New Zealand: The Best Year of my Life Past Review
By Justin A (PSYCHOLOGY., University of California - Merced) for
Victoria University of Wellington: Wellington - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was the best year of my life! I made tons of friends who all lived floors away. I travelled all of North Island. I got to see the All Blacks play and was watching as they won the championship.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was maneagable. Sometimes I struggled but other times I had enough time to go and travel. They take a more structured approach and tend to focus on local issues and how they relate to the rest of the world. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was ok. I was pretty much on my own though. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived on campus. I liked it a lot except for the internet which was terribly slow. |
| * Food: |
SOmetimes it was good. Other times you didn't like any of the mains and knew you would be making a maccas (mcdonalds) run. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There is a lot of natural beauty to see. On top of that I was there the year the All Blacks won their first Rugby World Cup in 24 years! I was also there for Guy Fawkes day and say the harbor light up with fireworks. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Extremely safe. Very low crime rate. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Lived on campus with food provided |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Watch your phones credit, it can go quick if you aren't careful. Also, if you drink every once in a while alcohols a bit more expensive there. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This is a program for those who wish to be adventerous and try new things. If you want to go vitising cities and collection souvenirs, this is not for you. If you want to travel and climb mountains or run rapids or ski or go on day long hikes this is your program. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Maori: Culture and Experience |
| Course Department: | Maori 123 |
| Instructor: | ? |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Common course for internationals to learn about the native people. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
