New Zealand: Less Study, More Travel Past Review
By Janell W (Accounting, University of Northern Iowa) for
Auckland University of Technology (AUT): Auckland - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Yes. I gained friends from around the world and learned so much more through real world experiences than I would have been able to learn simply by textbook or via internet
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Finals at AUT were written, which is not a strong suit for me. Overall, with AUT, I was not impressed with the University. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was great. The people were very helpful in setting you up. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Wellesley Student Apartments (WSA) is where I lived. Most of the international students who I encountered lived there as well. I thought that it was somewhat expensive, at about $250 NZD/week. It is close to campus, maybe a two minute walk away. The nightlife was good. If there wasn't a party in someone's apartment at WSA then there were plenty of bars to go to in Auckland, including a bar on campus. Wednesdays at Margaritas was a popular choice of venue because of the drink specials. The apartment had security and I never felt that I was in any harm. There was an option of purchasing a package containing sheets, pillow, pillowcase and blankets but I didn't elect that option because I didn't want to pay over $100 NZD for it. I ended up bringing my own pillow from home and purchasing sheets and a couple of blankets from the Warehouse for about $50. I wish that the apartments would have had ovens in them. They had a microwave that supposedly had some oven settings but I couldn't figure it out. |
| * Food: |
Sometimes there would be free food on campus, like hot dogs and burgers (hash-brown patties for vegetarians sometimes), otherwise, I didn't encounter the option of any food plans. There's a pizza place connected with WSA. They have really great BBQ chicken pizza. There are also Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants just across the street from WSA. I only ate the Chinese and it was decent. There's a Subway about a block away. There are also dining areas on campus. There's a culinary school within AUT and their food is sold on campus. I would recommend pumpkin soup from anywhere. I can't find it anywhere now that I'm home and I wish that I could! There's also a Starbucks less than a block away from WSA, so that was really great. Some friends and I ate at the buffet in the Sky tower. It's a bit on the expensive side but definitely worth trying and seeing the views. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Maori Cultural Weekend |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
New Zealand isn't a very dangerous place but I don't feel like they addressed or made me aware of any of the dangers that were there |
| 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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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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