Adventure-filled experience with lasting friends from around the world. Past Review
By Kevin Foltz (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) - abroad from 07/01/2017 to 11/17/2017 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Wellington - Victoria University of Wellington
I cannot even begin to describe my study abroad experience. I gained so many great friends from around the world that I still keep in touch with and plan to visit sometime in the future. Through living with many other international students, I was able to learn about how other people live around the world which I found fascinating. I wholeheartedly believe my study abroad experience was once in a lifetime because of all the friends and adventures I was able to foster. I highly recommend studying abroad in New Zealand because of the kind people and the endless beautiful scenery to uncover around every corner.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall, the academic rigour of the university is not as difficult as my home university. However, I was taking mostly 1st-year level classes, so this could have factored into the difficulty. Most of the classes are lecture based and are marked through essays and projects and very few tests. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Victoria Univesity of Wellington prepared us well for their expectations and for the city itself with their orientation program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My living situation was great. TEAN provides apartment or house living situations and you are living with other international students from around the world. Out of my 10 flatmates, one was from Romania, another from China, and another from Chile! |
| * Food: |
The food in Wellington is great. All the restaurants have high-quality food and the Sunday and Friday markers always have great street food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The culture of New Zealand compared to the United States is not too different but there are definitely some small differences. New Zealanders are crazy nice |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health issues during the program. |
| * Safety: |
Wellington is a very safe city, I never felt unsafe at any time. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
TEAN, especially my personal study abroad aid, made the entire experience of planning to go abroad a breeze. TEAN had a comprehensive preparatory plan along with dedicated employees who always answered all my questions in a timely manner. As for their presence in New Zealand, our orientation took us to Queenstown, where we learne about Maori culture through songs and interactive performances. We also travelled to the beautiful Milford Sound, a great way to spend our first day in New Zealand! |
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) |
Since Wellington is an island nation, a three-hour flight from any other country, food is rather expensive. I was spending around 60-70 on groceries a week. But was still able to finance my study abroad with around 4000 USD. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Altogether, I would spend 80 on food and grocery, and then around 40-60 on weekend trips. This really depended on whether I was backpacking or staying at hostels on my trips. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Renting a car is very cheap. I wish I knew about it earlier. You can rent a car at 18 for around 30-40 bucks a day with full insurance. Always try to fill the car on excursions because it cheaper and much more fun. Also, saving money on food is always a plus, so the Sunday markets are a great place to get fruits and veggies for cheap! |
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? | I just wish I did more research about where to travel to in New Zealand. I feel I did not get into travelling as much as I wanted to until later in the semester. To get the most out of studying abroad, definitely research beforehand so you can get exploring from day 1. |
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. |
