Otago Halls of Residence

[musica209]

Thanks Rey! That's super helpful! I'll get started on it now. Hehe.

 

[musica209]

Hey musica209! Could I ask where you were asked to provide a separate Margs application? It was my second choice too, but I only recall writing about my first preference.

You could talk about your musical contribution, for one, in addition to some kind of commitment to the Marg's ethos (most likely revolving community and academics).

Hi! (no idea how to refer to you cos I'm sure that's not your real name >< sorry!)
The separate St. Marg's application is on their website. Here's their direct link:
Applications - St Margaret&#39s College, University of Otago - Dunedin, New Zealand

You write about your first preference on the Online Accommodation Form. I'm pretty sure St. Marg's is the only hall (or one of the few...) that require a separate form as well.

Thanks for the advice! Really appreciate it

 

[Hueyen22]

more than 100 E?! Wow that is a lot of excellence credit, can i buy some off you? lol jks but do you have Australian & New Zealand citizenship or PR? If you have one of those you would be consider as a domestic student I think. But dude with that academic and co-curriculum performance I doubt any halls will reject you, I mean how many people in New Zealand in got more than 100 excellence for both years AND have THAT many co-curriculum >< . Anyway it's a good thing that you didn't apply for Knox (thank God :'D) and I wish you luck with your application.

 

[musica209]

Hi Hueyen! (@Hueyen22 - is this how I tag people or something?)

Haha, you're embarrassing me :$
I have a New Zealand PR I would have loved to go to Australia to study (for both personal and academic reasons), but unfortunately, I can't afford to I would be considered an International Student in Australia because only New Zealand citizens are considered domestic students there - I was so upset when I found this out!

I'm a little worried that the halls will consider me as a Dunedin-residing student, so that means I will have much less chances of getting in than others. Hopefully they don't, or I'll be homeless next year! Haha. I'm pretty flexible with which halls I get into, just hoping to make lots of new, quality friends. I've heard a lot of things about Knox It looks beautifully archaic, but I'm quite anti-drinking for very personal reasons

May I ask what your preferences are?

 

[Hueyen22]

1. Knox
2. Salmond
3. Cumberland

Just hoping that i can get into Knox, it look like such a cool place to live in

 

[musica209]

1. Knox
2. Salmond
3. Cumberland

Just hoping that i can get into Knox, it look like such a cool place to live in

I know quite a few people who have 'graduated' from Knox, and I know a girl who's staying at Salmond at the moment and she absolutely loves it. Why did you choose Knox as your first option?

 

[Hueyen22]

Well to be honest, i want to go to otago because it snows down there (have been living in the snow-free Auckland for my entire life fuuuuu) and it offers the course i want . I want to go to Knox because it gives people a classy feeling such as dressing up for the dinner etc. and the building looks like a castle. I also like how most of the people there a more academic, which makes it a good place for studying.

But I am not even sure if i can even get into knox though, apparently they like the "lead student" kind of people

 

[musica209]

Well to be honest, i want to go to otago because it snows down there (have been living in the snow-free Auckland for my entire life fuuuuu) and it offers the course i want . I want to go to Knox because it gives people a classy feeling such as dressing up for the dinner etc. and the building looks like a castle. I also like how most of the people there a more academic, which makes it a good place for studying.

But I am not even sure if i can even get into knox though, apparently they like the "lead student" kind of people

Whoever told you it snows down here, I hope they didn't make it sound like it snows often, because it definitely doesn't! Dunedin is well-known for their four-seasons-a-day routine, and we certainly do have that. Snow doesn't settle most of the time because it's too wet down here. The weather you're mainly going to experience is wet, windy and cold.

What course are you intending to do? Med? Because Auckland offers that too

Knox is pretty dressy, I have to agree. It's known for having a lot of "posh, stuck-up" people (I don't know how true that is..). But their management has changed hands so I know Knox has changed a great deal this year and a lot of ex-students of Knox think it's lost all of its traditions and culture - what they're known for. As with most halls, they are academic, but they have a lot of the non-academics as well... It's not that great for studying. From the ex-students there, they say you have to be really clever in juggling partying and working hard if you want to go there, otherwise you'll just fail. If you work too hard, you'll get judged

What leadership things have you done this year?

