TUTOR
(New Zealand, Male): Now then, welcome to Auckland! We are very
excited to have you all studying abroad in our country. Here at Auckland
University, we have been hosting international exchange students for more than
20 years. We value how students like you enrich our campus both academically
and socially. And, uh, that’s why we welcome more than 80 students each year
from partner institutions around the world.
So my goal here today is to give you an
overview of what to expect on this exchange programme. As I understand, you’re
all here for the semester-long option. Usually we have at least a few people
staying for the entire year, but anyway, that’s all right. I’m going to first
go over what you’ll need to take care of in your first few days on campus. Then
I’ll give you some advice about making your stay here as successful and
meaningful as possible.
Uh… First things first. You all should have
already been assigned to your residence, so I assume you’re settling into your
rooms by now. As you know, there are two types of accommodations, catered and
self-catered residences. If you are in one and would like to switch, please let
us know by this Thursday at the latest. Unfortunately exchange students don’t
have the option of living off-campus, so hopefully you’ll find our accommodations
to your liking.
There are a couple of other important tasks
for this week. Make an appointment to meet with your academic adviser, who will
make sure you are enrolled in the classes you need. He or she will also help
you out if you’re having particular difficulties with a course or professor. So
it’s good to establish a rapport with that person. Oh, and please do register
at the university clinic in the next few days. Just stop by the reception desk
and give them your student ID card. That way you’re already entered into the
system in the case that there’s a medical emergency. Hopefully that will never
happen, but better safe than sorry.
Um, like I mentioned earlier, I want to give
you a few pieces of advice about your time with us. As you know, you came here
on a study program. But let’s be real…academics are not why you flew halfway
across the world! You are here because you wanted to be immersed in a different
culture, and to be in a foreign environment. So while we obviously want you to
do well in your courses, we also want you to get out and explore. Make local
friends and have them show you around. Don’t be shy. They love having the
chance to interact with foreign visitors. And do get out on the weekends and
travel to other areas of the country. It’s only by getting off campus that
you’ll get to know the real New Zealand.
Speaking of the real New Zealand…there are
some university-sponsored cultural events that you’ll hear about. You know,
like traditional Maori cultural performances or, uh, the tour through a
traditional Maori village. But well, personally, I’m not a fan. They are more
tourist traps than anything, and you aren’t going to learn much more than you
could reading a book or searching the Internet. Instead, try visiting a Maori
reservation and learn about the culture’s history directly from the people, in
their own words.
So, before we move onto some logistics
regarding tuition and meal plans, does anyone have any…[Fade out]