Universities 101 - what it's like to study at uni today

By Chris Whelan, Executive Director, Universities New Zealand

This month sees over 20,000 young people starting university for the first time.  All of them will be approaching it with a mix of excitement and trepidation.  All of them will have expectations as to what it will be like and what it will mean for their lives and careers.  Often their expectations will be influenced by the experiences of their parents at university 20 or more years ago.

If you took one of these parents and put them in a university right now, a lot of things would still be the same but a lot has changed.  Orientation week, toga parties and exams are still there.  But now computers are displacing books in the libraries, every student has a laptop and a smartphone, and the pressure of fees and the need to get a job means students are more likely to be heads down studying or working part-time than joining a society or out partying.

Over the past couple of decades, a university degree has become the minimum requirement for nearly all professions.  This puts a lot of pressure on students to succeed.  However, that shouldn’t stop students from studying what they are truly passionate about and using their time at university to develop the essential life and social skills they need to succeed in whatever they do after university.

This view is echoed by Otago University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne.  “While we need a stream of students with vocational skills, like medicine or engineering, many of tomorrow’s jobs don’t yet exist today.  Employers tell us they are looking for people with transferrable skills, like problem-solving, who can quickly master complex information, and adapt to new roles and ever changing environments.”

Reflecting this, the way universities teach and develop their students has also evolved.  While the framework of lectures, small group tutorials, labs, and assignments still continues, delivery has changed considerably.  Students can go online 24/7 to watch lectures, or access reading material and course work.

Technology is increasingly part of teaching.  It’s not uncommon now for students to use their phones to vote on the answer to questions posed by their lecturers with the results appearing in real time on the screen for further discussion.  Students are more likely to do their assignments in groups and to exchange ideas and thoughts by text, Skype and social media.  However, some universities are encouraging students to still take handwritten lecture notes as research has found that those who do retain more information and fare better.

Larger courses like pre-medicine, will see around 800 students sitting across two lecture theatres, watching a live streamed video.  Will, who’s studying biochemistry at Otago, says adjusting to this isn’t an issue.  “You can ask questions and discuss things in more detail at your small group tutorials or email your tutor.”

“For me it’s important to go to lectures and not rely on watching them sometime later in my flat,” says second year education student Casey. “Otherwise you risk becoming disengaged, and then gradually fall further and further behind in your study.  The hardest part in your first year is that there’s no one reminding you what to do or making you do it.”  Casey learnt this the hard way and failed a couple of papers which she’s repeating.

Universities are offering a huge range of support for students’ academic success as well as their wellbeing.  Bridging programmes, and study centres help students to make the transition to academia and to develop essay writing and study skills.  And there’s support with health, budgeting, accommodation and any other issue a student may have.

A lot is being done to encourage young Māori to go to university and then to support their study, to help increase numbers of Māori graduates.  Casey, who is Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, comes from a small South Island town and is the first from among her family to attend university.  For her, it was one of Canterbury University’s Māori liaison officers visiting her school who made the difference, helping select her course of study.  At Canterbury, Casey used the Māori orientation programmes and attends additional tutorials for Māori students.  “That support’s made a real difference – it helped lift my assignments from a B to an A.”

Predictably money remains the big topic among students.  Fees have increased as students shoulder more of the costs (they contribute just over a third, while government contributes just over a half).  Tuition fees for a standard bachelor’s degree are now around $6k an academic year, and over double that for medicine.

Accommodation is the other major cost for those studying away from home.  Universities are providing more accommodation for students - Victoria University in Wellington has just opened its 14th hall of residence.  While there are options for semi or self-catering, or to share rooms to reduce cost, the traditional first year in a hall remains popular – with a room and meals now around $350 a week for the 38 week year.  Halls today offer academic and pastoral support; some even offer tutorials, to help students navigate the challenges of academia and living away from home for the first time.  To save money, many students skip the halls experience and live at home or go flatting.

Most fulltime students take out an interest free student loan to fund their study costs.  Will has already racked up debt of over $20k despite working about 8 hours weekly flipping burgers.  “To be honest,” he says, “it’s so stressful I try not to think about it.”  Casey used a gap year to help build up some savings and works at a school 10 hours a week.

The level of debt that students accumulate at university is pretty scary when you don’t know for sure what the payoff will be long term.  The good news is that for the average student the payback is excellent.  On average, university students have typically paid off their debts 7-8 years after starting work.  Their earnings are about 1.65 times that of school leavers.  They will earn about $1.1million more than non-graduates over their working life and unemployment rates are less than half that of the general population.

Universities today are big and complex.  Typically each has a student population the size of a large town or provincial city making them de facto parents, educational organisations and research institutes as well as big businesses and employers, who are balancing the books as funding declines.

But we’re fortunate with the quality of our universities.  All eight are ranked in the top three percent in the world.

So the essentials haven’t changed nor have the students.  Turning back to second-year education student Casey; her advice is, “Go to all the lectures and tutorials and get into uni as much as you can.”