Chill vibes and stunning scenery in Christchurch NZ June 01, 2023
By A student (Political Science, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/20/2023 to 06/02/2023 with
University of Canterbury: Christchurch - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Very worthwhile. Learned so much about the local culture, a highlight were definitely the Māori/Indigenous studies language and cultural courses that I took.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The UniLodge housing is fine, but you can definitely get WAY better bang for your buck by just flatting. It's probably half the cost and you would actually have a full kitchen, living room, etc. as opposed to just a dorm. |
| * Food: |
Self-catered, so you cook for yourself which is nice. But groceries and food are definitely more expensive here than back home, since so much is imported and there have been a lot of food shortages (eggs) here recently. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Again being in the UniLodge housing it separates you from campus and the kiwis, so you just have to put yourself out there quite a bit to meet locals. Flatting would help solve this I think. Don't be shy in your classes it will probably be the main way you can make friends that aren't other international students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare not very accessible, program insurance didn't cover a lot of what I needed, took a long time to get in and see people. Health center workers didn't always feel the friendliest. |
| * Safety: |
Felt physically safe, but there can be quite a lot of bike/car theft in Christchurch so you just have to watch out for that. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200+ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | NZ will be expensive pretty much whatever you do. Its an island far from everywhere. Only thing that can be cheap is housing but again only if you flat and dont live in uni housing. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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 expensive gas is in NZ! haha |
Individual Course Reviews
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