Pre-degree preparation for nursing

"I dropped out of high school at the age of 17 after finishing Level 2 NCEA. I realised school wasn’t for me, but I found the opportunity to start fresh at MIT.

I chose nursing because I love science and medicine, I also want to give back and support our nurses, and make our people feel good.

MIT is where my mum graduated from and so far, it’s a lovely, safe, diverse educational environment with lots of opportunities, support and love.  MIT is like a kick-starter and gives me the motivation to learn to manage my time and be organised. My teachers always help and support me along the way.

I would like to continue my studies and become a registered nurse."

Chandni Ariyan
MIT student

“I chose this subject because I wanted to give back to the people and the community and also help those in need.

If you have a passion for nursing MIT is the right place for you because it caters to you and your needs by being surrounded by diverse people/cultures and teachers who only want you to become the best version of you.

I chose to study at MIT because of its amazing new facilities and how convenient and close it is to me compared to other universities. I enjoy the amazing people/community and how I got to make such amazing friendships with the people, also the support from the teachers and peers.

I have found the workload a challenge. I am overcoming this by using my own time to study outside of class time and also taking as many notes and asking as many questions as I can. I fit studying into my life by having a dedicated to-do list and also taking a bit of time out of my day to focus on my studies.

When I finish this programme I want to apply and get into the Level 7 Bachelor of Nursing.

My advice would be to go in with an open mind, listen, study hard, be confident, don’t be shy to make new connections and get out of your comfort zone.”

Matthew San Diego
MIT student

“I was in college, but I left when I was 16 years old. I decided to pursue a career in medicine because I didn't want to sit around doing nothing and because it runs in my family to some extent.

It doesn't matter if you dropped out when you did or anything; this field is worth studying because it will lead to a fulfilling career.

The subjects are enjoyable, and the people are wonderful. Every place is different, but MIT focuses on getting its students through exams.

I want to be a registered nurse or midwife.”

Alex Garren
MIT student

“I was born and raised in Samoa, and I came to New Zealand in 2021 because my family wanted me to come here, looking for a better future.

I chose to take a nursing programme to teach me how to take good care of myself and lead me to my dream life in the future. It pushes me harder to help my Dad who has a serious injury, but also, I want to offer my life to help out people who have special needs.

When I started my course and even now, I struggle, it's a busy life for me. Studying at MIT as a nursing student is quite hard because I am not only a student but an employee as well so I’m holding up so many responsibilities. But, I still fight to achieve this dream no matter how hard it is. I'm trying my best to study hard because my dream is to become a nurse.

Studying in the MIT environment keeps me going because the people surrounding me are so supportive and helpful. It is like everyone feels like family to me.

My advice is to prepare a plan for this pathway to the future. When you come to MIT, you have to focus on the teachers, the teachers' lessons and learning.”

Vaioleti Vaelua
MIT student

“When I was growing up, I always felt like healthcare was something I really wanted to do. I really want to be able to support people in the deaf community - there's a real need there.

I think it's really good here at MIT | Te Pūkenga. They're supportive of people with disabilities. It's fabulous that I can always ask my teachers, and they're very helpful to explain, showing me different things or giving examples so I can pick up on what those words mean. If you do find studying a challenge, you shouldn't worry. You can ask people, and they will help you, they will give you plenty of support to help you overcome your challenges.

Learning practical skills is really helpful. You're learning in the lab, it's very practical. But also, it's improving my English language as well at the same time, and the jargon that's involved.

Mostly what I'm enjoying about studying here is learning new things all the time. Also meeting loads of different people and faces, new people that I've not met before, that's a great part of things too.

Here at MIT, I think it's a really great environment. Lots of really fabulous people work here and study here. I just feel like it's a really comfortable environment to be studying here.”

Alexandra Usadan
MIT student

“I chose the nursing foundation programme because I love to look after patients. My background is nursing from my country. Before I came to MIT I was working as a healthcare assistant in a rest home. I want to continue as a registered nurse so I chose to do further study.

Some of my friends have done the programme from here, and they talked to me about MIT | Te Pukenga and it is quite good. They are very supportive, they're helping me and it's near to my place as well.

When I came here, I didn't know anything about MIT, now I know about the rooms and the teachers and if I want to ask anything, I just come in and they're very supportive.

I think it's good to come here and we can learn so many things.”

Kamaljeet Kaur
MIT student

“I’m from the Fijian Islands and I’ve been in New Zealand for 12 years now. I'm a healthcare worker and I’ve been working in the health and disabilities sector for 10 years. I love to help people who need really good quality of care, people who are sick and I love to help people as well.

I did my diploma in healthcare management, level 6, and diploma in healthcare, level 5. Then I worked in a rest home hospital, and I was working for Bupa for three years with old aged people. Then I moved into the community for intellectual disability. My dream goal is to become a registered nurse and I'm aiming to work in Auckland City Hospital.

The thing I enjoy most here is working with my lecturers. The lecturers are really supportive to the students during their assignments. I love to do practicals in the lab, it's very interesting and I feel very confident working in the labs.

I'm meeting different cultures and nationalities. Sometimes it's hard to communicate and to understand different perspectives. We are focused on our active listening and keep on asking if we don't understand. So that's how we can solve our problems so there won't be any barriers.

Age is just a number. If you are really interested and you want to achieve your goals, just come and join.”

Shon Prasad
MIT student

“I chose to be in the healthcare sector because I wanted to be able to help my whānau out when they go into healthcare settings. A lot of Māori whanau and community don't really understand what services they can get and I want to help people get a better understanding and help the Māori community.

The hands-on learning and practical work help me to better understand what's been taught in the classroom as opposed to just having theory. For myself, I'm a practical learner. The theory side can be quite challenging for myself. Additionally, the actual practice makes what we are learning and discussing more clear to me.

I enjoy meeting new people, interacting with different cultures that are not from Aotearoa New Zealand and just being open to every possibility that is here.

The support is really good here. When you're struggling, your lectures will go over the assignments or work that you're needing help with to help you get a better understanding so that you're on the right track.

I chose Te Pūkenga because of all the support and the wraparound services. Just being able to have all the support whilst I'm studying - good support services, the lecturers support as well, and they have wraparound services like Te Ara Oranga. For me personally, just having as much support as I can to get me through to the end. My kids come first to me, but if I can do both at the same time, then why not?”

Suede Morresey
MIT student

“He raukura tēnei o Te Aho Matua.

I studied under / I am a graduate of Te Aho Matua / the Kura Kaupapa Māori model of education. My first exposure to mainstream education was when I enrolled for MIT | Te Pūkenga.

My ideal job looks like a position in the healthcare sector that is underpinned by Māori concepts, for Māori.

MIT | Te Pūkenga offers great support, even coming from overseas, they offer support for all walks of life. I enrolled with Te Ara Oranga, and they offer a service that supports students from the day of enrolment to the day of employment.

What makes Te Pūkenga unique and different is the practical, it's more practical than theory. You're not learning from a textbook all the time.

I like Te Pūkenga because of the flexibility that they offer. It's convenient for me for transport because the bus and train route stop here.“

Awhina-Tawera Takuira-Mita
MIT student