Matt Illing

“I have always been passionate about the environment and particularly in the science of our changing climate. When I was deciding what to study, I found that it was impossible for me to pick only one or two majors. Studying Environmental Change means that I can take my pick of courses from Geography, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Marine Science and more! 

“As a member of Science Scholars, I had to write a popular science article on a topic of my choosing. I chose paleoclimatology (past climate change), a subject I am really interested in. I had to try and take a complicated topic and explain it in a way that someone with no understanding of the complexities of climate change would be able to understand. This was challenging but I really enjoyed practising science communication about a topic I am passionate about. I ended up writing double the minimum word count I was so excited by it!

“The University of Auckland was the only university which offered the unique Bachelor of Advanced Science and all its perks. It is also the best university in New Zealand for Geography and the Environmental Sciences. I saw the breadth of School of Environment courses here at Auckland and the facilities available, and I would have made a mistake to go anywhere else.

“The variety of clubs available to join at the University of Auckland has been imperative to an excellent first year. Clubs such as UN Youth allowed me to meet like-minded people who have become some of my closest friends.

“At the moment I would like to continue my education through to postgraduate level. The Bachelor of Advanced Science programme can lead straight onto PhD study which is really appealing to me. I am really interested in studying climate change and its effects, past, present and future. I hope that one day I will be able to undertake research that will help humanity fight climate change.”