I have been studying politics and geography. How this university works is that you need to study a minimum of 8 papers for each major you are doing. But you need at least 24 papers to complete an actual degree. Since I'm such a lazy fuck, I really didn't want to do five+ stage three papers in politics especially since my focus is really just international relations. I have no interest in any other part of it. My interest is so low, I don't even follow New Zealand's domestic politics. Except of course, for the lulz. If anyone here has seen any parliament debates in house, you'd understand why.
So I inserted Japanese papers into my Arts degree, making it a double major. After a year of doing it, I added geography - but under science. This was on a whim and I just kept going with it. So now I'm studying for a BA/BSc conjoint. But it's the same deal with science, I don't want to do a billion geography papers so I'm going to do a few infosys papers to make up the stupid degree. Unfortunately, the university only recognises three majors.
MY DILEMMA:
A few weeks ago, I received an email from the Political Studies Faculty informing me that one of the lecturers quit and so the course I enrolled in for next semester will be dropped. I was advised to choose another paper.
I only picked that paper because the other paper clashed heavily with the rest of my schedule. So I sat down and had a look at what courses I have left to do and worked out if I didn't take one politics paper next semester, I would most likely have to drag out my years left in university for one more semester in which I would only do one paper.
In a fit of RAGEEEEEEEEEEEE I started researching other universities in the world. The University of Auckland has this programme called 360 Abroad. At first I passed it off because I figured you'd probably need outstanding grades and due to my laziness, I don't get straight A's.
BUT with each passing week, and with more budget cuts and more student protests which I felt was quiet frankly disgusting, the idea of doing an exchange through 360 was warming up to me. I went to an information session and I've reached a crossroads.
When you apply for this, you need to pick three of your top choices. Now here's my first problem. Logically, there's only one university I should want to go to. This is Hong Kong University. First thing's first, I have residency in Hong Kong, I don't need a visa and thus would be a cheaper option. DUH. Also, HKU actually has an abundance of papers that is related to my degree and that I can take. Another reason is that the restaurant I work in in NZ has a branch over in HK. I'll be begging my boss to work at the HK branch for half a year. This will solve my pocket money issue. Since I am a resident, I don't need a visa to work there.
My problem is, when I went to the information seminar, it sparked a memory from like five years ago and made me REALLY WANT TO GO TO WASEDA AGAIN. Not saying I'll easily get in, but COME ON, IT'S WASEDA. It's JAPAN! This will be such an expensive option to pick up, but considering I have intentions of apply for the JET CIR programme - meaning I will need to have near to fluent Japanese speaking/reading/writing abilities, Waseda would be the best choice to go for. Except I'm pretty much done with my Japanese major and I'd only have politics papers to go for in Japan. Only Auckland University thinks that their level of teaching is lower mainly because it is most likely for me to pick courses that are taught in English.
ARGH. The third problem is, I don't actually want to go anywhere else. I've only researched HKU and Waseda. Perhaps the last one, I'd just put some England university. I don't really give a fuck, to be honest. I think I only want to go to HKU.
LOGICAL BRAIN:
GO TO HKU FOR AN EXCHANGE. You will not be overly poor, you'll enjoy it regardless, there are more papers for you to choose from, you don't need to spend the entire semester doing politics, most of which will probably won't be international relations. You can do a few geo papers and to top it off, most likely can be GIS related. You will probably be able to find an infosys paper so that will be good. And if you go there and your boss lets you work every week, you can learn Japanese from him.IRRATIONAL HEART:
I WANT TO GO TO WASEDA. *Throws tantrum*.So with my hand over my beating heart, I say "be still, my dear fluttering heart. Apply for the 360 under HKU, if you even get in, go. When you come back, finish your degree and during the summer go to Japan for that intensive language training then head off to the UK because you can only apply to JET through there anyway BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT A NEW ZEALAND CITIZEN."
After all that, I might not even get accepted.
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