Hands Down the Best 5 Months of My Life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My courses abroad were definitely easier than what I am used to back home, but nonetheless were just as informative and interesting. I wrote a LOT of essays, and had to frequently utilize the libraries at the university to do research for these essays. The Maori Society course was very popular with international students and was very large. Otago has one of the best Psychology departments, and as a Psychology major I thoroughly enjoyed taking Social Psych and Abnormal Psych in an abroad setting.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My living situation could not have been better. I lived on Leith Street, about a 2 minute walk from the center of campus which made getting to my classes incredibly easy. My flat was massive, we each had our own bedrooms with a double bed, and the Uniflats office was always there to fix appliances or provide extra supplies. Without central heating, our rooms were really cold during the winter, but Uniflats gave me an extra heater and that problem was fixed quickly for me. We even had a piano in our main hall-that was a nice surprise!

I LOVED the food in New Zealand, especially The Good Earth Cafe (my friends and I went here at least 4 times a week), which is right next to central campus and a great place to get breakfast. There are a zillion cafe options in Dunedin, and we did our best to try as many as possible and all were amazing for both warm drinks and food. There is also great Indian, Thai, and Chinese. The supermarkets are great and set up the way they are in the States, and the prices of food were very affordable.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Kiwis are more reserved, so you will more than likely have have to make an effort to get to know them well. You can join the tramping club, which is a great way to get to know Kiwis as well as travel New Zealand. I personally had weekly potlucks with the flat above me, and other Kiwis, and this is how I got to know them better. It's easy to only hang out with American students, but I recommend getting to know the Kiwis!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No vaccines were needed for my trip to New Zealand, which made the prep a lot easier! The healthcare system was very accessible; I had to go to student health several times and never had a problem getting an appointment, and everyone was incredibly friendly. However, my health problems there weren't properly treated until I returned home (they were not able to properly diagnose me as having tonsillitis, rather they thought I had sinus infections) but this did not impact my study abroad experience at all.

I never once felt unsafe, in fact this was probably the safest environment I had ever been in! Campus security was always out and available to help if need be.

My decision to choose The Education Abroad Network was by the one of the best decisions I made during my study abroad process. The TEAN staff was incredibly accessible, friendly, and knowledgeable. I had countless questions before leaving for New Zealand, and TEAN was there every step of the way. This was not a program hosted through my home University, so my decision to choose TEAN was based all on my own research, and I was confident that TEAN was the best program out there. This program was also the most affordable of all the options I researched-all while including a pre-semester 5 day excursion to Fiji and another week of traveling the North Island. Not only were the American TEAN staff incredibly helpful, but the TEAN members in Dunedin were just as amazing. I lost my phone my first day in Dunedin, and the staff was there right away to take me through the city and get me a new phone. Throughout the semester we had coffee catchups and various other excursions with them. I especially became good friends with our local TEAN guide, and I plan on continuing to keep in touch with her for the years to come! Even after returning home, TEAN has been there to help with the transcript process and the transition of coming home. I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone unsure of a program.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I travelled almost every weekend which involved either renting a car or buying bus tickets, and I also ate out frequently so I didn't budget as well as I could have, however it's very easy to save money by eating out less and finding cost efficient ways to travel.

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• Other

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The Staff -both in the States and in Dunedin
• The Fiji Pre-Semester Excursion and excursions throughout the semester
• The Affordability

• nothing!