If my memory is correct, it’s getting close to finding out whether you got into your hall of choice for those coming to Auckland University. Waiting to find out whether you got into your first choice hall is stressful. But I’m here to make you feel more at ease. Well, at least I hope I do.

I feel like it’s pretty rough for those applying to Auckland. There are only 5 Halls of Residence to choose from and you only get one choice. Luckily, I knew that I wanted to come to Whitaker Hall. It was the smallest hall, it was low-rise (trust me, that was a big factor for someone from Christchurch) and it was surrounded by trees. It had everything I felt I needed.

Now I’m not going to lie, I didn’t actually take a look around Whitaker Hall. I made my decision based on a friend’s recommendation and the small amount of information on the Whitaker Hall section of the Accommodation page. I didn’t even visit the University campus! I missed the Courses and Careers Day at the end of August because I was planning on going to Otago, and then I never got around to visiting Auckland to have a look around. Talk about jumping into the deep end!

Whitaker 4 lyfe

Please don’t do what I did. What I did was risky and a bit dumb. I’m lucky that I love Auckland University and I enjoy living at my hall, but it could have easily gone the other way!

To make you feel better, I have had to wait to hear about whether my application to Parnell Student Village, a second-year flatting complex, had been accepted. Having been in a Hall of Residence this year, I had the opportunity to be given an Advanced First Offer. Basically, it meant that I could be sent an offer before those who hadn’t been in Auckland University accommodation.

In all honesty, my application had slipped my mind until I overheard people at dinner asking, “Have you got you email about accommodation yet?”. I started to panic. Why hadn’t I gotten an email? What if I don’t get inand my friends do?

Three of my friends got an email on Monday afternoon saying that their application had been accepted and were offered a place in Parnell Student Village. My other two friends and I did not receive this email. I thought that maybe they were splitting up the emails or maybe mine hadn’t come through yet. But the following morning, I got my email.

“All Advance First Offer places have now beenmade for Parnell Student Village. Due to the high number of returner applicants, we are currently unable to offer you a position at this time.” That’s when I stopped reading and threw my phone down. I was in shock. I hadn’t been accepted. What was I going to do? I reminded myself to breathe, not to get upset, but the tears and the anger came anyway.

Once I had calmed myself down, I read the rest of the email. I had been randomly selected to be offered the following: either accept a Deluxe Studio at one of two other second-year accommodation complexes, or choose to be placed on the waitlist for Parnell Student Village. I had visited the Deluxe Studios that they were offering and they were not for me, so I chose to be placed on the waitlist. I will find out whether I am offered a place at the beginning of October, the same time everyone else finds out.

Sadly, my other two friends were not so lucky. They will find out at the beginning of November whether they are any places left at Parnell Student Village. It turns out that there were so many applications that they had to use a randomiser to split the applications into the three groups. The three situations that you could be in were: advance offer, waitlisted for October, or wait until November. While being waitlisted is not ideal, it could have been worse.

Quick shoutout to Mum for talking some sense into me when I panicked about accommodation

I thought I was going to get in to Parnell no problem; I hadn’t caused any damages or have any debt, I had decent grades, I participated in hall activities. I had done everything right and therefore thought I was guaranteed a place. And yeah, that was arrogant of me. Sometimes stuff doesn’t go the way you were expecting it to and you can’t do anything to change it. You just have to go with the flow (which is very hard for me to do). But everything will turn out okay in the end, I promise.

Until next time – Emily 🙂