Most adventurous, enjoyable experience of my college experience Past Review
By A student (Conservation Biology., Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/14/2014 to 06/18/2014 with
University of Otago, New Zealand: Study Abroad Programme
I became much more independent and learned how to fully take care of myself. I learned a lot of hiking and camping skills. I learned a lot about wildlife and where my interests lie in biology.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There were fewer assignments than required at Middlebury, but the grading was much harsher, and the emphasis placed on independent work much greater. I really enjoyed experiencing a different learning environment. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Dunedin has lots of places to eat out, especially BYOs, but my flat had a system where each person cooked for everyone else one night of the week. It worked out really well for the most part. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with just one kiwi did not at times feel like enough, and the natural tendency to group with international students was significant, especially because those tended to be the people who wanted to go on weekend trips. However, attending classes with New Zealand students and living in a city full of kiwis made up for this. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never used the health care system. You have to buy insurance, but I think any fees are covered by this. However, I have heard that hospital lines are very long. |
| * Safety: |
Also felt extremely safe everywhere in the country. There were a couple of break-ins in nearby flats, but they were just university students. Dunedin overall is a very safe city, and elsewhere in NZ, people don't even lock their houses or cars. |
| 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) |
Food/other essentials were not too expensive, but the housing and other activities were quite pricey. Although, compared to Middlebury, it really wasn't much. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely get a flat account so you can pay for your electricity bill/communal food/supplies like that. It makes it much easier than trying to give cash. I hitch hiked a lot to save money--I felt very safe doing it, but obviously that requires personal judgement. There are a lot of things to do in New Zealand that you don't necessarily have to pay for--hiking, camping, swimming, just generally getting off the beaten trail. Those things tended to be both the least expensive and the most rewarding. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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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? | The majority of the international students there will be coming on a program. However, being a directly enrolled student actually allows you more freedom to make local/non-American friends; it just means that you have to be proactive and independent in planning trips around the country. |
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 AdventurerThe 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: |
Biology and Behaviour of Marine Vertebrates |
| Course Department: | Marine Science |
| Instructor: | Steve Dawson |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Challenging in the best ways. Steve is an awesome professor and the lab demonstrators were also really helpful and knowledgable. This course taught about the incredible marine wildlife of New Zealand while simultaneously teaching information relevant to marine biology all over the world. The professors also include an element of conservation in each of the sections (fish, seabirds, reptiles, mammals). While there were only a couple of opportunities to get out and see the wildlife with the class, the knowledge I gained in this course allowed me to enjoy my independent trips and wildlife viewings so much more. This was probably my favorite course of my entire college experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | n/a |
