Success Stories

Lu

Lu studied at Elizabeth College in 2002 and 2003.  He was a talented student and was always interested in science, but found time for drama, the Student Representative Council, and joining in with the highly motivated group of academic achievers (ECAAD).  Because of excellent results, he got a scholarship to the Australian National University in Canberra to study.  Recently he wrote to us about his studies:

I finished up my BSc last year and now I am doing Honours, which is great!   Our group leader is Dr. Ron Pace from the Department of Chemistry. Our group concentrates on research on the Photosystem II enzyme of the Photosynthesis process, and my particular project is theoretically to generate an EPR (a type of spectroscopy) signal within the PSII, through the use of a program developed by a PhD student.  Things are going fine.

I had some bad times throughout the years of my undergraduate, mainly due to the pressure of my studies (average HD results to maintain the scholarship, heavy workload, etc.) Being at Elizabeth College was the greatest time of my life. Uni is not  as good a place as college, but such is life, I have to grow up to deal with it.  I have always planned to go back to Tas and I hope I can go back there to visit you people in a few years, when I am not as poor as now.

Pierre

Pierre was an Indonesian student who studied at Elizabeth College. He was involved with the Student Representative Council and joined music groups here as well. He is currently studying medicine at Dunedin, in New Zealand. He wrote to us:

As a second year medical student, I am very happy to have got on to an almost guaranteed path to be a psychiatrist, my lifelong mission. It is not easy. I mean who needs to learn things about the "heart" or the "kidney" when everyone knows a psychiatrist is mostly brain. Yet, I must know everything to pass the degree. I can only hold on to my motivation, and realise that one day in 12 years time I will have a big smirk on my face because I will then be a psychiatrist. I am looking forward to the “brain and behaviour” module next year.

One thing I really liked at Elizabeth College, is it is not like most private schools. EC gave me a sneak peek of life in University. University changes your life. I know in most schools the teachers often give reminders about homework, hints for the test and even exams. But not university, it's a start from scratch, from making your own circle of friends to realizing that nobody cares for those who don't. A university will teach a high school-graduate about "real" life out there. I do not regret a single thing I experienced at EC.

Anyhow besides study and study, I find it important to keep doing what I like to do - hobbies. I love cooking, playing guitar and singing. I am very happy to have a cool job as the weekend head chef at a local gourmet restaurant. Also, I am directing the music for the medical play this year. Too much? I feel when I have nothing to do is when I do feel tired.

My plans for the future are to open a patisserie and start a Bachelor of music performance degree in Wellington whilst doing my medical degree. So far, I am saving up some money to buy a shop/restaurant. Once I finish my BMed/Surgery, I am going to give another country a try perhaps UK/USA/Scandinavia to do my specialty in psychiatry.