Gao Wei

Since secondary school, Gao Wei (also known as Christy) has dreamed of producing movies. It’s a dream she’s now turning into reality as she heads off to Otago University to major in media and film.

The 21-year-old from Tianjin, China says there is only one university near her hometown where you can study film unlike in New Zealand, where there are many schools and courses on offer.

After considering the different options, Christy set her sights on Otago University in New Zealand. In order to gain entry she first completed her University of Otago Foundation Year (Arts Stream) at AIS St Helens.
Although she was accepted on a six-week trial for academic reasons, Christy excelled and received the Enterprise Award for her class at graduation last year.

“It was a very useful programme because it taught me how to write essays and reports, make presentations and many other basic skills I will need for university. The teaching style is good - it’s a lecturing style like at university and the English you learn is very helpful. It’s totally different than what you learn in the language school, it’s more advanced and more what we need for our tertiary studies.

My English has really improved a lot since doing the Foundation Year, specially my reading, writing and listening.”

Christy enjoyed her time in Auckland and made many close friends. In particular, she became very close to her homestay mother, who she lived with for over a year. “We got on very well. In fact last year she went to China and visited my parents!”

Despite leaving some of her friends, Christy is enthusiastic about the next phase of her studies. “I’m quite excited about going to the University of Otago in Dunedin. It’s another different place and it’s time for a change. I’ve got lots of friends studying business down there. They’ve told me it’s a great campus, a very nice place.”