Far from Home: Incredible Study Abroad Experience in New Zealand December 03, 2024
By A student (Biology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 07/15/2024 to 11/09/2024 with
University of Canterbury: Christchurch - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The greatest thing I learned from my time abroad is that you are always more capable than you think. It can start small- just travelling 20+ hours to across the world and going grocery shopping for the first time in another country, but before you know it you can be booking flights and driving on the left side of the road by yourself and hiking to places you've never imagined.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Most classes at the University of Canterbury only have 3-4 assignments during the whole semester, with a single assignment being worth as much as 60% of your grade. This means that good time management and self discipline is required because while there is no day to day homework, the large assignments can sneak up on you if you're not prepared. UC is a large school so it can be hard to find resources, especially as an abroad student, but everyone there is willing to help- you just have to be willing to advocate for yourself and follow-up. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Direct enrollment at the university- left to my own devices much of the time which was good for me but may not be the same for others |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
apartment-style housing, I lived in a five bedroom apartment with a shared kitchen and livingroom, and 2 bathrooms. |
| * Food: |
Opted out of the meal plan- grocery shopping around the campus and cooking was very easy |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
New Zealand is a very kind and welcoming community, but it can be hard to feel fully integrated with the culture because it is so removed from other countries and very protective of the culture |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I enjoyed everything about the program- from the school to the city to the country as a whole. The academic experience can be completely what you make it- I lived with a mechanical engineering major who took multiple intense labs that counted for home credit, and an anthropology major just interested in the culture and having a fun time abroad. Christchurch is a great city and very close to many different activities. New Zealand is general is just beautiful and unlike any other place on earth- roadtrips and travel within the country while there are a must! |
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) |
With significant help from Wellesley College financial aid office- I was able to live comfortably abroad |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around 100 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | especially in Christchurch and New Zealand in general, visit the thrift stores (or Op Shops as they're called). You can find everything from cookware, furniture, linens and clothes for different occasions at thrift stores for much cheaper than elsewhere, and can donate most of it back when you leave |
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? | Wellesley in general did a very good job preparing me for my time abroad- the one thing I wished I knew earlier was to not expect to make too many friends from the country, and how that's completely normal. My closest friends I made abroad were actually someone from Wellesley who I didn't know before, and a student from New Jersey. |
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. |
