Fjords, Beaches, and Volcanoes: Tramping around New Zealand Past Review
By A student (SUNY - College at Geneseo) - abroad from 02/06/2012 to 06/24/2012 with
University of Canterbury: Christchurch - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was definitely worthwhile. I definitely learned a lot about myself, living more independently, balancing exploration of a new place with study, and planning economical trips.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Coursework was organized very differently from that in the US. Much more weight is given to large presentations and finals, with little to no weight given to small weekly assignments. I took one 100-level geography paper, which was very rigorous, but also very interesting. I took two 200-level geology papers. These were very straightforward. I also studied Te Reo Maori, which was a lot of fun! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything was well-explained and the two orientation meet-ups that I attended definitely helped me prepare for this experience. I especially appreciated getting to meet a student who'd travelled to Christchurch/New Zealand during a previous semester for study abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Ilam Apartments. This housing complex is right across Ilam Rd from campus and just a short walk from classes. The apartments were pretty nice and well maintained. My only issue would be with their housing selection. I was placed with 5 other Americans in a flat, but I would have preferred to live with other international or New Zealander students. |
| * Food: |
I cooked for myself and never got a meal plan. There are a lot of nice, cheap restaurants near campus (Captain Bens, Noodle Canteen, a sushi place at the mall) and Countdown and Pak'n'Save are always good for a deal on groceries. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Besides living with only other Americans, there were many New Zealanders and other international students in the apartment complex who I got to know and become friends with. If you'd prefer living with non-Americans, it may be possible to select your housemates through the Student Village website, but I was unaware of that option until after I'd gotten to New Zealand. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never needed to use the formal health care system, myself. But I did have to pick up some decongestant and some paracetamol during a little cold I got. OTC's tend to be a little more expensive than in the US, but they worked great. |
| * Safety: |
In general, Christchurch and New Zealand are very safe places. Also, I never encountered any problems in Riccarton/Ilam, the particular neighbourhood that the University is in. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
There are always cheap places to find camping, even in major touristy places (Taupo, Rotorua, Queenstown). Freedom camping is legal in New Zealand. Buses aren't too expensive and neither are rental cars, especially when sharing with a group of friends, but expect to pay a lot for fuel. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | NZ$60/wk for food, not many other expenses unless travelling |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | How much Christchurch had really been affected by the earthquake. The entire downtown is still closed for rebuilding. New things are opening up all over the city to explore, but downtown has remained pretty much untouched since the devastation last February. Regardless, there's still much to explore and enjoy throughout Christchurch and the South Island! |
