Financing your Studies
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Loans & Allowances
Most students apply for a student loan and/or allowance to fund their studies. Although this may seem like a scary prospect, Studylink have actually made the process really easy. What’s a student loan? The student loan is money you borrow that you have to start paying back when you finish studying. The student loan has three parts to it:
The student allowance is a weekly payment you receive alongside your student loan to help with your living expenses while you study full-time. You don't have to pay this back. To check what financial assistance you are eligible for and heaps more on getting financially sorted for studying, check out the Studylink website here. Scholarships A scholarship is money or a gift of some sort that will help you in your studies. Scholarships can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Scholarships are given for a variety of different reasons, including your academic ability, your talents, your cultural and ethnic background, your area, your family history and what subject you’re studying. For a list of possible scholarships, check out Careers NZ’s step-by-step guide to scholarship applications here. |
Studylink also has other ways to help you as a student.
These include: • Financial assistance during study breaks and the holidays • Accommodation costs • Childcare costs • Disability costs • Emergencies • Health costs • Work costs Click here to find out more. Student Discounts Reap the benefits of your student status and take advantage of ALL student discounts! From food to software to travel to movies and even your warrant of fitness, there are heaps of discounts available for students when you show you student ID. Whenever you buy something, make sure you ask if they offer a student discount - every small saving counts! For a collection of discounts on offer to students, check out: https://www.studentcard.co.nz Most students qualify for a Community Services Card which helps you pay less for doctor's fees and prescriptions. To find out if you are eligible, visit the Work and Income New Zealand website. If you are a tertiary student most campuses can support you with discounted medical services, so track down the information desk to point you in the right direction. And if you're lucky enough to be studying in Auckland or Dunedin, Otago and Auckland University offer low cost dental care too! |
Student Support
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Building Connections and Staying Balanced
Once you are out of school, it’s important to keep connected and balance all the study with other interests. It’s a great way to meet new people and develop new skills too! Here are just some ways to stay connected, blow off some steam and meet new people...
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Academic Support
Most tertiary institutes will provide undergraduates with extra support to achieve academically. This can include one-to-one tutorials, group tutorials around exam time, resources for studying for exams such as time management, reading and writing. Some tertiary training providers have one-on-one mentoring and tutoring specifically for Maori and Pacific Island students. Check out your study provider’s website for information on their student learning centre and see what’s on offer! Just like learning all your course material, learning how to study is just as important! Emotional Support Leaving school and moving onto new things can be really exciting, but can also be pretty overwhelming too, since there are so many changes. It can be a time of leaving your group of school friends, moving away or out of home, having to be more organised, and even finding the right class can sometimes be a challenge! Chat to your family and keep in touch with old friends, keep doing activities you enjoy and try to eat and sleep as best you can. However, remember you are not alone in this, so make sure you reach out for some support if you need it. It can even be helpful to talk to a counsellor. Most tertiary providers provide a counsellor on campus you can see, or you can call the Family Services Directory on 0800 211 211 to find a service in your area. If you’re not keen on face-to-face counselling, Youthline has a helpline you can call on 0800 37 66 33 or you can free txt to 234 for some support. |
Exam Preparation
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There is no denying that exam time is stressful! Often the anxiety about the exam is scarier than the exam itself. That said, there are a number of tips and tricks to help get you through...
Getting Started: Work out which exams to prepare for first and how much time to give to each one. To do this, work out:
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In the exam
• Breathe deeply. • Read the questions carefully and highlight things you need to do. • Do a quick plan for each question, mapping the main points. • Give yourself a time limit for each question and stick to it. • Start with your strongest essay question to build your confidence. • Be concise – get to the point and don’t waffle on with tonnes of examples. • If you do not have time to finish a question, complete it in note form. You may still get marks for this. Afterwards, make sure you reward yourself for all your hard work! The day before • Make sure you check whether your exam is in the morning or afternoon! • Set alarms and let people in your house know to wake you. • Get there early – the time on the sheet is often the time the exam starts. That means you have to get there much earlier to get ready and seated. • Pack your school ID card. • Pack a water bottle. • Pack working pens and required other equipment (e.g. calculator) • Go to sleep early. On the day
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