 

[Hueyen22]

What leadership things have you done this year?

that's my biggest problem most of the stuff I do are like community service such as service committee and environmental committee 40 hour famine etc. By the way I have also apply for AU as well, I am planning on taking Bachelor of Bio Medicine magoring in Reproduction, Genetics and Development.
And little snow is always better than no snow .

 

[musica209]

that's my biggest problem most of the stuff I do are like community service such as service committee and environmental committee 40 hour famine etc. By the way I have also apply for AU as well, I am planning on taking Bachelor of Bio Medicine magoring in Reproduction, Genetics and Development.
And little snow is always better than no snow .

Community service always looks really good because it means you're willing to help others voluntarily. Being on a committee is leadership potential as well, because that suggests responsibility. I'm sure if you list all that down, you'll be fine! How about school prefect, or peer leader? Class prefect? Are you a representative?

That sounds good! I wish you the best of luck

 

[Rey]

Thanks Rey! That's super helpful! I'll get started on it now. Hehe.

Your welcome sweetie!

Dont worry too much where you get it...it's really about how you deal with your environment that matters.

If it's your first time living on your own then it'll be a blast. At this stage I am willing to live in a shoe box if it means a little more freedom and independence than what I have now. You'll certainly discover that next year.

Hi Hueyen! (@Hueyen22 - is this how I tag people or something?)

I'm a little worried that the halls will consider me as a Dunedin-residing student, so that means I will have much less chances of getting in than others.
I'm quite anti-drinking for very personal reasons

Let them know your situation. They may give you priority.

Many scarfies don't drink or party. I know a few orthodox Muslims and Christians doing degrees there.

Well to be honest, i want to go to otago because it snows down there (have been living in the snow-free Auckland for my entire life fuuuuu) and it offers the course i want . I also like how most of the people there a more academic, which makes it a good place for studying.

But I am not even sure if i can even get into knox though, apparently they like the "lead student" kind of people

1. Snow can get real old, real quick. Particularly if you aren't used to it.
2. More academic? I don't think that's a good generalization.... It really depends on what crowd you fall in with! You can study ANYWHERE and get decent grades. I believe your environment plays a small role, it's really how you adapt to it and change its influences (good to discuss experiences with this in interviews).
3. Erm... I hardly think EVERYONE at Knox is a prefect/captain of their sports team etc. As said above, it doesn't really matter where you go because you will meet so many people - often in places you wouldn't think of.

 

[Sam]

I also like how most of the people there a more academic, which makes it a good place for studying.

HAHAHAHAH, you'll find that 60-70% of people in HSFY have no chance what so ever at getting med.\

edit: also no one cares if you're from dunedin when choosing halls, I know a tonne of people at halls who are local.

 

[greenglacier]

edit: also no one cares if you're from dunedin when choosing halls, I know a tonne of people at halls who are local.

People from Dunedin do get into the halls. However, living in Dunedin already does place you at a big disadvantage when it comes to applying for a spot.

 

[Sam]

People from Dunedin do get into the halls. However, living in Dunedin already does place you at a big disadvantage when it comes to applying for a spot.

hm strange, with the amount i've known in halls didn't seem like it was a factor, fair enough.

 

[Hueyen22]

1. Snow can get real old, real quick. Particularly if you aren't used to it.
2. More academic? I don't think that's a good generalization.... It really depends on what crowd you fall in with! You can study ANYWHERE and get decent grades. I believe your environment plays a small role, it's really how you adapt to it and change its influences (good to discuss experiences with this in interviews).
3. Erm... I hardly think EVERYONE at Knox is a prefect/captain of their sports team etc. As said above, it doesn't really matter where you go because you will meet so many people - often in places you wouldn't think of.

Thanks Rey maybe you are right, everybody I med whom are from places that snows told me that snow are really boring. I also agree with your idea that environment only plays a small role in one's academic performance. But from what I have heard, one's "best friends" in university tend to be those who they have live with in the first year of their study, so maybe I will be able to befriend those who also care about studying faster & easier. And apparently Knox have more activities than other colleges which might help to from tighter bonds between friends.

