New Zealand was a Once-In-A-Lifetime opportunity Past Review

By Megan I (Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods., Drake University) for

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Wellington - Victoria University of Wellington

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Studying abroad taught me more about myself than I thought possible. Living in New Zealand for 4 months was the most worthwhile thing I've ever done. I learned so much about myself as well as other cultures. I know that I will go back to New Zealand in the future. Studying abroad encouraged me to take risks and challenge myself. The Education Abroad Network made sure I had an incredible experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The workload at Victoria University was pretty comparable to my workload at Drake University. I found myself studying the same amount. However, in New Zealand, a lot of the work was self motivated because an entire class might only have 3 assignments. I had to do more reading and researching and less small assignments. Another difference between Vic and Drake was the grading system. The professors seemed to grade harder in New Zealand, but an 85% was an A. Overall, I just had to maintain my normal study habits, but make sure I kept up with my reading!
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	My experiences with New Zealand's Program Administration were positive. I did have too much contact with them and when I did they were able to answer my questions and make me feel comfortable.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I felt extremely safe in my neighborhood and got along with all of my flat-mates. I had my own bedroom and wifi. I could not have asked for a better living situation!
* Food:	I became addicted to going to the farmer's market on Sunday mornings. They had so much fresh produce for SO cheap! I found everything else I was looking for at the grocery. The only down side was the high costs.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I had so many amazing experiences with The Education Abroad Network and in New Zealand in general. During orientation, the group got to learn a lot about the Maori culture because we had a Maori guide traveling with us which was awesome. We also went white water rafting, zorbing and to the thermal hot springs. One of my favorite cultural experiences was hiking. I really embraced that aspect of New Zealand culture and fell in love with it. I highly recommend the 50 mile (4 day, 3 night) Heaphy Track on the South Island!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I ALWAYS felt safe in New Zealand. Like anywhere, you need to be aware of your surroundings and travel with friends at night. However, I truly felt extremely safe the whole time I was abroad.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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?	Don't eat out all the time! I was always happier saving my money on food and then spending it on cool things like bungee jumping and cliff swinging!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Pre-semester trip to Fiji the staff Orientation
* What could be improved?	Activities throughout the semester
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I would encourage anyone looking into studying abroad in New Zealand to go and to go through The Education Abroad Network! My experience with TEAN and in New Zealand were nothing but positive. New Zealand was the perfect place for me to study abroad because it offered so many opportunities. My advice would be to grasp every opportunity that comes your way, even if it seems scary! I never thought I would white water raft down a waterfall, hike 50 miles or bungee jump, but I did all of those things and so much more. TEAN is a great program because they truly care about each individual student. I had so many questions before I went abroad and TEAN made sure every single one was answered. The staff know what they are doing and are fun to be around. They made me feel extremely comfortable in such a new situation as traveling to another country. The program makes sure you are getting the most out of your experience abroad, I know I left New Zealand with no regrets...except maybe having to leave :)

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Introduction to New Zealand History
Course Department:	HIST112
Instructor:	Jim McAloon
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	HIST112 was a great class to take abroad because it was an introductory course on the history of New Zealand. Even though the class lectures were a bit dry, the tutorials were interesting, as was the information. It was not too difficult as long as you did the research. The professor was very knowledgeable, but a little hard to keep up with at times. I participated in my tutorial sessions, which made learning the material very helpful.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no

Course Name/Rating:	Cultures of Leisure
Course Department:	FHSS206
Instructor:	Lee Davidson
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was my favorite course I took while in New Zealand. The course material was interesting and the class was challenging, but not too hard. The professor knew a lot of information on the subject matter and lectured in an understandable manner. I found it helpful to participate in class because it allowed the professor to get to know me and also helped clarify any confusions I had.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no

Course Name/Rating:	Jazz History
Course Department:	MUSC125
Instructor:	Nick Tipping
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I needed to take an arts class to transfer back to Drake and MUSC125 was one of the only courses that worked with my schedule that I could get into without any prerequisites. I did not particularly like this course because it was extremely geared toward music majors, which I am definitely not! The professor lectured to the class as if we already had a lot of jazz background so I struggled to keep up in note taking. I had to do a lot of memorizing for the mid-term and final exam. Overall, I would not recommend this course to anyone looking for a fun "artsy" class unless you have a jazz background.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no