Academics – Page 2

If, by the end of the year, you have not begun to despise group projects, then congratulations, you are better than me in a million different ways.

Although group projects are a good way to meet students who are from all over the world, or in my case, locals, I have come to realize that there are much better ways to make friends and meet the people you go to school with. One example, simply asking someone if they are looking for something to do over the weekend.

As an introvert, and someone who suffers from the fear of embarrassing myself, I have had to muster up the courage and complete group projects with international and French students alike. It has not been easy, and the journey is nowhere close to being over, but being forced into social situations (although hasn’t lead me anywhere socially), has allowed me to expand my academia and my resilience.

I hope that one day, my hatred for group projects fades away, however, I don’t think it will. And that’s okay. I’m okay with enjoying a long paper over standing in front of a crowd for 20 minutes. I’m okay with not wanting to be asked questions about a topic that I (probably) haven’t done enough research on to be an all-knowing expert on the topic.

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This is just my opinion. I know that there are people who would prefer to go the presentation route, and I envy you for that. But also, be kind to those who need more time to settle into their role. Be kind to the people whose voices shake when the speak in front of the class. Some of us would prefer to write.

My favorite thing so far, despite my introversion, has been group travelling.

I wanted to give a little weekly recap of what I did in Dunedin, New Zealand this week. I’ve been here since July, so I’ve had a lot of time to get settled and go on a couple of adventures. I want to give you guys a look at what a typical week can look like over here.

It’s starting to get close to the end of the semester, and finals are starting to be around the corner. This was a huge week for internship applications for me. I’m an accounting major, and we start the internship application process a lot earlier than other majors. I’m currently applying to the Big 4 (the big accounting firms in the country and in some countries) for the winter and summer quarters of 2027. That took a lot of time, but hopefully I’ll move on to the interview rounds next week.

With finals coming up, I’m starting to get my final essays prepared. I’ve only had a few assignments over the semester, and most of my grades are focused on the final essay and the final test. I’m taking a history class about crime, shame, and scandal in New Zealand. I’m writing an essay about the history of venereal diseases in New Zealand during both World Wars. I’m taking an anthropology class about religion and the supernatural, which is way out of my comfort zone. My topic is about the ritualistic practices of Haitian Vodou and how zombies are created and interact with the community. Finally, I’m taking a Pacific societies class and writing a paper on climate change and the historical and contemporary impacts on Tuvalu.

While I’ve had a lot of work this week, I’ve also had a lot of fun! My kiwi host (the resident New Zealander who I live with), and some of my friends and flat mates went to a club in downtown Dunedin that had a cave inside and an outdoor concert-like venue. I’ve learned that the Kiwis love their early 2000s American dance pop. Earlier this week, a friend of a friend was having a going-away party that happened to be birthday themed. Then this weekend I went camping out in Central Otago. We saw New Zealand’s oldest hotel and store, and camped in this tiny mining town. We saw a Salt Lake, which was red from all of the mineral deposits, and then hiked around Blue Lake. We camped in a valley and almost lost our tent due to the wind. All in all, it was a great week, and I’ll see you next time!