An easy way to experience a foreign land Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/02/2015 to 11/17/2016 with

University of Otago, New Zealand: Study Abroad Programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned a lot about self-reliance and cooking. You have to adhere to a budget and you have to cook for yourself and likely others. The hikes and trips with limited phone reception was a ton of fun and you had to think on your feet a lot of the time.

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.	It's a large university so the majority of the grade depends on you doing well on the tests. I found the exams to require more memorization than exams I had at my home university.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	They were there to help but completely hands-off all the other times. They were terrific.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	You live with other exchange students and a kiwi in a flat. It was an awesome experience in a ton of ways but some of the flats are kind of run down.
* Food:	New Zealand groceries definitely have a limited food selection compared to the US but there are plenty of good restaurants and you can make most food.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Frankly, New Zealand is pretty Western and a far cry from an exotic cultural experience. The environment and geography is another subject though.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes It was super easy and you weren't babied like you are at Middlebury. They treat you like an adult with respect.

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)	Things are not necessarily cheap but you are encouraged to cook communally in your flat which saves you a lot and you can get cheap fruits and vegetables at the right places.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$100-$150 NZD
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Go to the produce specific places, you can get kiwis for next to nothing. Learn how to cook lentils and rice. Share meals with your flat. Don't eat fish and chips every meal. Dominoes is the cheapest restaurant you're gonna find.

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?	Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local 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?	Geography Dunedin Other International Students
* What could be improved?	Nicer Flats (but that's overrated)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Bring some camping gear that's lightweight. And you will 100% need a car or a friend with a car.

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Comparative Politics
Course Department:	Political Science
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was interesting but not very demanding.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I should be getting a comparative culture requirement but it hasn't been counted yet.

Course Name/Rating:	Maori Society
Course Department:	Maori Studies
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was essentially required, massive lecture size, and extremely easy. I actually had to drastically simplify my writing style in order to get full credit. It is graded by other students.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Computer Networks
Course Department:	Computer Science
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The labs were absolutely useless but impacted your grade severely. The final exam was about 50 definitions of networking acronyms and protocols. Besides that the course thorough but dry.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	History of Science
Course Department:	History
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was very interesting and essentially one long argument that religion is not at odds with science--specifically from a New Zealand and Christian perspective. The exams and papers were easy but you need to conform to a specific style.
Credit Transfer Issues: