life changing Past Review

By matt.holmes1 (DePaul University) - abroad from 06/24/2012 to 11/17/2012 with

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

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

I learned how to travel on a budget while gaining a better sense of the person I want to be. Nothing is more eye opening than meeting a vast amount of people from different cultures and making their culture a part of yours.

Review Photos

The Education Abroad Network: Wellington - Victoria University of Wellington Photo

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 program did not force feed information about the country down our throats or demand that we take specific classes. We were given complete freedom of how to educate ourselves in school as long as we took a minimum amount of classes.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The director of the program that was situated in New Zealand was one of the most kind people I met in the country. She was always very happy to see us and very helpful in aiding us in adjusting to our new surroundings.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Kiwis are incredibly nice and very willing to share in their culture and country with others.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I lived in Wellington, New Zealand for almost 6 months and never once felt unsafe. In the US I attend school in Chicago which is the complete opposite. At home I feel apprehensive about my safety on the streets at night, however everywhere in New Zealand I felt perfectly safe. Guns aren't an issue in the country and violence is pretty low as well. Even common muggings or pickpockets aren't as common as they are in the US.
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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)	While I had no problem living on a budget I had no intention of holding back while in New Zealand. I often did not budget myself and spent a good deal of my money. However I would not go back and change this at all, as it was well worth it. I was smart with my spending however, and made sure I had enough money to last me until I made it back to the US. Had I wanted to budget more I would have been very capable of living on a tight budget while in New Zealand.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	I spent around 50-150$ per week depending how much I was budgeting
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Plan ahead. Tickets are always cheaper months ahead of your trip, and you can often find deals worth up to 75% off if you keep your eyes open long enough. In this case the early bird definitely gets the worm. Also plan on bringing medicine with you to the country as it is cheaper in the US than in New Zealand.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	Fiji pre semester trip Orientation Cultural activities including Rugby games
* What could be improved?	nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	How to prepare in advance for the trips that I wanted to do while in the country and manage my time better.

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 Adventurer The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Antarctica Unfreezing the Continent
Course Department:	Earth Science
Instructor:	Dr. Cliff Atkins
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The teacher was probably the best teacher I could have asked for for the given topic. We learned a broad education of Antarctica and New Zealand's footprint on it as well as other countries. The teacher had visited the continent before on multiple visits and has an amazing amount of experience in the field. Kiwi's play a large role in Antarctica and hearing from a kiwi expert first hand was incredible. Our grades consisted of labs, two exams, and a paper. All of which were not too difficult to finish. I always made an effort to show up to this class.
Credit Transfer Issues: