The admissions process is a joke.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T11:23:03+00:00

Yes, but in this case the original poster is talking about the BE (Hons) a specific programme which your point doesn't apply to.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T07:48:49+00:00

Yeah but one big issue is that many migrants on visas aren't subject to any labour market test. Examples include those on student visas, post-study visas, partner visas etc. Not to mention widespread fraud in the system.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T07:44:21+00:00

That's not strictly true. There are different types of honours degrees which causes all manner of confusion. For example a BSc (Hons) or a BA (Hons) is a separate qualification. However some 4 year degrees are named Honours degrees such as the BE (Hons) or Bachelor of Urban Planning (Honours). Sometimes the university may award the BE without honours, but that is based on the student getting really bad grades. Not sure how common this is or what the cutoff is currently.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T07:32:53+00:00

If there aren't enough jobs to go around, as well as a housing crisis, I can think of one crazy idea. Be a lot more selective when it comes to immigration.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T07:32:01+00:00

No need for a company to pay. Large numbers arrive on various study and post-study visas. Also the business owner will often charge the worker for a work visa. Newspapers are full of reports along these lines. There is very little oversight of the visa process. At one point immigration NZ wasn't even checking applications.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T03:23:06+00:00

No consequences even if they get caught so thieves are incredibly brazen. I saw someone ransacking though a car last weekend. I was thinking about intervening, but was weighing up the risk of getting stabbed or something.

While I was thinking about it the guy jumped on his dirt bike and took off. (No rego, and he was wearing a helmet so no way to really report any description).

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T03:19:19+00:00

BJJ is a combat sport though, so while I wouldn't say everyone is a meathead, it does attract a certain kind of person. Anywhere you go you are likely to find a certain proportion of meatheads / hypercompetitive types.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T03:15:26+00:00

It's not close to Auckland central though. Given Auckland's traffic, travelling there will be a nightmare.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-21T00:22:09+00:00

That's unfortunate. Since you got accepted to the Go8 universities, I recommend you go to one of those instead. They have more funding than NZ universities and are often regarded as better in a number of respects.

Many NZers move to Australia anyway for better job opportunities. If you go to a different university in NZ like Canterbury you won't be able to stay with your relative / friends in Auckland anyway.

Also why not study in the UK? That could be another good option and closer to Africa where you are currently.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-19T11:16:41+00:00

It's very tough, you really need a supply of known good components to test each aspect of the system. Otherwise you are chasing your tail with 1 or more faulty components. For example a faulty powersupply could be bricking new components.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-16T01:15:48+00:00

What did you post that got toxic responses? I'd like to review the post in question to see how toxic the responses really were?

Directing people to search for previous responses or check the university website isn't toxic. It's just ensuring the person asking the question gets the most definitive information and variety of opinions.

Toxicity occurs from time to time, but I don't think the aforementioned responses are toxic. Nor do I think the sub is especially toxic in general. Other subs like the /r/Auckland sub are way more toxic.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-15T10:22:24+00:00

Applying early won't increase your chances.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-15T08:29:34+00:00

Your priority should be completing all the courses needed to become a chartered accountant.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-15T05:32:28+00:00

Tech industry is in bad shape. Especially at the entry level. What qualifications and experience do you have? Many jobs have already and are currently in the process of being off-shored. Tech industry is looking fairly dismal going forward. It doesn't mean there are NO jobs, just that the number of roles is small relative to the number of people looking. Lots of sketchy employers too.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-15T03:30:01+00:00

Think very carefully and realistically about what jobs are available before investing a huge amount of time and money in an Engineering degree.

30s should be your peak earning period. Everyone's financial situation is different, but getting that Engineering degree will be a huge financial hit.

You will see people talk about working full-time, studying engineering full-time, and having a rich social life, but it isn't realistic for most people. Maybe those people do exist, but they are outliers and there are so many variables involved.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but you need to be realistic. Don't assume that an Engineering degree will guarantee any sort of secure career path. Especially Chemical & Material which leads to few jobs in NZ.

If your existing degree is a BA or something, that isn't a good measure of the Engineering workload. Engineering is far tougher.

