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By Sandie Foster
Mahurangi College Gateway student
School life will come to an end for 145 Year 13 students at Mahurangi College soon.
Deciding where their future lies after school is a big decision so with this in mind, the school will hold a careers evening this Thursday August 8 to help those who have not yet made up their minds.
There will be 46 stands with all eight NZ universities represented, as well as other tertiary institutions.
There will also be advice from plumbers, gas fitters, builders and electricians to midwives, chiropractors, surveyors/consultants, IT, engineering, hospitality, lawyers, fitness, optometrists, supermarkets, and fishing and diving businesses. The defence forces, police, Springboard and Warkworth library will also be represented.
The evening is open to all students, their families, students from other colleges/schools and anyone in the community. It will be held in the new gym and will run from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Student perspective
When Johnny O’Flaherty leaves school he plans to become a refrigeration apprentice “because it pays well”. His goal is to become a certified refrigeration engineer, although his dream job was to be a farmer.
He liked the idea of sitting on a tractor to hoe soil and plant seeds.
Johnny says that when he’s 25, he sees himself broke and homeless on the streets because he says this is what happens to other people. To justify his reason he says, “If you expect bad things to happen, if something good happens you’ll be happy, if something bad happens you won’t be upset because you expected it to happen, therefore, you’ll never be disappointed.”
He did not want to go to university because he didn’t want a debt. “Plus, it’s pretty pointless if you can get an apprenticeship – you can always go to uni later on.”
He says he is prepared for the transition from school to work because he’s been to Silverdale Total Refrigeration for his Gateway work placement and worked there in the holidays.
In terms of things he’ll miss about school, he listed lunchtimes and morning tea breaks “because when you have a job you don’t have them and your lunch break is shorter”.
His advice for younger students was to find a hobby “because hobbies are good for self-development.”
Elaiza Caige plans to go to university in Waikato to become a nurse, which she describes as her dream job. By 25, she sees herself as a successful nurse in a good hospital.
She says she feels good about leaving school and moving away from home. Waikato University was just a random choice but her decision to choose nursing was to help people.
She says although she feels prepared, she is anxious about the theory side of the course and the possibility of failing.
She thinks the thing she will miss most about school will be her friends. Her advice to younger students is to enjoy life while also prioritising their studies.
Kaycee Norton plans to have a gap year and travel. She says university never interested her and she’s not sure what job she wants in the future. But her dream job would involve travelling.
By 25, she sees herself living life to the fullest. She is excited to leave school and plans to explore the world, learn about other cultures and see other places. Her first stop will be the United States.
“My goal is to try to appreciate every moment and not take anything for granted.” Like Elaiza, she thinks leaving her friends will be the hardest part of leaving school.
Her advice to younger students is not to worry so much about what they will do after school or stress about school work, but just enjoy it while they can and spend time with their friends.
