Updates from our community - end of Trimester 2 No images? Click here Welcome to Whītiki, our Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington student newsletter.Kia ora koutou, Good luck to everyone completing final assessments this week. I know that this has been a challenging trimester, during which you have had to adjust to new ways of studying and changes in our daily life at university. These have been unprecedented circumstances, but we are really proud of how you have all responded to the COVID-19 guidelines and how you have worked together to keep everyone safe. Whenever we need to make further changes as a result of Government actions in response to the pandemic, we will keep you informed—the wellbeing of students and staff is our top priority. Remember that your faculty office, academic staff, and our student services are here to support you—don’t hesitate to get in touch with them if you have questions or need advice. I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved break next week, and we look forward to seeing many of you back for Trimester 3 in November. Ngā mihi, Wendy Professor Wendy Larner, Provost Apply by 27 October for study in Trimester 3. Choose from more than 200 courses to explore new interests, expand your knowledge, or fast-track your degree. Taking a Trimester 3 course means you can catch up, get a head start, or spread out your workload. Most courses can be taken in-person and online and courses start in November or January, so you can study with plenty of flexibility to work and enjoy the summer. Some courses cannot be taken remotely—these are tagged as ‘on campus only’ in the course search list. There is no exam or assessment period in Trimester 3. Other forms of assessment, throughout the trimester, replace examination requirements. If your course involves in-person tests, this will be clear in the course outline and you will be advised of specific assessment requirements via Blackboard or by your course coordinator. Ready to apply? You can add a course via Student Records in myTools—talk to your faculty for advice or if you have any questions. If you’re studying fees-free this year, you may also get fees-free study for Trimester 3 courses that begin in November. Your eligibility will depend on the amount of Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) fees-free study you have already received and the number of points you have completed. Making the most of Trimester 3 Trimester 3 is coming up, but what's it actually like to study over the summer months? myView sat down with two students, Poppy Carter and Ronan Speden, and got their experiences and advice for students who want to mix summer with study. myView: What did you choose to study during Trimester 3? Poppy: I took a Biology course called BIOL 219 New Zealand Flora and Fauna. Ronan: I took a 200 level Classics course at the end of my first year: CLAS 214 Wine, Sex, Drama, Madness, Death: Dionysos. This year it’s called Sex and Gender in the Ancient World. Read more. Share your stories with us! Congratulations to our award‑winning student athletes for 2020! Student Tiana Metuarau scooped the prize-pool at the Blues Awards last week. Tiana won Sportsperson of the Year, Pasifika Sportsperson of the Year, and Sportswoman of the Year after a stellar two years of netball at both national and regional level, which included an ANZ Premiership title win with Te Wānanga o Raukawa Central Pulse.
Presented every year in partnership with VUWSA, the Blues Awards are the highest sporting accolade the University can give to students, recognising outstanding sporting achievement and the positive contribution that tertiary sport makes to university life. 36 awards were presented to our top athletes, sports clubs, and administrators at an informal ceremony at the Club House on campus. In a year of huge challenges in sport due to COVID-19, the University is proud to support student athletes and their remarkable achievements. Wellbeing during assessment time with student Laila Abada Dealing with the unknown can be scary—especially at final assessment time, or when we might be trying to find a summer job or looking for a flat. Remember that you’re not alone and lots of others are feeling the same! It can be tricky to realise that you won't always have 100 percent certainty about what will happen—and that's okay! It's great to be organised, but sometimes we just have to go with the flow. Wherever you’re at mentally, the Student Wellbeing module Dealing with the unknown will be helpful because it has lots of tips if you're feeling anxious about the future. A great way to deal with that feeling is to reflect on how you are, and the app Reflectly is a quick and easy tool that enables you to do this when you need it most. The Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation invites you to RNDR20—our end of year exhibition RNDR20 is our flagship annual exhibition which celebrates the incredible creative work of our third-year and postgraduate students. The exhibition showcases work from our future designers, architects, and makers. Bring your friends and whānau and join our celebration: Monday 2–Friday 13 November, 9 am–5 pm (not open on weekends) at Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation,Te Aro campus. We're taking a break During the mid-trimester break, we will not be sending any editions of Whītiki. During Trimester 3, Whītiki will be sent every two weeks. Keep an eye on our website and social media for updates during this period. Disruption at Kelburn campus on Tuesday We are sorry for any noise disruption experienced by students studying at Kelburn campus yesterday. Unfortunately, circumstances this year have led to unavoidable changes to our events schedule. We will review our process for next year to try to minimise disturbance where possible. Convenience fee From 22 November 2020, payments made to the University by credit card and debit card will incur a convenience fee of 1.9%. Payments made to Mauri Ora (Student Health) will be exempt from the convenience fee. This fee is applied to recover those charges that we incur for processing credit and debit card transactions for goods and services. For all transactions, an alternative payment method will be available. Whītiki As a student, we want you to feel connected with your Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington community. Whītiki is a Māori word that is often used in a phrase heard at the University: 'Whītiki mai tō waka ki te wharenui nei, ki Te Tumu Herenga Waka'—'tie or bind your canoe to this meeting house, to the hitching post of canoes.' This weekly newsletter provides important information and updates from the University, resources to support your studies, and stories from our student community. |