Study Abroad in New Zealand was the best thing I ever did. Do it. Past Review
By Courtney D (Providence College) - abroad from 02/14/2012 to 06/26/2012 with
Arcadia: Auckland - University of Auckland
Studying abroad absolutely changed my life. I met so many incredible people and got to spend 5 months living in the absolute most beautiful place in the world. Auckland is such a fun city, I can't wait to go back someday.
Personal Information
If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Auckland City Campus |
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
University of Auckland is a great school. I took 4 classes and each basically had a class test, an essay, and a final exam which meant there were few assignments, but you must do well on the ones you have. Overall, classes were good. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Arcadia does a great job helping you adjust and get everything you need when you get to Auckland. Kate Casey and Jane Gunn-Lewis are the best! |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Parnell Student Village...hands down the best place to live. The domain is right next door and makes for the most beautiful walk to school you'll ever have. |
* Food: |
Bought groceries down the street and cooked all own meals. Good food everywhere, only negative is that take away food can be a bit expensive, as can groceries. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Arcadia takes you to a Maori village during orientation which is something absolutely worth seeing. You feel pretty integrated with NZ culture everyday. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I visited the health center once and my student insurance covered everything, I didn't pay a penny. |
* Safety: |
I felt very safe the whole time, nobody I knew had any issues. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
* 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) |
Auckland can be expensive, but if you are careful about what you spend money on, you will be just fine. I spent the majority of my money on groceries and travelling during semester break. |
* Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
* Was food included in your program cost? | No |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't spend all your money on take away food...it adds up and there are better things to spend it on! |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
* 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? | Save as much money as you can before leaving...you want to be able to do EVERYTHING. |
Individual Course Reviews
Course Name/Rating: |
Anthro 106 |
Course Department: | Anthropology |
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Instruction Language: | |
Comments: | History of popular music was really interesting, counted as my fine arts requirement for PC. Good lecturer too! |
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Course Name/Rating: |
Anthro 100 |
Course Department: | Anthropology |
Instructor: | |
Instruction Language: | |
Comments: | Big lecture twice a week and occasional tutorials and workshops...pretty interesting class and not too difficult! |
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Course Name/Rating: |
Sociology 212 |
Course Department: | Sociology |
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Comments: | Interesting if you're into history of Australia and NZ. |
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Course Name/Rating: |
Soc 105 |
Course Department: | Sociology |
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Instruction Language: | |
Comments: | Counted as a sociology elective but sort of boring. Lecturer was young and inexperienced. |
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