Evie Gould

About me

Kia ora, I'm Evie! I grew up in Otautahi (Christchurch) and straight out of high school I took a gap year, travelling and working full time. I then moved up to Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) for uni, starting in the first-year health science programme. After completing my second year of a Bachelor of Health Science, I found my passion for healthcare and medicine, which led me back to my home city to study nursing. I've definitely been through the "no idea what I'm doing after high school" stage, so I get how overwhelming it can feel trying to figure it all out. I want Year 13s to know you don't have to have everything sorted straight away. There's more than one path, and it's okay to take your time figuring it out.

My uni experience

My workload has definitely changed depending on what I've studied, but overall uni is pretty steady. It's not like high school where everything is packed into the day. You get more flexibility, but staying organised is key because things build up quickly. A lot of the learning is done outside of lectures and tutorials, so having a routine is really important. I've done both uni halls and flatting, and they were very different experiences. Halls were a really easy way to transition into uni. Everything is sorted for you, food is provided, and it's super social so you meet people quickly. Flatting is a lot more independent. You have more freedom, but you also have to manage cooking, cleaning, and bills on top of study, which can be challenging if it's your first time living out of home. Uni social life really depends on what you put into it. Tutorials and events are the easiest ways to meet people. The most important thing I've found is balance: making time for friends is important, but so is protecting time for study and downtime. One thing I didn't realise when starting uni is how much your social circle changes, and that's totally normal!

Hobbies

Spending time with my two cats Skye and Luna, baking, or browsing Marketplace for more plants.