‘StudyTime’ Works through the Night to Help NCEA Students through the Earthquake
In the aftermath of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake last Monday which left hundreds of secondary students in the middle of
their NCEA isolated, confused and stranded, NCEA study website StudyTime was a crucial lifeboat for many.
StudyTime - a free online learning community platform for secondary students, has been credited as a ‘saviour’ by many students
around the country. William Guzzo, spokesperson for StudyTime, speaks about its mission: “It’s about providing students with the right resources and the right advice, so every
student is in the position to succeed and meet their goals.”
Since the earthquake struck last Monday morning StudyTime has transformed from a resource sharing site, to an online place of refuge for students anxious about studying after
experiencing a major earthquake.
Most students were concerned about if they would still be able to sit their exams. “From approximately 2am on the
morning after the earthquake, we had dozens and dozens of students contacting us”, said Guzzo. “They were very
frightened, but their concerns about their examinations were at the forefront of their minds.”
However, many students contacted StudyTime because they just needed someone to talk to while they were feeling afraid and confused. “Our team of tutors talked to
several students into the early hours of Monday morning” said Guzzo. “Most were understandably stressed about how the
earthquake would impact their ability to sit their exams. They just needed someone to talk to until they were able to
calm down.”
Jane Dockery, NCEA student from Auckland, has used StudyTime throughout high school and said “StudyTime helped me during the earthquake by providing humour and resources that
informed us students of what was going on. It made me and other students around NZ feel connected and not alone during
this stressful time in our lives.”
This time of year is always difficult for students however Guzzo said, “We can’t stress enough that students need to
prioritize their mental and physical wellbeing ahead of anything else.”