Excellent Adventure June 20, 2023

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/20/2023 to 06/22/2023 with

University of Otago, New Zealand: Study Abroad Programme

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

It was definitely worthwhile. I learned how to explore and assimilate into a foreign culture and really just take a step back, figure out what I was interested in, and make the most of the experience.

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Had an awesome flat with some excellent friends.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Local healthcare took forever to fix a sinus infection.
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes University of Otago made it very easy to settle in and start school in a new country, with sufficient support of a community via the UniFlats program which facilitated international students to come together and hang out.

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	120

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	Americans
* 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?	Traveling around NZ with friends. Learning to surf Going to Jazz Club
* What could be improved?	Better assimilation with Kiwi population
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Spend more time trying to make friends with the locals in your classes. While I failed to do this myself, it would have been nice to have more friends to say hello to during class sessions.

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:	Maori Society
Course Department:	MAOR
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Interesting course, but the final was totally unrelated to the course.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Advanced HCI
Course Department:	INFO
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Interesting course on the practical applications of AR that got to make use of the University of Otago HCI lab.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Ecotourism
Course Department:	TOUR
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was a course that talked about ecotourism in New Zealand.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Media and Politics New Zealand
Course Department:	POLS
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I expected to learn about NZ politics but this class assumed you already understood NZ politics.
Credit Transfer Issues: