New Zealand was the Best Experience of My Life Past Review
By Browning V (EDUCATION., The University of Texas at Austin) for
Arcadia: Auckland - University of Auckland
I learned a lot about myself and the people who I surround myself with. I've gained confidence in traveling and being independent. Being abroad has encouraged me to travel and see the world after college.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 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 |
There really weren't weaknesses that I experienced. I had a great experience and everyone at the institution was very helpful and welcoming of questions at any time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My housing was excellent. I lived with all Kiwis which was a great time. Since they speak English I obviously didn't acquire a new language but they did help me understand different terms and sayings used in New Zealand. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Every single trip I went on was memorable. All the activities arranged by my program were a blast and introduced us to different parts of the culture. Traveling was easy because the country is so small. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe and our program coordinators constantly made sure everyone was healthy and staying safe. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No. Because New Zealand is so far away and there are so many wonderful things to do, it is expected to be expensive. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go! If you have the chance to spend 5 months in New Zealand you would be crazy to pass it up. I loved every single part of my experience and would go back in a heartbeat if I could. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Te Aho Tahuhu |
| Course Department: | MAORI 241 |
| Instructor: | Dante |
| Instruction Language: | English and Maori |
| Comments: | I loved this course. I learned about the indigenous people of New Zealand and gained a little incite to their culture and crafts. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I don't think this class will count as anything that I need for my degree but I thoroughly enjoyed it. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Images and Ideas: Art Since Antiquity |
| Course Department: | ARTHIST 106 |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was challenging because it made you analyze different types of art (sculptures, paintings, and architecture) while also using examples from the historical past of different cultures. We had a couple trips to see different works of art which was helpful. The teacher was very helpful although the tutorials were not as helpful as I would have liked. I participated less because the class was so large. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not that I know of currently. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Global Literatures: Contested Spaces |
| Course Department: | ENGLISH 112 |
| Instructor: | Jan Cronin |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I really enjoyed this course. I was able to read texts from and about cultures that I have never learned about before. It really opened my eyes to different cultures that are not typically studied in the United States as well as making connections to our country's past. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Unsure. |
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Global History |
| Course Department: | HISTORY 103G |
| Instructor: | Malcolm Campbell |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was a very difficult course for me because it was approaching history from a very different perspective than I have received in the United States. It was much more globally focused, which I think was positive for me. Although I struggled, I feel as though I learned quite a bit from the class. The first two tests, however, were based on too much information and very specific questions, which made it difficult for me to do well in the class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Unsure. |
