve had courses on muscles and bones, games, lifespan development, sociology, teaching and learning, physiology and food education. These courses give you a taste of all aspects of sport, whether you want to be in teaching, health education or another profession.”

“The skill analysis assessment was one of my favourite activities as we were able to analyse our own performance in a sport.”

Great support

“For me the best part about studying at the University of Auckland has been the support from the lecturers. They’re always there to help us with assessment or even if we are just feeling stressed. I also like the family feeling between the students. With a smaller cohort than other programmes, we’ve formed a whānau that we feel comfortable with. We’re always encouraging each other to reach our full potential.”

Passions and possibilities
“The sporting and business worlds are now more intertwined than ever, with professionals sharing several skill sets. The programme has allowed me to identify my passions and the new possibilities that are available within the industry. I believe my studies are setting me up to thrive in a modern and progressive sector.

“The conjoint programme allows me to combine my passions for sport and business. My passion in life has always been sports and physical activity. And at high school I became interested in business and economics. So, the conjoint Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Sport, Health and Physical Education was a natural choice for me.

Sport and business connections
“Through the programme, the links between both the sporting and business worlds became clear. It’s really interesting to see how ideas and practices from both worlds are connected. And that’s where I can follow my passions.”
 

The teaching staff
“The teaching staff are one of the main highlights – everyone I have met has been extremely helpful, kind and understanding.

“The lecturers all have incredible life stories and experiences that shape their unique way of teaching. This helped me realise that everyone’s way of teaching and learning is different.”

Te Ao Māori
“It has been interesting to see how my lecturers use te ao Māori and tikanga to enhance our learning. Which is also a great example of how we can do this in our own classrooms as teachers.”

Incredibly rewarding
“Studying education has been incredibly rewarding. Seeing the smiles on my students’ faces, seeing them progress in their learning and building those relationships has been an incredible feeling. I can’t imagine anything better than this.”
 

Ngāti Kahungunu, Togafuafua ki Hamoa, Arorangi ki Rarotonga

“I had some amazing teachers throughout my schooling and I too want to positively impact young people’s lives. The University of Auckland is world ranked, and number one in New Zealand for Education.* I’m confident that my degree will open a lot of doors for me in the future.”

“The programme brings the New Zealand curriculum to life and shows you how to teach particular subjects. This has grown my confidence significantly.”

A great learning community

“I’m surrounded by people who are here for the same reason: we all want to make a difference in the world of education and inspire students. Meeting new people has been a highlight of my journey – and has shown me the importance of relationships between teachers.”

The University has supported my move from Hawke’s bay to Auckland

“Moving up from Flaxmere in the Hawke’s Bay has been a challenge, but one that I’ve enjoyed. Auckland is always pumping. There are always things to do! It’s a super-diverse city and has opened my eyes to bigger possibilities and opportunities.

“I was lucky to receive the Māori High Achievers Scholarship, which allowed me to move here. It paid for my first year in accommodation and helped with textbooks and support. I was also grateful to receive the Start Smart Scholarship for Education and Social Work students.”

*QS World Rankings by Subject 2020

“I was very shy in high school, but I have grown so much in this university. I remember I was so lost when I first entered an ECE centre as a student teacher on practicum, and I faced difficulties when first working with infants. After all my practicum experiences, I can now confidently handle different situations. I saw myself growing so much through every single practicum.

“I’ve been exposed to such a wide range of courses and resources – and inspired by a lot of lecturers. I want to contribute to early childhood education, combining the knowledge I’ve learnt with my own ideas.”

English-language support and literacy

“The DELNA English-language testing was really well supported and helped to enrich my academic writing. I also attended some workshops for academic writing in the library this year, which were really useful.

“I especially enjoyed the Language and Literacy course this year. It was very inspiring – particularly the discussion about how to support bilingual children, and how to understand different cultures and languages in Aotearoa. I was even able to discuss the idea of ‘discourse’ by talking about KPop! Linking course content with my interests inspired me to think more about identity.”

Inclusive culture

“I love the coexistence of stability and vitality at the University of Auckland. It’s great that the uni promotes freedom of speech but safeguards the rights and interests of all students. No room for racism. And the lecturers and teachers care for everyone.”

Combining my passions
“I started learning te reo Māori in 2017 and it ignited a fire within me. I decided to do everything I could to share the beauty of te reo with as many people as possible. Becoming a teacher was the perfect way for me to combine my passions for education and te reo Māori – and pass them on to our tamariki.

“As a second language learner, I wanted to immerse myself in a learning environment where te reo was the dominant language, so the Huarahi Māori programme was ideal. Learning under the Te Puna Wānanga staff was very exciting and I was ready to soak in all the learning and knowledge that I could.

The programme
“From literacy and numeracy to PE and technology, I really enjoyed taking the curriculum courses, while also getting an insight into what it’s like to actively use Te Marautanga O Aotearoa in the classroom. The practical elements of the programme have given me first-hand experience in schools and allowed me to create learning resources to use in the classroom.

Classroom time
“The time I spent in the classroom while studying was amazing because the tamariki have just as much to offer me as I offer them. And now that I’m out in the workforce, I still get an indescribable feeling when I see a tamaiti (child) get excited about learning new kupu (words). I’ve taken my learning into my own classroom, creating a space where tamariki can express their creativity and explore their learning through te reo.”
 

Connections
“The best part about the Huarahi Māori specialisation is the range of connections formed. The atmosphere is centred around whanaungatanga. The way content is delivered makes it seem as though you are having a tutorial session. There are no lectures with students all crammed together; it feels personalised. I have had no bad experiences and don’t think I will.

Options
“The great thing about Huarahi Māori is that we have the option to go into either a kura or mainstream, whereas other degrees only get the mainstream option.

Support
“I believe one of the biggest differences between Huarahi Māori and other courses is the endless support we get. Te Korowai Atawhai organise wānanga, workshops and support options for us students. They create pathways for us to have access to what we need, whether it’s academic, financial, pastoral or just keeping the Te Korowai Atawhai room filled with food. They always have something to help support me within my work.

Just do it
“An important thing about Huarahi is that it isn’t only for people fluent in Te Reo, but also for people who are willing and determined to learn how to speak, learn and teach in Te Reo. If you’re considering applying to Huarahi Māori, don’t think about it – just do it.”
 

“In my home country, language teaching is quite standardised – always the grammar-translation method. I’ve now learnt a lot of far broader theories and techniques. And there is a lot of practical work combined with the theory. That will help me later when I study to become a school teacher.

“The TESOL programme has helped me to cultivate an intercultural view of language and language speakers. So that’s great preparation for when I eventually enrol in a teacher certification programme.”

Cultural insights

“But English is not just a tool, and language study is not just about grammar. The TESOL programme has helped me see the culture behind the learning. There are so many diverse cultures in New Zealand, and many people use English as their second language. This environment gives me a lot of chances to apply TESOL theory in daily life.”

Orientation and other support

“Before the first semester, the faculty held an orientation. They told us what to expect, and we got a programme handbook with lots of details. Also, they arranged mentors and study buddies for us. I’ve had a lot of academic support. Workshops such as Let’s Talk, Critical Thinking and Essay Writing have helped me broaden my outlook and skills.”

A great country for international students

“New Zealand is a very easy country for international students. People smile a lot and are friendly to strangers. And passengers say thank you to the bus driver. That’s so sweet!”