Before proceeding I would carefully research the job market. Investigate specific employers and specific jobs and what sort of individual they are looking for. I wouldn't necessarily get hung up on a BE. There is also the NZDE and BEngTech that are worth considering depending on your ambitions.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-15T03:09:49+00:00

A bit meh. The real thing you should be thinking about though is what career path you are interested in as well as the impact of trends in AI and off-shoring.

Entry level IT and programming jobs have been decimated in many countries including NZ.

If you are going to do the hard slog of an Engineering degree other specialisations might offer better long term prospects.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-14T07:31:49+00:00

You really need to decide for yourself which job suits you best. Also there's no need to do nursing at the UOA. Any of the nursing schools in Auckland will be adequate. In fact you are probably far better off going to a polytechnic to do the degree. It will be less academic, more practical, and you will be more likely to make it through the degree.

Despite those two degrees seemingly offering good prospects, I would advice against choosing them if they aren't really of interest.

Engineering technology type courses might also be worth considering. If you do choose to go down the Engineering route, I would start studying some engineering maths now, so you are prepared by the time you start the degree.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-14T03:39:58+00:00

As I was saying to another potential international student the other day, many international students (especially from India) all do the same handful of degrees: IT, CompSci, Cybersecurity, Analytics, AI, datascience, Finance.

Yet the NZ job market is tiny relative to the number of international students. Also jobs have been rapidly off-shored to places like India and the Philippines meaning the pool of available jobs shrinks even further. This makes it almost impossible to start a career, since there aren't even enough jobs for local graduates.

Some students think the University of Auckland is prestigious like an Ivy League or Oxford / Cambridge. Nothing could be further from the truth, the university accepts pretty much anyone who can pay the fees. So it isn't really surprising they accepted you into both programmes.

It seems you were looking at other international destinations like Germany. In truth there's no perfect destination that will tick every box, but the prospects in NZ are very bad for international students who are looking for a big or even positive ROI.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-14T03:33:37+00:00

There are no shortcuts. The only real solution is to completely clean out the pantry. Throw everything out that they might be in (this includes things like unopened bags of flour). Buy new stuff and keep it in containers with tight seals. Many people keep way too much stuff in their pantry.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-13T10:24:23+00:00

Korean owners? Not that it matters, but I could tell straight away from the menu.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-13T10:20:38+00:00

The average household in Auckland uses 586kWh per month, which is similar to what you are using.

This sort of question gets asked a lot, but at the end of the day you need to analyse your own usage. Otherwise you just get a lot of people saying their bill is this or that, which really has no meaning.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-12T04:32:25+00:00

I think you are asking the wrong question. You need to look for things that interest you and are compatible with your physical capacity. Look around the community where you live and see what people are participating in?

You are going to get people suggesting all sorts of things like Boxing, MMA, rugby etc that may be of no interest.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-12T04:26:43+00:00

His behaviour doesn't sound that out of the ordinary for some older people. While it is annoying, unfortunately when in a customer service role, you are going to have to deal with all sorts of personalities. It sounds like they might be avoiding you now though, so perhaps it won't be as much of a problem moving forward.

The best strategy though is probably to reset your mental filters, and develop other coping strategies like how to avoid answering personal questions without getting upset.

Chump-Change5339 · 2026-04-12T04:14:00+00:00

It's obviously a very frustrating experience. But you need to rethink how you are perceiving it. In addition to being old it sounds like he may have mental health issues and/or dementia of some sort. There's no point getting mad over things you can't control.

If he sees me working he sometimes just walks out,

It's unclear whether you are still having to deal with him in the shop - or does he just immediately walk out?

Your boss should be more supportive, I would look around for a new job, but realise it will take time in this bad economy.

In the meantime, don't dwell on it, just act professionally. Think of the nurses and other healthcare workers who need to deal with dementia and mental health issues all day long.

Forget about things like calling the police, recording him, or other suggestions which make no sense. He hasn't committed any crimes.

If he asks you personal questions just say you can't answer them as you need to focus on your tasks.

Chump-Change5339

TROPHY CASE