New Zealand was actually fairytale Past Review
By Kendall Spreen (University of New Hampshire) - abroad from 02/09/2019 to 06/30/2019 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Wellington - Victoria University of Wellington
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. |
Grades are heavily weighted on few assignments. Professors are super lenient on extensions and understanding. You can tell the professors truly have a passion for the subjects they are teaching. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We would meet around once a month for some social events to catch up and they made it clear they were there to help and encouraged a good time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The University Hall housing conditions varied dramatically. No house is the same, but I feel like it adds character. You have to realize you are in college and are not going to be living luxuriously. |
| * Food: |
I mostly cooked in my flat, but the few times I did go out to eat were great. There are loads of cute windows and hidden gems to discover. Food trucks are great too! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My time mostly revolved around other international students with the exception of a few kiwi-mates and RAs. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were no vaccines that I needed for this program that I did not already have. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in Wellington. It is a city so it is always important to be cautious, but I never met anyone who had any incidents. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The close friends I made outside of my program told me about how jealous they were of the TEAN Program. TEAN gave us such a tight-knit crew |
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) |
Being smart about money was important. I would save money by cooking at home. I probably spent around $60 per grocery store run. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Walk when you can even though the hills are brutal. Try not to uber eats even though it is tempting. Cook most meals at home when you can! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? |
