Would do Again!! Past Review
By Bethanie (Ithaca College) - abroad from 02/10/2016 to 06/27/2016 with
IES Abroad: Christchurch Direct Enrollment - University Of Canterbury
My study abroad experience was incredibly worthwhile! I am so happy I decided to do it, as I experienced large amounts of growth in a multitude of ways. As cliche as it sounds, I did gain more independence than I previously had, primarily because you must take initiative yourself, there's less of a parental buffer and autonomy does increase because of that. In addition, living in a different country allowed me to analyze my home country through a varied lens (from a perspective outside of the american one I'm used to), and that was incredibly interesting. My perspectives about the world and my place in it have shifted quite a bit. By immersing myself in a different location/culture/hemisphere, I have learned so much. I have so much knowledge/appreciation/care for this country that I really didn't know much about prior to going abroad. I'm grateful that I have that now.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Eunice McKessar is the best! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments were beautiful and very close to campus! While I was put with 3 girls from the US and one from Europe and we became quite close, it would have been nice to be living with more people from New Zealand |
| * Food: |
Different brands, but quite similar to the States in most aspects |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The IES Study abroad Program is an incredibly organized and competent company. They really know what they are doing and i think choosing to study abroad through IES greatly enriched my whole experience in NZ. The program director, Eunice (she's the best), was an incredible source of insider knowledge, help, and humor to our group. It was a source of comfort knowing that I had an adult there I could ask any questions to or talk to if I needed. In addition, the mid-semester field trip to Rarotonga was a huge plus, and I learned so much from that cultural immersion experience in addition to all the growth experienced while living in New Zealand. |
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) |
They say NZ is expensive, but with the US exchange rate it honestly was not as bad as I was expecting |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | -Meat is more expensive, so if you're comfortable with going vegetarian or eating more on the veg side most days, I'd recommend it! -They have two farmers markets close by, sometimes I'd save money if I went there to get produce -There are many local brands in the supermarket, and these are usually cheaper as they are not imported from other countries -Cut down on going out to eat as the expense can add up, it was more worthwhile to me to spend money on travel experiences |
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? | I wish I knew that is is okay not to do everything you initially planned to do. There is so much to explore and take in in New Zealand, and sometimes that felt quite overwhelming. I wanted to soak it all in, and sometimes it's not possible to do it all. School is a priority as well (buzzkill). I wish I'd known to be gentler with myself in that aspect of study abroad, you don't have to travel EVERY weekend, and if you end up not making it to all the places you wanted to go to, it's more than okay. Then you have reason to return! |
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. |
