Ngā kōrero a ngā tauira: He aha ā muri iho?

Student stories: What’s next?

We asked students to tell us what effect 2020 had on their future plans, and where they saw themselves in three years’ time.

Raquel Dewstow

First-year student

Bachelor of Science, Majoring in Biomed

Have the events of 2020 changed your plans for the future? If so, how? If no, why not?

The events of this year were certainly challenging, and adjusting to self-motivated online study was a big part of it. Despite all that, my plans remain relatively the same.

Throughout my year I’ve had people supporting me left and right, and it’s egged me on to try and achieve my goal of getting into medicine. All the people and challenges I’ve met this year have helped me to further develop my character, the positive environment really accommodates growth and friendship. The one thing this has managed to change is my plans for accommodation, I would’ve stayed at home next year but now I wouldn’t mind coming back to student accommodation.

Where do you want to be in three years’ time?

Obviously, I hope to be studying medicine here at the University of Auckland, without all the restrictions of Covid-19. I’d also love to still be in touch with all my new friends from this year. Other than that, if I still have time or energy to pursue my hobbies like theatre, I’d like to be doing that too.

Throughout my year I’ve had people supporting me left and right, and it’s egged me on to try and achieve my goal of getting into medicine.

Maria Khaydar

Third-year International Student

Operations Management & Business Analytics

How did the events of 2020 change your experience this year?

I am trying to see events of 2020 as something positive that have helped me to grow as a person. Despite all the problems – academic struggles, financial difficulties and other obstacles that we’ve faced through the year – they helped me grow as a person and even gain some independence. Yes, it was indeed hard at first – when you work/study from home, it is easy to get distracted and get carried away with chores. However, over time your discipline gets better and better, and sometimes you think “Oh, I am actually now more productive at home than I was at Kate Edger”.

Have the events of 2020 changed your plans for the future?

Honestly, it changed my plans completely. At the beginning of the year, I started thinking about what type of job I want to get – corporate, 9-5 or more flexible, such as working for a charity or for a start-up. And as with most business students, I wanted to get a good corporate job to have financial stability, to network, gain experience and put something fancy on my LinkedIn, even though this type of job is not something that aligns with my personality or values.

And then Covid-19 happened. And I realised that no matter how big or small a business is, all of them can suffer from uncertainty, and nothing is set in stone. No matter how big or small the company is, everyone can suffer from external factors. So, as we went in and out of lockdowns, I decided to change my scope completely and follow my heart and get a less “popular” type of job, working for a start-up. And I don’t regret this decision for a second!

Where do you want to be in three years’ time?

I don’t have an answer to this question, as 2020 showed that no matter what plans you can have, it can be taken away in one second 🙂 And making plans or dreaming about future is not something I would do. I’d rather go with the flow and see where it takes me 🙂

Graduating & international student - Maria Khaydar

I decided to change my scope completely and follow my heart. And I don’t regret this decision for a second!

Yi-Han Wu

Auckland Bioengineering Institute

PhD candidate

How did the events of 2020 change your experience this year?

If anything it’s reconfirmed to me that life is too short to be unhappy and that I made the right decision to pivot my career so that I can do work that is more satisfactory thereby bringing me more happiness.

Have the events of 2020 changed your plans for the future?

Nothing crazy, just enjoying the simple life like Steve Rogers eventually did, but still pursuing my dreams while providing for my family.

Jack Southee

Third-year Civil and Environmental Engineering Student

Have the events of 2020 changed your plans for the future?

The one thing we’ve all had to grapple with throughout 2020 is uncertainty, and in the face of more to come, it seems sensible to keep an open mind to future plans. My plans have certainly changed. Like a lot of other students, I lost my job through the first lockdown. It was an unexpected blow that led me back to the drawing board. So for the time being, I’m keeping as many options open as I can.

Where do you want to be in three years’ time?

I grew up in Whanganui, so the move up to Auckland was a pretty exciting shake-up. I’ve found Auckland to be far more liveable than I expected so I could see myself still up here working. As a fresh civil engineering graduate, the scale and type of work in bigger cities is a pretty exciting prospect- and with overseas travel up in the air, Auckland isn’t a bad place to be.