Vic Connect
Victoria University Newsletter
Welcome to the third issue of Vic Connect for 2011, Victoria University's e-newsletter for Year 12 and 13 students.
With many dates and deadlines looming, in particular for Year 13s, please read this newsletter (in particular the Important Dates section) carefully and contact us with any questions or concerns.
Term three has been really busy for the team here at Student Recruitment, Admission and Orientation. By the end of September we will have visited 14 different regions around the country to help Year 13s plan their first-year of study at Victoria. We've also welcomed over 3,000 future students, parents and teachers to Wellington and our campuses for Study at Vic Open day on Friday 26 August.
Year 13s, keep a look out for the Guide to Enrolment 2012 in the post over the school holidays. This explains everything you need to know about enrolling. If you're ready to enrol already, see Year 13 links to find out how.
The Year 12 links section has some information specifically for Year 12s. If you're still deciding what subjects to take in Year 13 or wondering why your Year 12 results are important, make sure to check it out.
Remember, if you have any questions or comments about anything in this newsletter, or Victoria in general, make sure you get in touch. Send us an email to course-advice@vuw.ac.nz or call us on 0800 VICTORIA, option 2.
In this issue of Vic Connect:
- Study at Vic Open Day
- Race to Assemble Kiwi Bach in US Capital
- A Successful Year for Victoria Football
- NCEA Scholarship Workshops, October School Holidays 2011
- Year 12 Links
- Four reasons why your Year 12 results are important
- Planning Ahead
- Year 13 Links
- Important Dates
- Admission 2012
- School Leaver Scholarships
- How do I enrol?
- Halls of Residence Profiles
Study at Vic Open Day
Study at Vic Open Day 2011 was held on Friday 26 August and with over 3,000 students, parents and teachers attending, it was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who came along to our information sessions, expos and tours of our halls and campuses. We hope you all had a great day learning about Victoria, our degrees and about being a student.
We know it's a really big day with a lot to cram in and are really keen to hear any feedback from you, your parents or your teachers. If you have any comments about the day or any ideas for future Study at Vic Open Days send us an email to course-advice@vuw.ac.nz and go into the draw to win a Vic T-Shirt.
Missed Study at Vic Day?
Unfortunately, because of the Rugby World Cup, Study at Vic Day this year fell during Tournament Week. If you missed out, give us a call on 0800 VICTORIA, option 2 or email us on course-advice@vuw.ac.nz to find out more about your options for course planning and campus tours.
Ran our of time to plan your courses?
If you didn't get time to do some course planning on the day and you haven't seen us in your school, check with your Career Adviser as we may be visiting in the next few weeks. If you've missed us then we can plan with you by phone, email or in person. Email course-advice@vuw.ac.nz or call us on 0800 VICTORIA, option 2 with your questions or to make an appointment with out Wellington or Auckland office. We also have Course Planning Drop-In Weeks from 21 November - 9 December if you have any last minute questions.
Ran out of time to go on a campus tour?
If you ran out of time to go on a campus tour or missed Study at Vic Open Day but would like to see the Kelburn Campus, call us on 0800 VICTORIA, option 2 to book a place on one of our campus tours on a Monday or a Friday at 11am, with additional tours on a Wednesday at 11am during school holidays. We can also arrange tours of the Pipitea campus which houses the Faculty of Law as well as the Te Aro campus where the Faculty of Architecture and Design is located on a Monday and Friday at 9.30am. Tours of the Pipitea and Te Aro campuses are strictly by appointment only.
Race to Assemble Kiwi Bach in US Capital
Victoria University students have been putting the finishing touches on the solar powered bach in Washington DC last week as they compete in the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011.
The Victoria University team is the first finalist ever from the Southern Hemisphere in a prestigious and highly anticipated international competition. The Solar Decathlon challenges university teams from around the world to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive.
Teams have been working 24-hour days on the National Mall's West Potomac Park, racing against the clock to have their houses finished by 7pm on September 20 (11am September 21, New Zealand time).
The Victoria team is a long way from their support network at home but they were joined by a group of students and staff from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. The Canadian group travelled down to DC to lend a hand with the assembly of the house and provide a North American insight.
The team's entry the Meridian First Light House was assembled on Wellington's waterfront earlier this year to a fantastic public response. The team, led by students from Victoria's School of Architecture say the practice run in New Zealand gave them a real edge.
