Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Adventures Abroad Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/11/2016 to 11/08/2016 with

University of Otago, New Zealand: Study Abroad Programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Knowledge of the country and amazing experiences adventuring.

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

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I really enjoyed my Global Marine Systems and Environmental History of New Zealand courses, but I thought the Māori Society and Gender, Work and Consumer Culture were very unorganized, with too many lecturers who did not know what the class had already been taught. The workload was erratic and not very useful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Directly enrolling was made pretty easy and I was organized enough to make the other decisions on my own. They don't provide too much structure, so you have to be self-regulating.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Enjoyed lots of freedom living in Uni Flats.

* Food:

N/A. You pretty much make all your own food, unless you go out to eat.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I found that Kiwis didn't want to become best friends with international students who they would never see again, which makes sense. However, they are the nicest people and they extend lots of invitations.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

My friend sprained his ankle, and the PT was cheap and easily available through the school's health insurance.

* Safety:

Very safe! Sometimes, Kiwi students were rowdy and would burn couches and just be foolish, but the city felt very safe.

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

I had an amazing time - New Zealand is a beautiful country with so much to explore! I found a love for hiking and adventuring and enjoyed a very healthy lifestyle. Additionally, I learned a lot about local culture through osmosis and my courses.

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)

Food and drinks were pretty expensive because New Zealand is an island nation, but there were certainly ways to eat cheaply. Gas was expensive, but buying a car was definitely the way to go because renting was so expensive and difficult if you are under 21. Hostels were not too expensive, especially in the off season.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~125
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy a car on TradeMe!! Make sure that you take it to an auto shop before following through on the purchase to make sure you won't have to put a lot of money in to ensure safety. Set up selling the car to a coming international student mid-way through the semester so you don't stress toward the end. Get third-party insurance through NAC. Also, book hostels in advance and always ask for student discounts!

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

  • Other
* 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
  • 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?
  • The people
  • The landscape
  • The culture
* What could be improved?
  • Course selection
  • Workload management advice
  • Help from my home university
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Make sure you don't bring any produce into the country without declaring it - they don't mess around in customs.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Environmental History of New Zealand
Course Department: History
Instructor: Tom Brooking
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging and chalk-full of information. Again, taught by multiple lecturers, but most were well-informed and excellent professors. I thought Tom Brooking, the lead lecturer, was brilliant and felt very privileged to be taught by him.
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't tried yet.
Course Name/Rating:

Māori Society
Course Department: Māori Studies
Instructor: Erika
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was poorly organized and completely unnecessary to attend. I went to every class and wish I hadn't because the lecture hall was often too big to hear the lecturers (of which there were about 15 different ones) and it did not help at all concerning assessments.
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't tried yet.
Course Name/Rating:

Gender, Work, and Consumer Culture
Course Department: Gender Studies
Instructor: Fairleigh
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Was not very challenging, but was hard to do well in. The assessments did not make much sense and I didn't learn very much. Also, very few people attended class which made it difficult to see why I needed to be there in the first place.
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't tried yet.
Course Name/Rating:

Global Marine Systems
Course Department: Marine Science
Instructor: Will Rayment
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging, well organized, made use of the natural environment and went on very fun and informative field trips in the Otago Harbour and in nearby estuaries. I learned a ton of very interesting information about marine biology, chemistry, sedimentology, physical oceanography, and more. We were assessed with a midterm, a research paper, weekly lab worksheets, and a final exam. Taught by multiple lecturers, most of whom I enjoyed greatly.
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't tried yet.