During the programme, I completed different workshops that related to different disciplines in the Engineering school. These included: Soap making (Chemical and Process, and Materials and manufacturing engineering), a Gripper claw (Mechatronics, Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineering), and building a city (Civil and Environmental Engineering). These workshops lead to the big overall project, the bottle rocket challenge. The bottle rocket challenge was to get the rocket closest to the target and the furthest distance. There were prizes for both categories. The rocket challenge allowed me to see firsthand what students do at University. Using a real student’s model, I could input variables and set a simulated version of the experiment. The challenge was completed in groups and our team got the closest, winning some really cool prizes that included a JBL speaker. 

When we weren’t making rockets or in workshops, there was a movie night, social time with others, and an industry evening with a Q&A panel, a guest speaker, and then a trivia night to finish with. 

This experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thank you to Waikato University for paying for my travel to the SheENG programme.

Applications for the SheENG programme open in Term 3 and I would highly recommend the experience to any student in Year 11 and 12 this year.      

- Jorja Day

Massey University's Food Innovation Summit

Massey University's three day food innovation summit was packed with activities. It showed us the facilities on campus as well as providing us with visits to factories like Goodman Fielder in Palmerston North. One of my favourite activities was mixing flavour essence together to create my own original milk flavour. We participated in many food technology related games and did heaps of food tastings. The summit allowed me to understand Massey's structure and gave me a peek into what life as a student could look like. I really appreciated the cozy dorms and the wonderful staff who answered many of my questions. It was a great experience.      

- Laila Mostafa

The programme ran over five days, with us being lucky enough to stay at Tupuānuku, a first year hall in Christchurch. 

During the day we participated in engineering workshops that gave us a taste of what studying each discipline would be like. These included civil engineering, where we made towers out of wooden dowels, and tested how they would stand in an earthquake. We also looked at mechatronics where we programmed robots to play the piano. 

In the evenings we took part in a range of activities that showed us what University life at Canterbury was like, including a tour of the city and an Amazing Race-style competition where we explored the campus.

The cost of the camp was entirely covered by the University, with us only having to cover travel expenses. 

Overall, WiE CAN was an awesome experience and I was glad to have the opportunity to meet other people with similar interests to mine, and to have a look at what Engineering at Canterbury was like. I would highly recommend that others apply for this experience.      

- Jenna Young 

Waikato University Experience

Last week, 21 lucky Year 13 students had the amazing opportunity to participate in the ‘Experience Waikato’ trip. We joined students from a range of other schools to get a real taste of university life. The trip was also completely cost free for all schools and students! 

From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed onto campus and made to feel like future Uni students. We stayed onsite in the halls and had all of our meals provided for us in the dining hall. It was great being able to have a taste of what living, learning, and dining on campus would be like. 

During our time at Waikato, each of us took part in three different workshops. There was a wide range of subjects to choose from including law, psychology, nursing, marketing, engineering, criminology and more. The workshops were interactive and gave us a genuine insight into what studying these subjects would involve at a university level. One of the highlights for me was participating in the law workshop. We had the opportunity to step inside a real courtroom and roleplay a legal case which made the experience both engaging and memorable. 

We also attended a student panel where current university students shared their experiences. They spoke about scholarships, opportunities to study overseas, and practical advice about moving into the Halls of residence. They hosted a quiz night for us, with other schools, which was a great way to meet new people and have some fun! We were also lucky enough to be taken to the movies, complete with free popcorn and drinks, which was definitely a highlight for everyone. A massive thank you to Mrs Johnson and Ms Radich for taking us on the trip, as well as the University staff and student ambassadors, especially Darryn, the Hawke’s Bay advisor, who with all his hard work and organisation made all of this possible. 

Overall, the trip provided us with valuable information and insight to help guide our decisions about future study. It was exciting to explore the campus, try new subjects, and see what the University of Waikato has to offer.      

- Leah White

Year 13 Tertiary Information Sessions

We have a number of tertiary information sessions booked. We encourage our students to attend these sessions and explore their options.  

The dates are as follows:

Auckland University - Tuesday 24 February at 10:35am (Library)

Waikato University – Tuesday 03 March at 10:35am (Library)

Lincoln University – Wednesday 04 March at 10:35am (Library)

Pasifika Tertiary Presentation – Thursday 05 March at 10:35am (Library)

Victoria University - Tuesday 10 March at 10:35am (Library)

Otago University – Wednesday 18 March at 10:35am (Library)

Massey University – Thursday 19 March at 10:35am (Library)

IPU Presentation - Wednesday 25 March at 1:30pm (S8)

Defence Force Presentation - Thursday 26 March at 10.35am (Library)

University of Canterbury (UC) – Thursday 30 April at 10:35am (Library)

Māori Tertiary Presentation – Tuesday 26 May at 10:35am (Library)