Team member Nick Officer says "It's been incredibly hard work over here but having done it once before has been a huge help, the team is working well together to get things done quickly. There have been a few major differences between the build in New Zealand and the US mostly due to the competition itself. The biggest difference of course is we now have 18 other teams building their houses around us. The first few days were tricky with trucks lined up to come on site but now there is a real community feeling amongst the teams with tools and materials shared when needed.
After assembly is complete the US public will see what makes New Zealand unique when they tour through the Merdian First Light House inspired by the classic Kiwi bach.
A Successful Year for Victoria Football
In 2011 the Victoria University of Wellington Associated Football Club (VUWAFC) had the most successful year in its recent history. Achievements were spread across the football club, from the men's first team right down to the social sides. One side won its grade, five more teams won promotion, while a further four sides won end-of-season cup competitions.
This success included three of the top four men's sides gaining promotion for 2012. The men's first team will return to the Capital 1 division, and the men's thirds (Scarfies) and fourths (Accies shorter for Academicals) will also be playing in a higher grade next year. The Accies won the Capital 6 division, the second title in a row. The women's first team won the Women's Premier League Cup and finished unbeaten in their last twelve games, winning eleven and drawing one.
VUWAFC would like to acknowledge the support from the University, VUWSA and the Recreation Centre. This includes being able to regularly use the artificial turf at Boyd-Wilson field, the top teams were able to train throughout the season, in all weather, apart from the recent snowstorm on a facility that is the envy of other football teams in Wellington.
VUWAFC has 16 men's and three women's teams and nearly 300 players, catering for competitive players, as well as social and student players is a fun environment. If you are interested in finding out more about playing for the club, please contact Craig Harris at victoriauniversityfootball@gmail.com
NCEA Scholarship Workshops, October School Holidays 2011
From Saturday 8 October to Friday 21 October Victoria University will be running a series of workshops for students sitting NCEA scholarship exams. The workshops are a fantastic opportunity to prepare for exams by getting expert tuition from our academic staff. Students will also meet other candidates, undertake group work and access practice resources.
From Monday 19 September students will be able to register and pay online for the workshops they are interested in. The registration page will be available via the Secondary School Leavers tab of the Future Students page.
The workshops timetable will be:
| Saturday 8 October - Classics | Saturday 15 October - Art History |
| Monday 10 October - Accounting* | Monday 17 October - Chemistry |
| Tuesday 11 October - History | Tuesday 18 October - Calculus |
| Wednesday 12 October - Geography* | Wednesday 19 October - Biology |
| Thursday 13 October - Economics | Thursday 20 October - Physics |
| Friday 14 October - English | Friday 21 October - Statistics* |
*subject to availability
There is a $20 registration fee per workshop, which includes lunch. Students with vegan or allergenic dietary requirements should bring their own food and will be refunded this cost accordingly. All students are welcome to attend, irrespective of their university destination. Spaces will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. A waiting list will operate for oversubscribed workshops.
If you have any questions about the workshops please contact john.dance@vuw.ac.nz
Year 12 Links
Four Reasons Why Your Year 12 Results are Important
1. Scholarships
Year 12 results are really important for Victoria's School Leaver Scholarships, awarded to first-year students, so you'll want to work as hard as you can this year if you are going to apply for one of these.
There are two main scholarships available for school leavers in 2012: the Victoria Excellence Scholarship and the Victoria Achiever Scholarship. Both are worth $5,000 and are awarded based on Level 2 results (as University applications close before Level 3 results become available).
To apply for a Victoria Excellence Scholarship, you will need to achieve NCEA Level 2 endorsed with Excellence (or equivalent in another qualification).
The Victoria Achiever Scholarships supported under-represented groups at Victoria, such as Māori and Pacific students, students with disabilities or those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. To apply you will need NCEA Level 2 endorsed with Merit, or the equivalent in another qualification.
For more information about Victoria's scholarships see our website or email scholarships-office@vuw.ac.nz
2. Hall of Residence applications
When you apply for Victoria's Halls of Residence you will be asked to provide details of your Year 12 results. While other areas such as extra-curricular activities, sports and statements from both you and your school are also important, students endorsed with Merit or Excellence are in a better position to be accepted into the Hall of their choice. If you have your Level 2 endorsed with Merit or Excellence (or equivalent), you are guaranteed a place in one of our Halls.
3. Exam and essay writing practice
Year 12 provides a great opportunity to improve your essay-writing skills before you get to Year 13 and university. Once at university, you will be challenged to consistently produce a high standard of writing, and this is why we recommend you take at least one 'essay-rich' subject such as English or History all the way through to Level 3.
