Scarlett Baddeley
3rd-year student, Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with minors in Communications for Social Change & Media and Power
Deciding to study a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences was easy for her, says Scarlett Baddeley who is now in the final year of her studies.
“I chose this programme because I’ve always had a liking for current topics in New Zealand and around the world. I love having an understanding of how the world works, and learning about different opinions, beliefs and experiences. Once I graduate, I’d love to be working in the government or have a job within social research or analysis.”
She says she would highly recommend studying at AUT.
“Everything here feels so fresh and vibrant, and everyone is so nice and helpful. AUT provides amazing resources to help with your studies. This helped me a lot as I was a little out of practice starting at AUT after a gap year. I also appreciated the student medical centre and counselling services available to students – they’re free, the communication is good and the people are lovely. But most of all I’ve enjoyed the community my programme has, and I love how open the conversations are.”
Supported to thrive
She is grateful for the Keir Trust Study Award she received to help her achieve her goals, Scarlett says.
“The Keir Trust Study Award has taken away so much stress for me; both related to money and time. Thanks to this scholarship I’ve been able to focus on my studies and put my all into it. I actually shocked myself with a few of my high grades, and I found myself really enjoying my classes.”
Because she moved to Auckland from Katikati in the Bay of Plenty to attend AUT, she appreciated that her scholarship also included student accommodation.
“The Keir Trust Study Award gave me the ability to live on campus for my first two years as it contributed towards the rent in Te Āhuru Mayoral Drive Student Accommodation at the AUT City Campus. Because I was moving to a new city and didn’t know my way around very well it was incredibly helpful knowing that I was right next to campus.”
Advice for other students
Scarlett has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university studies.
“Go into university with an open mind – it might not be anything like you expect. But then again, it might be exactly what you expect. Take your time and enjoy it because once those assignments and exams start flowing, time goes by so quickly.”
University is very different from high school, she reminds others.
“I remember first being so shocked at how few classes I had when I got my very first timetable compared to how constant and routine high school was. Moving from high school to university can feel overwhelming, especially if like me you’re coming from a smaller rural school to the big city that is Auckland. But I’ve found a sense of comfort and community here at AUT.”
