A time of exploration and adventure away from home! Past Review
By A student (PSYCHOLOGY., Bethel University) - abroad from 02/16/2012 to 07/07/2012 with
AIFS: Wellington - Victoria University of Wellington
I learned how to live on my own. I learned how to advocate for myself and not depend on my professors for guidance or friends for guidance. I also became a new me through exploring new things I like to do such as camping and hiking and cooking. It was totally worthwhile! I will never forget my experience!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Victoria University has very large class sizes, but most classes have tutorials which help. Professors grade much tougher but the grading scales are modified to help with that too. Overall, the classes were challenging and they required a lot of work outside of class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Food was on our own, which turned out to be fun because it was a great way to be more independent and cook for others. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved New Zealand culture. I could walk everywhere in Wellington and I found myself some amazing friends through church and school. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Wellington is pretty safe, but it does help to walk with someone else at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
The cost of living in Wellington is expensive, but food costs are included in the program and there are a lot of cheaper shopping options like second hand stores and local food markets. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | nothing. they did a great job! |
