By Summer Church

Kia ora koutou nga akonga (hey all you students)! My name is Summer and I study at the Durham Street campus in town. Come and spend a day in the city with me - and I promise we won’t be stuck on campus the whole time!

I begin my Monday by checking out the beautiful early morning light across the harbour, as I walk downtown. I head to uni, stopping off at Folk to grab an Americano. This is very easy to do as they are located approximately a one minute walk away from campus. Also, the Americano (and coffee in general) - delish!

Whilst we’re on the subject, I may as well mention a few other great coffee spots close to campus. Because if there’s one thing to remember as a student, it’s to take life one assignment and one cup of coffee at a time, yes? If I have more time in the morning and/or am starving, I like to stop at the Nourished Eatery and grab one of their vegan cheese scones to go with my caffeine. The scones are great and this business is awesome, female-owned and local. The least expenny coffee in town can be found at Coffix, and if you are running really late we have a cafe right on campus as well!

Back to my day in the city… I have a 2 hour workshop on in the morning. My classmates and I meet outside the classroom chatting about the stunning crisp weather this morning and how we’re going with assignment two. Or is it assignment three, or is it the one from our other paper? We decide to reconvene after class to make sure we all know what we’re doing, for all of the assignments. A group of us head downstairs to set up on the big table by the main window. This spot has natural light, powerpoints, loads of space, and is definitely the best place to sit. The campus is big enough that groups can sit and chat without disturbing others around them and there are plenty of spots in booths and alcoves for those who prefer to tuck away to study.

I’ve been checking the time keenly this morning as I am heading out soon to meet my mum and sister for coffee (yes, I know that a third of this blog post has been about coffee). We meet at The Med because it’s super central to us all.

Then we wander to the Art Gallery as there is a new exhibition on that we want to see. Looking around the gallery is my favourite free thing to do in the city. I also like to go there when I have friends visiting from out of town.

On my way back to uni I stop in to collect my film from Carters Photographics where it’s been developed. It’s one of the only places that do film in town!

I have to head to a late lecture and that goes until 6pm so it’s dark by the time I leave the city. I walk underneath the decorative lights on Wharf Street, noticing plenty of Monday night restaurant-goers and friends catching up over a drink. Next Monday I think I’ll have to head to Miss Gee’s after our late lecture and catch the end of happy hour!. It would only be appropriate for a student to make the most of it!

I love that there are loads of things to do in the city between classes, as I usually drive in from Te Puke and spend the day in town. Whilst the campus is a great place to hang out, I enjoy the opportunity to walk downtown and grab a coffee, spend time along the waterfront, or check out the pedestrianised squares. The many beautiful, free places to spend time in town, along with our well-designed campus make for an awesome student experience in Tauranga's city centre.