After high school

Before i reached the steps of university life, i already had an impression or fantasy of my own of how it was going to turn out. Face it, everyone has their own perception of what university life will treat you.

University Concourse with library, dining hall and shops around it. Heart of the university.

There's the burning-midnight-oil-all-year impression, there's also the party-at-weekends-study-at-weekdays impression and there's also the damn-it's-difficult-im-gonna-die-when-is-it-over impression.

University lake. Next to the Vet Tower and Library

Truth is, you'll never know untill you've started. Between all 3 of those, i can honestly say the 3rd one was very much the only impression i ever had in institutes of higher learning.

Registry building at the end of the Concourse. Next to it it the SST (Social Science Tower)

Waking up at 7, breakfast by 8, at uni by 9, class till 5, back home for dinner at 6, study till 10 and off to bed before 12. I expected life in uni to be like this. One way and only that way. the best part would be you graduate and work. Well, it soooo the other way around. I want to study more instead of work.

Humanities Building. The oldest building on campus

In contrast to my programme, its so much different to my expectations. In brief i'll introduce my course. I'm taking the b\Bachelor of Aviation Management at Massey University, things to do with airlines and airport. Basically, the air transportation industry.

Main bus-stop on Turitea. Science towers A, B, C & D dominate around it.

What i study includes the ins and outs of the industry, how it evolves around the world, how the manage and maintain and also how to deal with people. Subjects i take include Aviation Human Factors, Aviation & Airline Strategic Management, Airport & Airline Planning, Aviation Studies, Aviation Psychology, Managing Aviation Systems, Managing Cultures in Aviation, Legal Issues, Airport Operational Management and Air Safety Investigation.

University Concourse with Library in the picture

These subjects basically tune us students to the environment and atmosphere in the aviation corporate culture.

University "residents" of unknown generations.

Aviation is a growing industry with yearly increasing growth percentages in passenger figures, passenger movements, freight movements and business/tourism travel. It's the only industry where at the moment is guaranteed positive growth. Not so much airline's position. Aviation contributes to globalisation making ends of the Earth reached within 24 hours.

University Concourse, outside the library. Only Spring & Summer produces such great sceneries

In China alone, there are 30,000 planes still awaiting for pilots to pilot it. In India, planes sit in hangars because of the shortages of pilots.

University residence at Hokowhitu Campus, 15 minutes from Turitea, the main campus. Their "local residents"

The industry is growing rapidly until we're scrambling to get people to fly them. In aviation schools around the world, scouts usually from their respective country's flag carrier eye these students even before they complete their training or degree in their flying school.

The "residents" residence.

My classmate who was a second year student, taking one class together has left the university because..................................Singapore Airlines has snapped him up as a pilot trainee after just 1.5 years out of 3 years of study. He took it and his future is secured. That's how bad airlines want pilots. As for engineers, managers, technicians, the opportunities are equally bright.

Singapore Airlines B777 at Manchester airport. Picture courtesy of Airliners.net

What made me took what i took was my liking towards airports. Believe me when i say i can stand there all day and just walk aimlessly looking at people embark/disembark and planes land and take-off.

Changi International Airport. Pictures courtesy from Airliners.net

Back to where i was mentioning about study life. Well, work hasn't been what i had expected. i have 2 semesters per year. 4 papers each which accounts to 8 annually. Within one paper, i'm only required to take 2-4 hours weekly, depending on which paper. Some, once in a fortnight. It all accumulates to around 8-10 hours per week with the following week less because of the fortnight rule. 8-10 is like high school + tuition PER DAY!!!!! And i finish it in a week.



I've gone through 2 semesters so far and both these semesters, i ONLY have 3 days of study while the other 4 are so called "weekends". To tell you the truth, friends kill for my timetable. It comes at a price too.

Science Towers B and C

Though i do not have tutorials, homeworks and projects, i do have around 8 essays and 3 presentations per semester to finish on. That's like 11-12 assignments and one semester equivalent to 13 weeks. So, that's about one assignment per week. I also have many many many many..................readings to do.


It's all about reading. In management, there's nothing much we can do but read and understand. Overall, its a good study and it guarantees you a job after graduation. The only thing is, interest and hardwork has to come with it.