Monthly Archives: December 2014

Student life

Be Insured, be Studentsafe

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Any international student studying in New Zealand must have medical and travel insurance under their name. This is a requirement by the immigration department and not just the University.

The purpose of the insurance is to keep you safe and grant access to appropriate health care and dental facilities. Most policies need to be renewed annually and can cover either you or even your family or partner.

Perhaps the best policy to buy is Studentsafe, simply because it is UC’s default insurance cover. This means that it is easily recognised and avoids any problems of credibility or cover terms.

Even though this is the University’s default coverage, it is a good idea to look at the ones listed here which are also approved by the University, as you may find one that fits you better.

Insurance may seem unnecessary and expensive, but it is a must in order to study in New Zealand and even an immigration requirement. So make sure you get yours in time if it is something other than students safe, as you can only buy Studentsafe at the enrolment counter on enrolment day.

Events and entertainment, Student Success, Uni Notices

University Challenge is back?!?

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University Challenge first came to New Zealand TV screens in 1976 and was discontinued in 1989… or so we thought. Until this year when the show returned after a 25-year hiatus! The low-budget show takes you on a trip back in time with the same gimmicky intro music and classic game show set. I hope that with this revival the network brings back other shows such as Celebrity Squares, which always seemed to feature Whoopi Goldberg…

For those who aren’t familiar with University Challenge’s concept, it involves two teams from competing New Zealand Universities who sit side by side while they are given general knowledge and other quiz questions. Overall it is a battle to be the brainiest on TV and spill out all the facts you’ve learnt from your encyclopedia collection. Although the incredibly eager students may resemble characters from the Big Bang Theory, I can’t deny that they know their stuff! Unfortunately Class of 2014 really will luck out this year, as unlike previous years where winners were given prizes, this year they will only earn the gift of knowledge…nawh. The contestants are thrown questions such as: “What is the acronym for the quasi-stellar radio source of any of the blue star-like objects that are strong radio emitters?” which they easily answer, as obviously it’s a Quasar!

While University Challenge may cause you to question your own intelligence you can check it out for yourself, and cheer on Canterbury each Saturday at 11.30am on Prime.

Also for a bit of a laugh you can find old episodes of the show here: http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/university-challenge/series

Events and entertainment, Student life, Student Success, Uni Notices

Established in 2014

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2014 has been a great year for many reasons and the student talents and initiatives that have surfaced are commendable.  Plenty of new student clubs were formed this year to add to the already wide and diverse pool of clubs on campus.

A total of 14 new clubs were formed in 2014 by both eager first years and seasoned seniors. The clubs created cover a broad range of interests including academic, recreational sports, arts and social.

Out of these 14: FishSoc, UC History Society, Beardsoc, UC Surf , UC Pathways, COMSOC, Strobe, The DJ Academy, UCLing, Student Supporters Army (Cantabs), Global China Connection Canterbury, The Investment Society, Poetry Society and Veg Sustainability Club of UC; Strobe and BeardSoc are probably my favourites.

Both of these are clubs created by now former first years who lived in halls of residences. While Strobe focuses on the art of gloving and promoting a good social scene, BeardSoc focuses on the love for a good, well-groomed beard, the appreciation of it and general banter.

These two stand out to me because being created by first years, it’s sort of symbolic of all the opportunities that UC has to offer. It’s an indication that you can chase and fulfill your dreams and UC has plenty of resources to support it.

For more information on these clubs and all other UCSA clubs, follow this link : http://ucsa.org.nz/