Meat Pie - The Kiwi Experience Past Review
By Rupesh P (International Economics And Finance, Austin College) - abroad from 02/16/2012 to 06/23/2012 with
Arcadia: Auckland - University of Auckland
A solid appreciation for a country with a unique personality.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Kate and Jane were incredibly helpful with planning both classes and trips! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Although the flats that I lived in were amazing, I ended up living with all Americans. Making befriending locals very difficult. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Having been taken all over North Island by the coordinators helped me get comfortable with the country easily. However, it would have been much easier if I was housed with local students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Luckily I didn't have any health issues, however the procedures for dealing with illness were very simple. |
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| 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) |
Cost of living in New Zealand is quite high, as both food and transport was costly. I was spending approximately $100 on food every 2 weeks, and $20 on transport. |
| * 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? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you plan on traveling at all, be sure to buy appropriate clothing before hand. As the cost of nearly everything is significantly more expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | Buy appropriate clothing and equipment for traveling and tramping would have saved me a lot of money. |
