Adventure and routine Past Review
By sd133 (HSSP; Psychology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/02/2016 to 06/28/2016 with
Boston University: Auckland - Internship Program
I gained a greater global perspective along with a much deeper knowledge of NZ. Absolutely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Auckland Uni classes that I took lacked rigor but were generally engaging and well taught. However Auckland Uni courses taught by TAs should be avoided. The BU culture course was highly informative and valuable. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program administration was generally done well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Ideal location but less than ideal physical arrangements. |
| * Food: |
Cooking is done on own, but there is tons of great dining available in Auckland if you're willing to spend the money. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The internship component was fully culturally immersive, however without it I would have struggled to feel integrated with local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The university health center was comparable with home university health centers. |
| * Safety: |
I nearly always felt safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program offers near total independence to make the experience what you will/want. |
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) |
As long as most meals are cooked on one's own, it is not too difficult to leave relatively cheaply. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Identify your priorities as adventure activities will be very expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We learned a handful of Maori words, were tested on it once and then moved on. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Commonly used Maori words are easy to pick up on but everything is in english |
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? | 0 |
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? | Planning early and coming with priorities already known would have been helpful. |
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. |