4. Entry into Year 13 approved subjects
To be guaranteed entry into Victoria University, you will need to achieve our Guaranteed Entry Score. Since this can only be based on approved subjects, it is really important that you are taking at least four of these in Year 13. So, you will want to do well in your Year 12 approved subjects to make sure that you can move through to Year 13.
Planning Ahead
If you are already thinking about what you might like to study at university, have a look at our planning ahead sheet. It will guide you through recommended subjects to best prepare you for specific degree programmes at Victoria. Remember that these are recommendations only and are not compulsory background subjects. If you have any queries about these, as always you can contact our team for help.
If you are unsure about what you want to study at university and want to keep your options as open as possible, it is always a good idea to continue with sciences in Year 12 and 13 (especially Physics and Chemistry, which can be harder to pick up again at university). Mathematics is also a good one to continue with, particularly Calculus if you can manage it. No matter what you end up doing later, continuing with at least one essay-rich subject, such as English, is really important.
Remember that you can always contact our Student Recruitment, Admission and Orientation team if you have any questions at all at course-advice@vuw.ac.nz.
Year 13 Links
Important Dates
If you are thinking about studying at Victoria in 2012, make sure you have the following dates in you diary:
| 2011 - 2012 Important Dates | |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2011 | Online enrolment opens, Halls of Residence applications due, Victoria Achiever and Excellence Scholarship applications due. |
| 5 October 2011 | Wellington Information Evening. |
| 30 October 2011 | Application deadline for courses in 2011/12 summer trimester. |
| 14 November 2011 | Summer trimester begins. |
| 21 November - 9 December 2011 | Course Planning Weeks for first-year students, Kelburn Campus and Auckland. |
| 10 December 2011 | Application due date for all limited-entry degrees and courses for 2012. |
| 10 January 2012 | Application due date for all other degrees and courses for 2012. |
| 27 February - 2 March 2012 | New Students' Orientation Week |
| 5 March 2012 | First trimester begins. |
Admission 2012
To be guaranteed a place at Victoria University you will need to:
Achieve University Entrance
- Achieve the Guaranteed Entry score.
- Fulfil any other degree-specific requirements (eg. performance audition)
- Apply by the application deadline
If you are applying through Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) please see here for further details.
If you are applying through International Baccalaureate (IB) please see here for further details.
If you are thinking of applying through Discretionary Entrance (entry straight from Year 12) please see here for further details.
This information on admission is also available on pages 47-51 of the Introduction to Victoria and pages 18-22 of the Guide to Study 2012. If you haven't received a copy of this, contact us on 0800 VICTORIA (option2).
If you are concerned about any of the above contact us on 0800 VICTORIA option 2 or by email to course-advice@vuw.ac.nz.
School Leaver Scholarships
The purpose of the Victoria school leaver scholarships is to encourage academically-able students to study and be supported at Victoria University. Applications for these scholarships are open now and are due by 1 October 2011.
Successful applicants will also be guaranteed a place in a Hall of Residence, provided an accommodation application is received by the due date of 1 October 2011.
There are two main scholarships: The Victoria Excellence Scholarship and the Victoria Achiever Scholarship
Victoria Excellence Scholarship
The majority of these scholarships will be awarded at $5,000 with a small number awarded at $10,000. These scholarships may be put towards fees or accommodation in the first year of study. To apply for this scholarship you will need to have your Level 2 Certificate endorsed with Excellence (or equivalent). This endorsement must have been made in Year 12. Consideration may be given for some Victoria Excellence Scholarships to be extended beyond the first year, on the basis of academic merit in first year of study. Please note that there has been a change to the regulations for this scholarship: recipients will now be required to have a Merit or Excellence endorsement for Level 3 to be eligible for the scholarship. Make sure you read all the regulations.
A small number of these scholarships will be awarded at $10,000 with the remainder awarded at $5,000 and can be put towards fees or accommodation in the first year of study. To apply for this scholarship you will normally need to have your Level 2 Certificate endorsed with Merit (or equivalent) as well as fitting into one or more of the following categories: Māori students, Pacific students, students with disabilities, students educated at a decile 1 to 3 secondary school or students who can demonstrate academic hardship. Consideration may be given for some Victoria Achiever Scholarships to be extended beyond the first year on the basis of academic merit in the first year of study. Further information on these scholarships can be found on page 57 of the Introduction to Victoria as well as on our website. Information on other scholarships available can be found at both www.victoria.ac.nz/scholarships and www.breakout.org.nz.
