SOCIAL SCIENCES

GEOGRAPHY AND TOURISM

The main aim of Geography is to understand the ENVIRONMENT as the home of people. Geographers do this by accounting for all the factors that make up the cultural and natural environment and then seeing how they interact.

Geography allows you to enquire into the world you live in by developing SKILLS in the decision making process. At all levels of the programme emphasis on learning and developing these basic skills are included:

• Thinking skills - data gathering, comprehension, processing and evaluation, including major skills used in research
• Practical skills - field work, mapping, using and interpreting models, writing, measurement and calculation.
• Social and valuing skills.

Geography can be picked up at any level without having studied the previous year's course. At all levels in Geography some part of the course is internally assessed.

Although there are few jobs entitled GEOGRAPHER, employers like Geography students because they have a good understanding of the world around them. People who are able to make complex decisions using the above skills are required for a wide variety of occupations. Geography will help you in the following careers:

• Tourist Officer Geologist
• Forest Ranger Journalist
• Landscape Gardener Diplomat
• Farmer Aerial Photographer
• Export Agent Cartographer
• Business Manager Teacher
• Ecologist Oceanographer
• Meteorologist Land Agent
• Town Planner Climatologist
• Mining Surveyor
• Local Government GIS Computer Systems
• Market Researcher ¬ Environmental Planner

Does Tourism interest you? If you are keen to be part of a very dynamic industry that is currently New Zealand's second largest employer then perhaps this is for you. The New Zealand Tourism Industry is already looking for more "tourist savvy" employees to assist in the hosting of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and other major events in the future.

We offer the new Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation secondary schools course launched in 2009. If students choose to take this subject over two years, they can work towards gaining the National Certificate in Tourism (Introductory Skills). During their studies students will gain the knowledge and skills required as a base for further training in the tourism industry (in fact useful skills for any workplace).

HISTORY

History can be picked up at any level without having studied the previous year's course as long as you meet the prerequisites.

There are many excellent reasons why taking History is a good idea:

• You will understand more about why our world is the way it is today. After all, you can't know who you are or where you may be heading, if you do not know your past.
  
• History is made up of many fascinating characters and stories.
  
• History extends your thinking skills.
  
• You will learn to interpret historical information from a range of sources.
  
• You will develop your research skills by learning how to gather information; how to select what information is relevant and how to organise the information with a variety of note making techniques.
  
• You will learn how to process information, how to tell the difference between fact and opinion and how to recognise different points of view, bias and propaganda.
  
• You will learn how to present and communicate your information in a variety of formats. You will learn how to write accurately, logically and effectively.

Jobs that History can lead to:

CLASSICAL STUDIES

Teacher-in-Charge:  Stephanie Speir

Studying classical antiquity is not only rewarding in itself; it is also excellent preparation for many academic and professional pursuits. Classical Studies can lead to very successful careers in such varied areas as law, medicine, business, journalism, music, arts administration and museum work, and education at all levels, both as teachers and administrators.

Emperor Marcus Aurelius tells us, "All things fade into the storied past, and in a little while are shrouded in oblivion."

But in Classical Studies, research into ancient Greece and Rome is more alive than ever. From Greek theatre to Roman literature, from Greek vase painting to Roman religion, the foundation of Western culture is in the classical world. Greco-Roman civilization was the wellspring of western culture and the direct antecedent of much of what is central and familiar in our contemporary New Zealand society. Its achievements in many fields still set the standards by which modern endeavours are judged.