Hands-On Otago 2024/2025
At the beginning of this year, three Columba students—Emily S, Alyssa D, and Sophie C—spent a week at the University of Otago for Hands-On at Otago 2024. They arrived on January 14th and stayed at the brand-new residential college, Te Rangihīroa, making them some of the first people to experience the new facility.
This week-long event is designed to give high school students a taste of university life and a chance to dive into various projects through hands-on activities and workshops. It is led by university lecturers and researchers who are experts in their fields, and their passion and knowledge made the learning experience truly engaging for all involved, with various different subjects available to do projects in. Sophie took part in the Theatre and Dance project, while Emily and Alyssa did Accountancy and Finance. The interactive nature of each project makes everything super fun, and they barely felt like they were working at all, especially as they were surrounded by so many new friends!
As part of the theatre and dance programme, Sophie took part in dance and acting lessons each morning, working towards a full routine for the final performance on the last day of Hands-On Otago. Dance classes consisted of learning and creating their own choreography to put together a final routine. Acting classes consisted of different activities to learn more about acting techniques, character development and focus. It was an incredible experience to develop new skills in theatre and dance, as well as a chance to get to know some incredible people.
The accountancy and finance course that Emily and Alyssa took part in involved different aspects of accounting such as job costing while also learning about the history of why people started using accounting each morning. On one of the days, they visited the Bloomberg Lab which gives real-time and historical financial market data. Other activities helped them learn more about how things are valued in the market and how to look at a report and use it to help make decisions about a company.
Apart from the academic side, Hands-On Otago is also a great social experience. The students meet peers from all over New Zealand, bonding quickly over shared interests. There were various social activities in the evenings, including a quiz night and a big night out, which were lots of fun and helped form lasting friendships. If you are of Māori or Pacifika descent, there is a great opportunity as part of the course where the RAs will hold a panel, as a space to offer any advice they have with their experience at University of Otago. This is paired with an amazing traditional Hāngī and is a great way to bond with new peers. Emily was invited to participate in this, and would recommend it as a highly rewarding experience!
Emily was also awarded the Poutama Scholarship that covered the entire cost of her participation - as such, if the cost might be a barrier, consider applying anyway, because the programme is made accessible to all students through scholarships.
Looking Ahead to Hands-On Otago 2025
This opportunity is open for students entering Years 12 and 13 in 2025. If you’re interested in experiencing university life and exploring your academic passions, consider applying for Hands-On Otago 2025. This program runs from January 12th to 17th and offers a variety of hands-on activities, lectures, and field trips in subjects like science, health sciences, humanities, and business.
Students will stay in a university residential college, giving them a real taste of student life. It’s an amazing chance to meet like-minded peers, make new friends, and gain valuable insights into potential career paths. There are plenty of scholarship opportunities available to apply for - if you have been involved with Sheilah Winn, interested in doing a business or science based project, of Māori or Pacific Islander descent, and so much more!
If this sounds like something you might be interested in click the link below; applications opened Monday, 1st July!
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