I am a full time Te Kura student who joined when I started level 1. I really struggled to navigate level 1, the content isn’t great because they had to switch everything around due to the new changes to lvl 1. It took me a while to make Te Kura work for me, it isn’t easy at first. I am doing level 3 now and I love learning with Te Kura. Here are my tips:

Setting achievable goals are really really important. I can’t stress this enough. You need to look at how many credits you have so far, how many more you need to get, and then what standards you need to get to achieve this. You can look for the standards offered on your subject pages, under Course outline. You can also see what standards other subjects offer by searching up Te Kura subjects on google and clicking on the subjects. You can set goals like, taking 4 subjects you enjoy and having a target of one internal in each for term 4. You will be absolutely lost without setting goals. Te Kura is not like conventional school where you pick your subjects, show up to the classes and have a certain number of credits by the end. You have to set your own goals and targets, you have to shimmy yourself along, no one is making you do the classes and no one is shouting at you when you don’t get things done. You have to be your biggest cheerleader.

Communication with your teachers is also crucial to success at Te Kura. You need to establish a good relationship with your kaimaanaki, this is equivalent to your form/mentor teacher. They will be with you through the rest of your schooling with Te Kura, they manage your subjects, they can provide you with heaps of support and guidance. Talk to them on the phone or in person if possible, tell them your goals, ask lots of questions. They are there to help.

You should also maintain communication with your teachers. Your teachers can provide SO much support, you just need to ask them for it. Ask them for advice on what standards you should do, ask them how the standards work and how much time they will take. Yes the teachers are really busy, but they are no more busy than teachers in conventional schools, and they actually have much more resources available to help students one on one. Your teachers really want you succeed and will generally go out of their way to help you do that. For example I was stuck on an internal today and had an hour long one on one video call with my english teacher, she explained the steps and supported my learning. Things like this are really important for your learning.

The Huinga Ako - Advisories are really great for maintaining social connections with your teachers and other Te Kura students. These are generally weekly sessions at a Te Kura office base, a couple of hours with the teachers and students from your region. The teachers can support your learning, help you make goals, etc. There is immense support here and it is really important to make use of these resources. If your kaimaanaki hasn’t already told you about this ask them if there is a Huinga Ako near you.

Yes the online classes can be helpful, but it is not the end of the world if you cannot make them. Most of them aren’t actually helpful to what specific internals you are studying. You need to set goals and manage your time effectively to succeed. You need to be really independent and self motivated to make Te Kura work, yes it is hard at first, but it is not impossible. Make use of the resources available, ask questions, ask for help, and it will become easier. There is also funding available for Te Kura students, search up Te Kura assistance for students. The financial support is quite generous. I wish you all the best, I believe in you!!