Priorities.

First and foremost I would like to extend my gratitude towards my supervisor who kindly allowed a bit of time-off for my family commitments.

Last Monday (before my family came), I unexpectedly found myself in the Communication department meeting that I never intended to go to. Sara and Jocelyn called in the students for a casual chit-chat to talk about any concerns in the program.

I was never one that would speak up in a room, but this time I found myself voicing out something that has been bugging me for a while. In fact, you can even go so far to say that it has been an internal struggle within me.

"Did you guys notice the room has absolutely no third years? Everyone is too busy working - and that is the same in class - no one can attend because everyone is too busy working."

To which it brought protests from the rest of the people in the class, who shot back at how it was "the individual's right" to judge whether to attend class or not.

That wasn't my point. I was talking about the big picture. I was saying how the internship was counterproductive. To be in a tertiary institute is to receive education, and I see the internship as a bonus rather than a substitute for my education. And yes I am fully aware that Unitec is all for real-world learning. But to be absent 80% of the time in class? That is bordering on ridiculous!

I absolutely cannot pardon skipping classes in the name of gaining "real-world experience", which is an opinion that some Kiwi coursemates disagreed with vehemently.

The counter-productivity of the internship became apparent to me when I enter my other three classes only to find the lecturers sighing in dismay at the ridiculously low attendance rates in class. I have heard so many lecturers talking about the lack of attendance bothering their teaching progress that it was quite unbearable, and it really bothered me that lecturers who put in so much effort to educate and teach students, see their efforts go down the drain as students defy their efforts simply because they think they are better off "working in real-life". Also, I know that there has been displeasure among some of the people enrolled in the internship program about the massive amount of paperwork that needs to be done in addition to their work and study commitments, but when asked about their opinion by Sara in the workshops, most of them shy away, only to mutter their displeasure under their breaths but never voicing it out loud. Aren't Kiwis individualistic? Low-context, to put it in very strict stereotypical terms? Shouldn't they be outspoken when faced with displeasure?

To add insult to injury, a somewhat childish student (pardon my bluntness) had the cheek to tell everyone if it was raining heavily on the day, and she decided that she didn't wanted to get drenched and look ridiculous in front of everyone in class, that was her individual right.

Fine, I shot back at her - well have you ever put yourselves in the shoes of your lecturer, whom you expect to be there earlier than you and always well-prepared to educate? The rain does not pardon everyone - everyone is under the weather's mercy - no one is spared, and everyone has to work their way around it.

Sara also added that it was basically a skill of time management that all students should learn to deal with, but I highly disagree. The way that students are skipping classes are so blatant, and have caused displeasure in so many lecturers whom I respect with all my heart, that I simply cannot bring myself to agree with Sara. Jocelyn, on the other hand, kindly asked me whether the non-attendance was bothering me personally, to which I sigh in dismay and shrugged off, because I do not see myself explaining that ditching learning for working was not an option for me, as I have a faint suspicion that no one in the room shares the same sentiments with me, probably because of cultural differences.

At that point, the conversation was steered off in a direction that I never intended, and I left the room.

Ah, culture, what a deceptive fellow indeed.

As such this little episode finally set my priorities clear. I was fighting an internal battle after caving in to Elena's offer to work - I was ambitious when I first knew about the internship program - I wanted to work in a large corporation, work on something big, something impressive on a CV, but I realise that the sacrifice I had to make for that silly impressive line on a CV will cost me my education, my knowledge, which is why I traveled so many miles to a foreign country to study in the first place (not to mention paying an extremely large amount of money). Besides, how can it be fair to us international students to be told to 'manage our time' when we are paying full fees to be educated, and that "time management" involved "skipping fully-paid classes" to make room for time? Sometimes things just don't work out, and this again highlights one of the many challenges of being an international student in the Communication department. The China students in the Business department seems to be doing well, I don't know, probably because of an existing established link between Unitec and China? I don't know. I just know that at that moment, I felt pretty much alone in the matter. But of course, I will press on and do my best with the responsibilities bestowed on me.

In regards to work progress, I have been in touch with all the key relevant parties and have so far received several positive responses. For those who have yet to answer, I shall be taking the initiative to contact them personally to garner interest and make our event seen in the public. Meetings with Elena and the crew were a breeze but I know that the weight of the event have yet to set in as it is still in its early stages. Come the next few weeks I shall update this blog on the interesting bits that I learnt in my work tasks and correspondences.

By the way, thank you Valia for hearing out my woes, and also giving me Birgit's contact, which allowed me to successfully secure some publicity from the Auckland public via the Council.

Thank you.