Maasa Kawaura

Before Maasa Kawaura moved to New Zealand, she had very limited English and had rarely met anyone outside Japan. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for university, so chose Waikato Pathways College as a transition to tertiary study. Two years later, Maasa has made friends with people from all over the world, developed her English and is in her first year of a Bachelor of Computer and Graphic Design at the University of Waikato.

Maasa says completing a Certificate of Attainment in Academic English was the perfect start to her time at university. “My English was only very basic and I nervous about studying overseas. Pathways was a really good transition.”

She says class sizes were small, and she enjoyed the diversity among her fellow students, their ages, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds. Maasa’s teachers were supportive and welcoming, allowing her to improve her academic skills very quickly.

“The highlight for me was meeting people from all over the world. It was really nice to talk to people from different backgrounds because it opened my mind to different perspectives. The teachers were also really encouraging and helpful, so I felt like I had a lot of support throughout the process.”

Maasa found that immersing herself in New Zealand culture was the best way to develop her English speaking and listening skills. “My advice to anyone who wants to learn English is to come to a country like New Zealand – the easiest way to learn is to surround yourself with the language.”

As she comes to the end of her first year of a Bachelor of Computer and Graphic Design, Maasa is looking forward to continuing to develop her design skills throughout her degree.

“I am enjoying the practical elements of my degree and I would like to work as a professional designer one day … in New Zealand of course.”