Travel to New Zealand but don't live or study there Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

One of my classes had zero instruction whatsoever, professors would often arrive late or not at all and no one knew what was going on. Very small class sizes, many students weren't very motivated and were also aggravated with school.

On-site administration of your program

Finding out anything was a pain, it felt like no one knew what they were doing. The international liaison was rarely in the office. Emailing people just results in no replies, apparently they still owe me money but figuring out what the f*ck they are talking about is fruitless. Two months have passed and I still have no transcript so I can't see how my credits will transfer. Other students are having the same problems. The school is run like a business to take your money, and it's a very unorganized, lazy, business at that.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The school housing was very expensive and in poor condition. If I had been in the country for any longer I would have looked for different options immediately. The landlord was nice.

Food is no different than what is in the states but much more expensive. Fish and chips are awesome.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There was barely a 'student' population. The night life was non-existent for the most part. My most enjoyable experience as far as culture goes was meeting the other international students, most of whom were from Malaysia, China, Japan, etc.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues, but the local hospital was probably good.

I was told numerous times not to walk in certain areas of the city at night by my local friends, including an entire suburb where the only decent beach was at (which is still farther than walking distance). There are apparently gang problems, although I didn't directly have a problem with it. I rarely saw police, but I never felt unsafe.

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

Rent was expensive, food was expensive, going out was very expensive, etc. You better be rich.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• I traveled all of New Zealand and did some crazy stuff
• I met lots of foreigners, realized people are people no matter where you are.
• New Zealand is a beautiful country, the landscapes, hiking, etc are awesome.

• The school and nearly all aspects about it.