Adventures in Christchurch! Past Review
By A student (Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 02/12/2015 to 06/29/2015 with
IES Abroad: Christchurch Direct Enrollment - University Of Canterbury
I made great friends, made tons of memories, went on countless adventures, appreciated a relaxed lifestyle, and gained travel experience for my next endeavors.
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. |
Very similar to my home school educational experience. Main difference was that evaluations consisted of two main tests for the most part. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Loved my program coordinator! We had monthly gatherings to go over important information regarding whatever was happening (i.e. course registration process, excursion preparation, cultural training) which were usually helpful, and our program coordinator always brought us food, which was the best! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I liked staying at the Ilam Apartments, but I was placed with 5 other American girls who were great, but provided little diversity for my housing experience. However there were Kiwis and other international students living in all the flats around me so that allowed for a little more immersion. Convenient location, and good atmosphere though. |
| * Food: |
I was a great chef ;) (Self catered, grocery store was a 5 minute walk down the street). Fish and chips were my favorite treat, and be sure to purchase a pack of Tim Tams cookies! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was difficult to feel completely integrated knowing my time there was so short, I wish that I could have stayed for a full year. However by joining clubs I felt like I made the most of my experience by meeting and making friends with a ton of Kiwis. I was as integrated as I could be for the time constraint I had. Everyone is super friendly and chill. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Didn't have any relevant health issues, but if there was ever something going around that my program coordinator found out about she would usually shoot out a "be aware" email with symptoms and information on the on campus health center. |
| * Safety: |
New Zealand is a very safe place. The biggest danger is the natural disasters which you can't really help. |
| 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) |
If just buying food, it would have been okay. It depends on how you budget and prioritize. Alcohol is a large expense. And naturally traveling is going to be expensive. For me it was worth it to spend a little more on doing things that I really wanted to do, but it did come with a cost. I found that joining clubs allowed me to go on fun club trips to cool places for pretty cheap. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $100- $150 NZD on average |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Join clubs and go on club trips, meet friends who have cars for traveling, lots of thrift stores to check out. |
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? | That a cheaper option to a program would have been choosing the independent enrollment option and just applying to the university. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
