The Most Enjoyable Five Months of My Life To Date - Thanks to TEAN Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My experience with Victoria University of Wellington far exceeded my expectations in terms of challenging curriculum and course availability. I was also thoroughly impressed with how animated and exciting all of my professors were throughout the term. I took classes unlike any I had ever taken before, and because of the staff at Vic Uni and The Education Abroad Network, was encouraged to keep an open mind and try some new things.

On-site administration of your program

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) had various on-site staff in New Zealand who were eager to assist us in every step of our journey while studying abroad. From the minute we arrived from Orientation, we were guided by some of the most genuine and passionate people I've ever met, and encouraged to be open to the new culture and lifestyles we were sure to come upon while in NZ. TEAN staff never hesitated to ask how we were doing, and provided innumerable tips and advice whenever we sought to plan a trip of our own around NZ. I for one took full advantage of my spare time to see the beauty of NZ, and owe several great trips to advice given by our in-country TEAN staff. Being incredibly approachable, we would Skype to catch up, or meet for coffee/lunch with a few other students rather regularly. One example of the excellent administration efforts by TEAN that I like to showcase occurred while I was on a trip in the South Island over Easter Break with some friends, and was unable to use my phone for a few days(locked in the car...) My parents, not having heard from me in a little while, and knowing only that I was somewhere between Greymouth and Queenstown contacted TEAN to see if they could help reach me to make sure I was alright. TEAN staff in USA coordinated with TEAN NZ staff effortlessly and managed to not only find out who I was traveling with, but get in touch with them within hours to confirm that yes, Mom and Dad, I was still alive! This type of organization and fluidity throughout an administrative group puts TEAN at the pinnacle in my book in terms of successful operations management.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Everton Hall, which is a University-owned apartment (flat) complex, with three girls and one guy, all from New Zealand. TEAN gave me the option to live with other international students, or Kiwis (New Zealanders) and I am so glad I opted for living with New Zealand students. Don't get me wrong, living with other American's certainly would have had it's advantages (and possibly been easier) but I wanted a bit of a challenge. Having to integrate with a group of people who already have well-established friendship made living in Everton Hall quite memorable. My flat was rather nice too! With a huge living room, excellent kitchen, and spacious bedrooms, I was very comfortable with my living arrangements. Our proximity to downtown Wellington was a major plus as well, and we were barely a five minute walk from campus. I highly recommend Everton Hall to students traveling to Victoria University of Wellington.

I like to cool. Actually, I love to cook! Living with 4 New Zealand students presented the opportunity for some very unique and interesting cooking collaborations which possibly would have made Martha Stewart cringe, but were exciting and delicious nonetheless. New Zealand food can be similar to American food, but it can also be very different. I highly encourage everyone going to study in NZ to try some different foods; paua, crayfish, fish and chips, or any of the fantastic and fresh seafood that comes into Wellington regularly. As a seafood fanatic, Wellington was the ideal city for me. Sunday morning farmers markets afforded cheap produce and even cheaper fresh fish, something I'll be missing now that I'm back at my home institution in Pittsburgh, PA....a not-so-coastal city.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I lived with Kiwi students, so integrating with the local culture was rather easy and happened seamlessly for me. As an outgoing person I got to know plenty of locals through the various yacht clubs in Wellington, and friends from school. I never felt isolated or separated from New Zealanders the entire time I was studying abroad. Rather, I found out that most people are genuinely interested in hearing where you're from, what's your background, and what your opinion of New Zealand is! And in a lot of cases, they're very eager to show you something that is Kiwi as! For example, I got invited to join some members of a Wellington sailing team I was on at a local "man cave" in Worser Bay. Basically, imagine a tiny boatshed on the beach with a big barbecue and fridge full of various beers, and guys from every walk of life meeting up Thursdays at 7pm to shoot the shit, eat, drink, and be merry together. Being American, I was often the center of attention (or investigation, depending on which side you were on) but thoroughly enjoyed the jovial and inviting nature of the local guys who took me in as one of their own rather effortlessly.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

During our pre-semester orientation in Fiji, I managed to get a few scrapes on my knee from snorkeling and rubbing against the sharp coral which eventually started to fester and become infected after 5 days and soon presented me with swollen lymph nodes and a wicked fever. As we arrived in Auckland, I tried to grit my teeth and fight my way through it, but eventually realized I was going to need an antibiotic, so I informed TEAN staff of the problem I was having. TEAN's program coordinators knew exactly what to do and promptly brought me over to a health center in Ponsonby, Auckland to be seen by a physician and try to get me back in top shape. Under New Zealand's ACC universal healthcare policy, I learned that if I had injured myself while in NZ, even as a tourist, my medical bill would be covered completely. Instead, because I managed to pick up the knee infection while in Fiji, then came to NZ, I was going to have to cover the bill on my own. Thanks to TEAN's comprehensive healthcare coverage plan though, I was fully reimbursed for my antibiotic prescription and all health centre fees accrued during my visit to the clinic. TEAN staff accompanied me along the entire process and not only drove me to the health centre, but waited and helped me out at the pharmacists too to fill my prescription. I was incredibly grateful to have TEAN on my side, which made the health insurance issue much easier to deal with as an international student. The antibiotic worked, and a few days later I was canyoning with the rest of my peers on a TEAN excursion.

New Zealand in general is a very safe place to live. Growing up nearby Philadelphia,PA, I've become well-versed in crime exposure, and I have to be honest, living in Wellington was a breeze compared to living in West Philly or the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA where I go to school. I never felt uncomfortable in Wellington, even walking alone at night around the city, and did not have any issues with safety. By far the biggest "safety issues" I faced while in Wellington were from exhaustion walking up and down all the steps or not looking right then left when crossing the street! Seriously, it is so easy to live in this city!

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

While I will not deny that living in New Zealand can be more expensive than living in Pittsburgh, where I go to school typically, there were still a wide range of options for me to exploit when it came to maintaining a student's budget. When I was having budgeting issues around mid-semester, my parents and I contacted TEAN and asked for some advice. We were pleasantly surprised to hear back from TEAN staff with a very detailed list of places I could go and things I could do to lower my weekly cost of living! TEAN staff encouraged me to visit the Sunday morning farmer's market at the Wellington waterfront for cheap produce and seafood. They also advised me on some of the less expensive grocery stores, rather than using the more convenient, yet more expensive downtown shopping centers. I was very impressed with the level of commitment TEAN put into ensuring that I was having an enjoyable time while in NZ and living comfortably and within my budget.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Encouraging and motivating staff
• Ease of transition into new lifestyle during Orientation
• Open-ended guidance and advice on making the most of my time in NZ

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The Avid Adventurer