New Zealand: Sweet As! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I mentioned in another question about the difference in grading, but the classes were also different from what I was used to. There were lectures and tutorials for all classes, and the lectures were not required while the tutorials were. The lectures were at times hard to follow as I am not used to direct lecture as much as I am accustomed to a more hands-on, interactive environment. Also, the classes were often times only an hour twice a week, leaving much free time and a freedom to study at your own pace, which I liked. However, there were less assignments along the course of the semester, making the papers and final exam worth a lot of the grade and therefore putting a lot of pressure on the students to do well in them. I definitely prefer having the grade spread between a lot of smaller assignments to cushion a bad paper or test grade.

On-site administration of your program

I didn't need a ton of help from the administration people, but the short one-day orientation provided me with a huge binder of information that definitely helped me out along the way. The few times that I went into the office they were friendly and accessible. Everything worked out very well.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

When I found out that my three flatmates on campus were German, American, and Chinese, I was a little disappointed. I had been hoping to live with local students, but I guess the university likes to put international ones together. It turned out for the best as I spent the majority of my time with them and had a great time. The flat was very nice, it was in one of the "courts" on campus. We had a fully equipped kitchen and living room, along with a huge shower and bathroom. The rooms themselves were a little small, but I hardly spent time in them so it was fine. The school offers a bedding pack, but it was NOT worth the $90. I should have gone to K-mart and gotten something nicer for cheaper. Everything needed to cook was provided, aside from small stuff like a baking sheet and oven mitts, it was really just the essentials. It was very close to my classes, but a bus has to be taken to go into town. This only takes about 10 minutes, but it does not run late at night, so that was unfortunate. But taxis are everyone and pretty cheap if you are with a large group.

The food was very similar to American food, with a few changes and less Mexican options. I missed my fish tacos! But I was able to find plenty of things to eat and the times that I did go out to eat I had delicious food. I'm vegetarian, but I was still able to accommodate my diet. As fro places to dine in Palmy, there are a few great take-out Thai places, that I can't remember the name of, Hell's Pizza is good, and the Irish Pub near Pac-n-Save makes an awesome veggie burger!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I didn't participate in anything with the program. However, my friends and I went on a two-week excursion around the south island and it was amazing! We rented a campervan, which I would definitely recommend. I saw Milford Sound, penguins, went kayaking in the Golden Bay, hiked a glacier, went skydiving, went to a bar made entirely out of ice, saw baby seals play in a waterfall, and a lot of other amazing things. I would definitely suggest a trip down there.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It was very safe, I had no issues and had a great time! I never had any health issues, so I can't really comment on that.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Dorm

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• International Students

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