Most international students will know the strange feeling that comes with arriving in a new country. You suddenly realise that you’ve left your home behind, and you’re no longer accustomed to the behaviors and culture of the people around you. But this culture shock isn’t something to stress about. As an international student who arrived …
Student Connie Brown recently visited Victoria’s on-campus gallery, Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi. This was where she experienced the first large-scale solo exhibition in a New Zealand public gallery by Luke Willis Thompson—a London-based artist—who alongside his earlier work premiered his latest work, How Long?. Luke Willis Thompson, How long?, 2018, 16mm colour negative …
It’s Student Volunteer Week—Victoria University will be celebrating the many volunteers who make a difference in our community, and encouraging students to give volunteering a go. Read Ankita Parmar’s student volunteer story. When I first arrived at Victoria University in March 2017 from India, I didn’t know anyone. I was on the lookout for a …
Student Natashka Wiszniewska spent time wandering through Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa’s new art gallery, Toi Art, and discovered that whether you’re an art buff or a gallery novice, the museum’s new gallery has something for everyone. After months of being closed for renovations, Te Papa’s dedicated gallery section has reopened as Toi …
Do you dream of living abroad? Of listening to people talking in their native language and being able to casually insert yourself into their conversation, taking them by surprise? Then this blog post about my experiences travelling and learning three languages is for you! As someone who had always dreamed of travelling, the idea …
You’ve just arrived in New Zealand. You don’t know where you should stay, you haven’t made friends yet, have no family nearby and your English is not excellent. How can you make sure you still keep up with your classmates? As a student who arrived at Victoria in April last year from Vietnam, I thought …
Victoria has some very well run student support programmes, which require high quality student leaders to step up to deliver services and be prepared to work hard to help their peers. The leaders need integrity, excellent communication skills and resilience but perhaps the most important quality is empathy. This reminds me of Simon Sinek’s book …
Starting university is a double-edged sword. On one hand you are excited about all the perks of moving away, studying somewhere new or learning new things. And on the other hand, you’re terrified that university may not be what you thought it would be. We can all agree that this can be a daunting experience, …
Last month, my nine-year old daughter and I joined the 6.5km fun run/walk in the annual ‘Round the Bays’ event. When we met a friend with her boy at Frank Kitts Park, she said she would happily walk with the kids while I ran the course. I hadn’t trained at all, but how hard could …
Here in the Careers team, we call this month “March madness”. There are opportunities for students to meet potential employers every day if they want to, which we know can be overwhelming! The good news is—we’ve done it before. We’re here to answer your questions and guide you through these crazy weeks, so come and …
Starting, or returning, to student life at Victoria is exciting. There’s always a buzz on campus with students beginning the academic year full of hope and expectation. But we know there’s also a period of adjustment regardless of whether you’re a first year or returning student, and the pressure ramps up quickly with a full …
Wellington is overflowing with so much culture and so much life, day in and day out. But nothing speaks more to a university student’s constant longing-for-a-caffeine-fix heart than the unbelievable coffee culture. An integral part of the city’s culture and recognised worldwide with CNN even naming it one of the top eight international coffee destinations! …
On behalf of Victoria’s leadership team—welcome. To those of you who are here for the first time—congratulations on your excellent enrolment choice! You and the 22,000 other students who study here will enjoy a wonderful period in your lives and the education you receive here will stand you in good stead for your future careers …
By now you should have seen your timetable. If not I suggest you login to myVictoria. Under the ‘My Study’ tab you will find your personalised ‘my lecture timetable’. Great! So you’ve seen your timetable, but what’s wrong with it? Free time is not so free School timetables are both great and terrible. Every minute …
On Wednesday 14 February, Te Toki a Rata (TTR), Victoria’s new pride and joy, was officially opened. This building (all $100 million of it) provides some 12,500m2 of new scientific teaching, research, and open-office space. Don’t get me wrong, the citrus-orange floors and sauna-esc stairwells of the New Kirk building facilitated countless passing discussions that …
Use this to understand how you can make your university experience that much easier from an RA’s point of view (Yay!). This post covers what your RA can do for you, how to study smart, not hard and how to make friends (bye-bye wikihow). The best piece of advice I ever got as a student …
Do you have a burning desire to tell the world about something cool you’ve been doing at Victoria? Got any top tips on university life that you think your fellow students need to know? Here’s a chance to showcase your writing skills, get rewarded for sharing your view and provide useful information for other students! …
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