New Zealand changed my whole perspective! Past Review
By Libby Pederson (Washington State University) - abroad from 07/08/2016 to 11/11/2016 with
ISA Study Abroad in Wellington, New Zealand
I want to travel a lot more and I believe I am a go getter anywhere I live. Definitely worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I loved New Zealand and I can't wait to go back, but if I were to do it all over again, I would've gone to Otago University in Dunedin. |
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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? |
This was probably the worst part of my study abroad experience. I was paying a lot of money to live in an extremely small, cheaply furnished, and over-all messy place. I was also the oldest person in the building, so living with 18 year olds wasn't the best experience for me. |
| * Food: |
No dining resources for students living in University accommodation. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since I did live in a dorm, I got to meet Kiwi's from all over New Zealand and made some good friends that I still talk to. Wellington is a great place to learn about New Zealand in general. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any major health issues, but I went to one counseling session and I had a good experience with that. |
| * Safety: |
I've never felt safer than I did while I was in New Zealand. I wasn't scared of going to class to be alarmed by an on-campus shooting. Whenever I was out clubbing I was never afraid of walking home alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would still choose ISA, but I would've chosen a different city within New Zealand. As expressed earlier, I believe I would've liked my experience more if I went to school at Otago University in Dunedin. |
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) |
New Zealand is roughly the same for living expenses. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Apply for scholarships! |
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 wished I knew of better accommodation. While I was in New Zealand I found heaps of people looking for flatmates, but I had already committed to living in a dorm situation. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
