Mattie
(Ngāi Tahu)
Bachelor of Social Work with Honours
Hometown: Christchurch
Bachelor of Social Work with Honours
Why did you decide to study Social Work?
I chose to study Social Work because I've always really loved helping people. I've got a passion for hearing people’s stories and where they've come from, and I want to be able to make a positive impact.
What qualities do you see in yourself that suit social work?
Being open and friendly, and willing to chat to people. I'm quite empathic as well, which enables me to really get to know someone. That’s all important for building rapport with clients, because it means they can come to trust us.
What appealed to you about UC’s Social Work degree?
The field education in the fourth year of the honours programme means we can focus on theory and learning that core knowledge in the first three years, and then spend a whole year on field education.
In that final year, we have two placements each a semester long. They can be anywhere from hospitals to corrections to working in government organisation such as Oranga Tamariki. Ideally, I'd love to get some experience working in a kaupapa Māori organisation to connect more with my own tikanga.
How do the bicultural elements of your degree enhance your learning?
It’s really important to have that knowledge going into social work to be able to relate to people, but also to understand how it affects the way we practice and policies that we practice under, especially government legislation.
What surprised me is how much I hadn’t learned in the past. UC’s degree covers this knowledge extensively, and it's built on the little that I already knew.
Have you had any standout study experiences so far?
One of the biggest highlights of my degree was a trip to Ōnuku marae, near Akaroa. We were mixed in with the first-year master's applied students and it was a great opportunity to get to know each other. We were welcomed with a pōwhiri, which was a beautiful and touching experience. We also had a lot of learning and downtime to play games and do skits.
What is UC’s social work community like?
It’s really close-knit, which has been helpful in getting through tough assignments because we all work together. In our third year, we do a lot of role-playing for one of our courses, and being able to do that in a group that you're comfortable with has been great. Our lecturers are also so supportive.
We're very lucky to have actual social workers as lecturers. They model what a social worker should look like, and the real life experience they bring to our lectures is so valuable.
Have you found any UC support services to be particularly helpful?
UCSA Advocacy and Welfare are a wonderful service. They replied to my emails so quickly, met up with me the next day, and provided such a good level of support and care. It’s really helpful knowing that students at UC have got that kind of support available.
What has your UC student experience been like overall?
It’s been great, even as a slightly older student. I managed to find people in my class that might not have been the same age as me or haven't shared the same experiences as me, but we can still relate. I haven't felt like an outcast at all. It's been really easy to make friends.
Do you attend many campus events?
I attend lots of the UCSA events on campus, especially the wellbeing expos or the coffee parties and the ones that have animals at them. They’re really fun and they give me an opportunity to close my laptop for a bit and catch up with my uni friends.
There’s always something going on, whether it's a club event or the engineering students doing one of their assignments out in the foyer. I love the diversity of UC’s campus.
Do you do any extracurricular activities related to your study?
I volunteer with an organisation that provides reintegration services for people soon to leave prison. I think my volunteering role will benefit my study, and vice versa. What excites me most about it is seeing what I can give to people through my own experiences and what I can learn through their experiences.
Any advice for other students considering UC?
Make the most of what UC has to offer, whether it's clubs or support or expo days. And make the most of getting to know people. Students here are from all over New Zealand and the world. Take the time to say hello; you never know what you might connect on.
It was a big step for me to come to university, but I'm so happy I've done it and I couldn't picture myself doing anything else.
