Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Past Review

By (Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin) for

IES Abroad: Christchurch Direct Enrollment - University Of Canterbury

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was worthwhile. The country was beautiful. I liked seeing the US from an outsiders perspective.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: University of Canterbury in Christchurch
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Easier but that's not a bad thing in New Zealand.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Eunice was great and nice and always willing to help. She was really wonderful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Ilam Apartments (University Housing). They have kitchens and living rooms and every student gets their own room. <br /><br /> Lovely flats. Wished they had mixed us in with locals, though.

* Food:

Grocery store nearby.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Good people. Great country to explore, alone or with a group. Beautiful and safe.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Eunice would help you and give advice. But the health care through the program was not automatically accepted at the university clinic.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Really fancy IES Program dinner on a tram at the end that was actually sub-par and not necessary.

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?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Maori Culture
Course Department: MAORI107
Instructor: Corban Te Aika
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Boring. Lots of info on slides. Some info interesting and worthwhile. Professor and TA's really don't care.
Credit Transfer Issues: Doubt this will count for anything.
Course Name/Rating:

Antarctic Studies
Course Department: ANTA102
Instructor: Several
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Multi-topic course centered on Antarctica. I really liked that there were so many lecturers and so many different aspects of Antarctica to learn about. It was terrible waking up for the 8am class though. But they post all the lectures online, and that is what I started to do instead of actually going to class.
Credit Transfer Issues: Don't know yet. I doubt this will count for anything.
Course Name/Rating:

Quantum Mechanics
Course Department: PHYS311
Instructor: Jenni Adams
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Taught from slides... kind of annoying. Learned the material. Good homeworks.
Credit Transfer Issues: Don't know yet.
Course Name/Rating:

New Zealand History 1350-1940
Course Department: HIST127
Instructor: Smith and Te Maire
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Good course, well taught. Hard for foreigners to get the "big picture", because this course is supposed to be a "different take" on New Zealand history and obviously preassumes a lot of cultural and historical background knowledge. But the teachers will work with you, and its not so bad when compared to what you end up learning. A good course that was a valuable learning experience.
Credit Transfer Issues: Don't know yet. I hope not.