BTW, what does perfect means, I don't really get that expression :huh:

 

[musica209]

Thanks Rey maybe you are right, everybody I med whom are from places that snows told me that snow are really boring. I also agree with your idea that environment only plays a small role in one's academic performance. But from what I have heard, one's "best friends" in university tend to be those who they have live with in the first year of their study, so maybe I will be able to befriend those who also care about studying faster & easier. And apparently Knox have more activities than other colleges which might help to from tighter bonds between friends.

BTW, what does perfect means, I don't really get that expression :huh:

Um...

Perfect:

1. Having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be
   • she strove to be the perfect wife
   • life certainly isn't perfect at the moment
2. Free from any flaw or defect in condition or quality; faultless
   • the equipment was in perfect condition
3. Precisely accurate; exact
   • a perfect circle
4. Highly suitable for someone or something; exactly right
   • Gary was perfect for her—ten years older and with his own career
5. Denoting a way of binding books in which pages are glued to the spine rather than sewn together
6. Thoroughly trained in or conversant with
   • she was perfect in French
7. Absolute; complete (used for emphasis)
   • a perfect stranger
   • all that Joseph said made perfect sense to me
8. (of a number) Equal to the sum of its positive divisors, e.g., the number 6, whose divisors (1, 2, 3) also add up to 6
9. (of a tense) Denoting a completed action or a state or habitual action that began in the past. Theperfect tense is formed in English with have or hasand the past participle, as in they have eaten andthey have been eating (since dawn) (presentperfect), they had eaten (past perfect), and they will have eaten (future perfect)
10. (of a flower) Having both stamens and carpels present and functional
11. Denoting the stage or state of a fungus in which the sexually produced spores are formed
12. (of an insect) Fully adult and (typically) winged

In case you had a typo..

Prefect: In some schools, a senior student authorized to enforce discipline.

I'm a school prefect, as well as a class prefect. And peer leader. As a school prefect, I have lots of responsibilities, like supervising and patroling, making sure students are wearing the correct uniform, enforcing rules... Different schools have different roles for prefects. This just happens to be my schools' prefect roles.

As a class prefect, I supervise Year 7s and 8s at their socials, I go to their classes twice a week to help them out, I organize their barbeques with our brother school and organize their social.

It's just additional responsibility, and being a prefect is a leadership role.

hm strange, with the amount i've known in halls didn't seem like it was a factor, fair enough.

I know it is a factor, because I know the secretary (the position under the warden) of Carrington and she said that it is a factor, and overseas students definitely do get a priority. Which makes sense, because they can't be letting in all the locals who are highly academic, sporty etc with great leadership potential and leaving all the others homeless and without the opportunity to study at Otago.

 

[Sam]

As a school prefect, I have lots of responsibilities, like supervising and patroling, making sure students are wearing the correct uniform, enforcing rules..

Lol, if anyone at my school had tried to enforce any rules like that they would have been told to f*ck off! Typical horrible columba

 

[Cathay]

Lol, if anyone at my school had tried to enforce any rules like that they would have been told to f*ck off! Typical horrible columba

Knowing your school, lul, I'm not surprised. Though it is a fair point, and certainly at Burnside most rules are enforced by teachers; prefects did patrol the locker bays though...

 

[Hueyen22]

lol i was wondering what "class perfect" and "school perfect" means XD we don't really use that term in our school, thanks anyway now i got it

 

[Rey]

Thanks Rey maybe you are right, everybody I med whom are from places that snows told me that snow are really boring. I also agree with your idea that environment only plays a small role in one's academic performance. But from what I have heard, one's "best friends" in university tend to be those who they have live with in the first year of their study, so maybe I will be able to befriend those who also care about studying faster & easier. And apparently Knox have more activities than other colleges which might help to from tighter bonds between friends.

Well that's just because they tend to spend more time with people they live with? I made most of my friends this year from talking to people at lectures and then they introduced me to others. That's how it generally works, even for my friends who live at the Halls. It really depends on who you mesh with and that doesn't necessarily mean those that you live with...

Knox is a great college from what I've heard though, good on you for aiming high!