Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

NZ is better than wherever else you're considering Past Review

By (Geography and Cartography., Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/14/2014 to 06/18/2014 with

University of Otago, New Zealand: Study Abroad Programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained the opportunity to see maybe the most beautiful country in the world.

Review Photos

University of Otago: Dunedin - Direct Enrollment/Exchange Photo University of Otago: Dunedin - Direct Enrollment/Exchange Photo University of Otago: Dunedin - Direct Enrollment/Exchange Photo University of Otago: Dunedin - Direct Enrollment/Exchange Photo University of Otago: Dunedin - Direct Enrollment/Exchange Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Larger class sizes, less rigorous, and more emphasis on final exam than at Middlebury. Good library.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Never really dealt with admin people, which I guess means they did a good job.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

University flats offers excellent housing with spacious rooms and good kitchens. Only bummer is there isn't internal heating, so bring some warm pjs.

* Food:

Plenty of good restaurants in town, but the vast majority of meals are from the grocery store.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Most Kiwis tried to make you feel at home.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Never had an issue.

* Safety:

As safe as any decent-sized urban area can be expected to be.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

New Zealand is an expensive country, and there's nothing you can do about it. But given the expensiveness of everything from food to gas, a student's budget, adjusted to NZ prices, is very doable.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50 per week, not including traveling on weekends.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy Budget brand at New World. Don't use the washing machine too frequently. Pizza Hut has $5 pizzas.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Ability to travel to spectacular places every single weekend
* What could be improved?
  • I guess the classes could have been better. But I came to NZ to hike and climb and kayak and explore, so I'm not to worried about that.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew the weather was going to be bad that one day in Tongariro so I could have postponed that hike. Other than that, nothing.

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 Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

GEOG 101: Physical Geography
Course Department: Geography
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Relatively easy class. Pros: Relevant field trips, occasional good labs, knowledgeable lecturers. Cons: More time-wasting labs and lectures, lots of memorizing facts.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

HIST 107: New Zealand in the World
Course Department: History
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: One prof was boring, the other was really cool. Highly recommended, just because you gotta learn something about the country you're studying, and no better way to do that than take a history course on it. Essay and exam assessments were very fair.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

ENGL 128: Effective Communication
Course Department: English
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Very easy class, which was nice, but complete waste of time. The subject matter is extremely basic, but the prof seems to think otherwise. There are plenty of easy classes to choose from. Pick one that isn't such a waste.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

ENGL 222: Contemporary American Literature
Course Department: English
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Excellent course. Sometimes lectures were boring, but the books were good, and the exams/essays were fair.
Credit Transfer Issues: