When the pamphlet said that this was going to be the best two weeks of our lives and an unforgettable experience, they really weren’t lying.

We, (Ruby Stretch-Treweek, Hamleen Nath, Anna Yuen) were selected to attend the Rotary National Science & Technology Forum that was held in Auckland from January 7th-21st. This two-week program provided a taste of uni life and allowed us an opportunity to meet with 168 other like-minded Year 13 individuals from all over NZ who also have a great passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

First stepping foot into Waiparuru Halls of Residence on the 7th January, we were all nervous and excited. We knew what to expect but didn’t at the same time. It was intimidating and overwhelming at first being surrounded by strangers all squished into one room. Each of us was worried that we weren’t going to fit in with all the “nerds”, but eventually, after a few icebreaker games, a few days spending the majority of the time with our colour groups attending modules and lectures, as well as attending social activities to mingle with other colour groups, we fit right in and lifelong friendships began to flourish.

We were divided into colour groups, Anna in orange, Ruby in red, and Hamleen in purple. Each group consisted of approximately 30 students, and had two advisors (who were forum alumni) who looked after us and made this whole experience what it was. We attended all modules and lectures in these groups, participated in several competitive volleyball competitions, did dragons den (similar to Shark Tank), and sang our hearts out on the bus rides to Massey University. Each day was jam-packed, starting our day at 6:30am for early morning activities up until our ‘strict’ curfew of 10:30pm.

Each lecture was led by well-versed experts and lecturers in their respective fields, and we were incredibly lucky to meet these influential people and gain a special insight into their careers. For example, in biomedical engineering, we were able to test out a prototype glove with built-in sensors that projected your movements onto a screen behind you. Then in molecular biology, we were able to isolate the casein protein from milk, and also extract our own DNA from our saliva using a centrifuge. Another highlight was the robotics lecture, where we learned how to use boolean algebra and logic gates to help program a robotic car to follow a path. Biomedical science was a crowd favourite, as we learned about the respiratory system and got to dissect a sheep’s heart and lung. These are just a few of the amazing eye-opening lectures that we experienced during our stay in Auckland.

The technology visits were a great way to end the day with options such as the Auckland Medical school to learn about genomics and bioinformatics. We were also fortunate enough to see a special museum, where people have kindly donated parts of their bodies to the medical school for scientific research and teaching to help better understand diseases and human anatomy. Some other options were ESR Forensics and NZ Police to learn about criminal investigations, Living Labs to participate in a native forest restoration project, and Soul Machines where we could create our own 3D digital person.

There were just as many social aspects to the program as there were academic, which is exactly what made the forum so memorable as we were able to mix and mingle with people from other colour groups through recreation options. Examples of these options were Skytower, minigolf, and rock climbing, as well as a talent show, quiz night, musical groups, and plenty of inside jokes at forum meetings.

The last day was a tough one, where we finished off with a final formal dinner and pulled an all-nighter as people were leaving as early as 4am in the morning for their flights back home. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things ever. From being with our peers 24/7 to not knowing when we would see each other again, we weren’t able to process this. MANY tears were shed, but we all knew that we would meet up again sometime in the future, hopefully in university, as well as staying connected through social media in the meantime.

We would like to say a massive thank you to our local Rotary club and the OGHS PTSA for sponsoring us and enabling us to attend a trip of a lifetime. After attending the forum, we gained valuable knowledge about all the careers available in STEM which made us more confident about what we wanted to study in the future. It also gave us the opportunity to realise what we didn’t want to pursue, and narrow our choices down further into our respective interests. Spending the last two weeks of your summer holidays at the self-proclaimed ‘nerd camp’ may sound boring, but we can assure you it was FAR from that. If given the opportunity, as we so, fortunately, have been, we would strongly encourage you to apply to take this chance to extend yourself both academically and socially.