FOUNDATION STUDIES
DANNI Cousins had been working part time in retail and wanted to study, but had been out of school for a while and hadn’t achieved well academically. She knew she needed to find a programme that would help her bridge the gap and get up to speed. This was when she discovered the Certificate in Foundation Studies (Level 3)* at Otago Polytechnic.
‘‘I thought it would be really difficult initially. I had a really bad experience at school and was also bullied, so I didn’t have much faith in learning. But I’ve been really surprised by this programme. Here the teachers teach you your learning styles so you actually find out how to learn and the teachers work with you through that whole process. It’s much better than school.
‘‘Learning-wise I have a bigger opening now. I can now do maths and write an essay. My future looks brighter. Next I’m going to study Outdoor Leadership and Management as I love tramping and mountain-biking.
‘‘I would really recommend this programme to anyone who struggled at school. It’s not the same here — it’s completely different.’’
For more information about Otago Polytechnic’s second-semester programmes and its range of fees-free Foundation and Bridging study options, visit www.op.ac.nz
* This programme is now delivered as the New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 3).
