New Zealand: I Will Return Again Past Review
By Ian F (Geography and Cartography., Western Washington University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Wellington, New Zealand
Yes, very much so! I lived in France for 7 month in high school, but this was completely different. I would love to live and work outside the USA now, and hope to potentially study (maybe even go to grad school) aboard again.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Victoria University of Wellington |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The grading system in New Zealand is bassed on an average of 50%, so an A is anywhere from 100% to 85%, B is 85% to 75%, and so on. Instructors also grade more rigorously than those in the US, so it took a little time to get used to getting lower percent grades on assignments but still having about the same letter grade as usual. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The programme at the beginning was wonderful, but they just kind of left us alone once we were in the University setting, whereas a few other programmes had weekly adventures. There are pros and cons to both styles though. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Vegetarian and gluton free options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My programme didn't arrange any trips after the initial orientation, but I did travel all over the North Island with friends, and did sections of the South Island with my family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Wellington was an extremely safe city and the hospital and healthcare system were great as well. I never felt unsafe walking around at any time of day in Wellington. |
| 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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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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 programme was pretty good, they took care of most of the paperwork and their website was easy to use. I would recommend this programme to more outgoing, independent students who are fairly good at meeting people. |
Comments
Thanks, Ian, for your feedback! We'll be sure to take this into consideration for future students. We're so glad you LOVED Australia!
Anonymous April 19, 2012
