Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Wonderful experiences in the New Zealand bush June 21, 2023

By (Geology + Geography, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/20/2023 to 06/26/2023 with

Frontiers Abroad: New Zealand Earth Systems

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

Review Photos

Frontiers Abroad: New Zealand Earth Systems Photo Frontiers Abroad: New Zealand Earth Systems Photo Frontiers Abroad: New Zealand Earth Systems Photo Frontiers Abroad: New Zealand Earth Systems Photo Frontiers Abroad: New Zealand Earth Systems Photo

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.

I thought the program was very good overall. I found the field camp at the beginning of the semester to be too demanding and tiring and would have felt like I learned more given more time. Darren, Max, and everybody involved in the program were amazing, and I could tell that they really cared about us.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I don't really know what this refers to

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The space was good but the random living assignments were not great. I lived with two girls in my program (21 year old Americans) and two 18 year old kiwi guys, which felt weird that there was such a big age gap and they put the international students with the freshers. It would have been really nice if we could have chosen who we wanted to live with after the field camp, or were at least given the option to switch rooms later, because I was in a really tight group of 5 guys and it would have been amazing if we could have lived together.

* Food:

Not sure how to rate this as we cooked for ourselves.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Most of my friends were Americans because most of the kiwis our age live off campus, so we weren't really mingling with local people our own age which was a bummer.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I used the free counselling services at the university which were very good.

* Safety:

Christchurch felt very safe to me

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

I loved the freedom of having time to hike. I wish I had bought a car or that the hikes were more accessible but I figured it out. It was a magical semester exploring the beauty of New Zealand.

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)

The conversion rate was very good for Americans, it felt like everywhere was at a 40% discount. Also after talking to people on different programs, I realized that I saved so much money by not going out to bars multiple times a week.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Hiking
  • Friends
* What could be improved?
  • Field camp
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring hiking gear if you like hiking because you will end up doing it

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:

Research Methods
Course Department: FA Geo
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I did not enjoy this class, found it very difficult especially as I was put in a group with three students who were all very confident and experienced researchers. Because I was starting from such a lower level of knowledge than them, I felt like I did not learn much because a lot of what I wanted to learn was things that they had already done before and so that felt like second nature to them.
Credit Transfer Issues: