Fate, like love, moves in mysterious ways. In the summer of 2000, I visited New Zealand for the first time as a tourist, fell in love with the country, and met someone special. Exactly a year later, I'm back again, but this time as a postgraduate student. Like Robert Frost, you could say that I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference in my life.
My life as a graduate student in NZ was a mix of fun, adventure and survival. It's a new, exciting environment, where I met people of diverse cultures and gained different perspectives of life. I stayed in YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association), a hostel located in Central Auckland, close to all major bus routes and transport terminals. It is a five-minute walk to the Wellesley campus of Auckland University of Technology (AUT), where I have evening classes in business at Graduate Diploma level, with a Human Resource pathway (major).
Auckland is New Zealand's biggest city, and home to more than a quarter of the population. It is a melting pot of cultures, from Pacific Islander to Asian to European. What impressed me about the city is the balance of nature and modern structures, and the pure New Zealand air! I loved taking strolls along the wharfs and parks in downtown Auckland, and walking along the shops in central Queen Street.
Living on my own, doing chores and studying again were a struggle at first. Some of my kiwi (New Zealander) classmates were very friendly, warm and accommodating. It took me less than a month to adjust to the people, and lifestyle as I had already traveled to New Zealand before. I developed a close friendship with one of my female Kiwi classmates because we have the same pathway (HR). The other Asian nationals in AUT were equally friendly.
AUT is the latest university in New Zealand, formerly established as an institute of technology. It has five faculties Arts, Business, Health, Science and Engineering. It assists industries and professionals to advance their knowledge and development through research. There are 19 research centers, and most of students' assignments are researched-based essays.
The academic curriculum of AUT accords its students with a high quality of education. The methodology is anchored on a culture of discipline and honor system. Class attendance is not a must. I go to class four times a week, and Fridays are spent mostly in the library and computer lab doing research.
At the beginning of each term, the teachers present the course outline on a weekly basis, including the assignments that are needed. The assignments have a marking sheet which details the criteria and weight of grading based on a percentage of the following: content, arguments, critical thinking, presentation, and referencing. This grading system encourages students to harness their capabilities at forming and developing knowledge on the subject. A student can do the assignments well ahead of time, according to her own pace, and be guided by the criteria.
New Zealand teachers are very particular of plagiarism, which is passing off the ideas or works of another as one's own without crediting the source. There is also a word limit to essay submissions, and they specify how many references we must include. Most of the teachers are very approachable, and helpful with respect to assignments. Looking back, I am grateful for their constructive criticisms.
International Human Resources, where I did a country profile of the Philippines, and Applied Management, are the most interesting subjects. The teaching method is very relaxed, spontaneous without losing sight of structure provided in the curriculum. Class participation is highly encouraged.
One of my unforgettable experiences in New Zealand is the bus trip up to the Bay Islands and Cape Reinga during our semestral break. That day, I fully understood the mighty power of nature - standing beside the gigantic kauri tree in Puketi Kauri Forest and feeling its ancient energy, climbing up the huge sand dunes of Te Paki Stream and leaving our footprints in the dessert sands, or just watching the rhythmic movements of the Tasman Sea as we cruised along the Ninety-Mile Beach. Cape Reinga lies on the northernmost tip of the North Island, where the Pacific Ocean crashes into the Tasman Sea. It was like standing on the edge of the earth, with the wide ocean and the horizon in the distance.
Another exciting moment is watching the All Blacks (Rugby Team of NZ) - the day they had their last practice game at Victoria Park. I secured the autographs of about 11 players that day, much to the amusement of my friends!
Indeed, education comes in different forms. Studying in NZ enhanced my interpersonal, critical thinking and research skills, which are important to my career. I also learned about life, the realities and paradoxes of people, culture, and love - matters that only the heart can understand.
(Based on the life of Marivic Jaramillo as told to the author)
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