How do I enrol?
All applicants are encouraged to enrol online. Online enrolment for 2012 will be available from 1 October 2011. When you enrol online, you can track your enrolment progress, receive your Conditional Offer of Study and your confirmation, all online.
Enrolling online
When you enrol online you will be asked what programmes you are enrolling in, this is the degree you intend on studying towards.
You will then be asked which major or specialisation you intend on studying. You will be able to list two majors in the case of BA, BSc and BCA, you may have more than two possible options for majors open.
Next you will be asked to select your courses. These are individual courses that make up your first-year. Hopefully you will have planned them with one of our team at your school or with us at the Kelburn Campus. If not, then have a look through the Guide to Enrolment (available from mid October) otherwise call us on 0800 VICTORIA, option 2.
You will then be asked what form of admission you are applying under. If you are in Year 13 and studying towards NCEA Level 3 then you will apply under New Zealand University Entrance. If you are completing Cambridge or International Baccalaurate qualifications you will need to enrol under that qualification.
Lastly you will be asked to provide your personal information (such as your name, address, NSN number). You may be asked to provide proof of your New Zealand Citizenship, or of your prior study but in most cases this will not be required.
Applications for limited-entry courses/degrees are due by 10 December 2011. Applications for open-entry courses are due by 10 January 2012. We recommended that everyone apply by 10 December 2011.
It is very important to get your enrolment application in to us as early as possible before the due date, and to apply for the full year.
In response to your enrolment application, you will be sent an Offer of Study. This will be a conditional offer if you are still awaiting NCEA or other results or if you apply under Special Admission. You accept your offer by email, and then after the results are released to the University all students with University Entrance and the Guaranteed Entry Score will be automatically accepted. Students with University Entrance but not the Guaranteed Entry Score will be waitlisted according to their rank score and date of application, and only offered a place if there are places available in their chosen programme. Special Admission applications will also be assessed. See our website for more information.
Note: Make sure you have an up-to-date email address you can access easily and frequently during the enrolment process. Do not use your school email address.
In the October school holidays you will receive the Guide to Enrolment in the post. This will explain all of the above in further detail.
Please don't hesitate to contact the Student Recruitment, Admission and Orientation team if you have any questions course-advice@vuw.ac.nz or 0800 VICTORIA, option 2.
Hall of Residence Profiles
Over half of our first-year students will come from outside of Wellington. Of these students, the majority will stay in one of our Halls of Residence. When selecting a hall you should think about whether you want to have meals provided for you, what part of the city you want to live in and also how much you want to pay. When applying for Halls you will need to select your top three choices and provide a reference from a teacher or careers adviser. The Halls will also look at your Level 2 results and leadership, sporting and cultural achievements in and outside of school. To find out more about the application process visit our accommodation website. Applications are now open and close on 1 October.
Victoria House
Victoria House is located just five minutes from the Kelburn Campus on the Terrace. Victoria House is known for its strong community focus for first-year students and fulfil their study and personal goals and develop vital skills.
Cost: Single room - $299 per week, twin room - $210 per week (fees for 2011)
Number of students: 180
Student types: First-year only
Food: Three meals a day with both vegetarian and meat options available at lunch and dinner. Packed lunches and late dinners are also available
Internet: Wireless internet is available hall wide
Support: Residential Assistants provide academic help, care and support. Residents are encouraged to set up study groups.
Facilities: Two pianos, music room, workshop and projects room, two TV Lounges with Sky TV and three large study lounges
Parking: Covered and outdoor parking available for a limited number of cars
uStay McKenzies
uStay McKenzies has 215 residents housed in four or five bedroom apartments in an iconic building in Wellington's downtown area. It provides flatting experience in a community environment with the support of Residential Assistants. The Kelburn Campus is just a short 15 minute walk away.
Cost: Catered options begin at $235 per week, self-catered options begin at $230 per week (fees for 2011)
Number of students: 215
Student types: First-year year and second-year students only
Food: Catered and self-catered options
Internet: Broadband is available on a pre-pay basis
Support: A team of Residential Assistants (RA's) led by the Community Manager provide social activities, pastoral care and academic support
Facilities: Residents have access to the gym, music room and project room in uStay Cumberland across the road
Parking: There is no parking available
Cleaning: Residents are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and studios
Smoking: Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the building