Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Four months in the greatest place on Earth Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/20/2017 to 06/05/2017 with

University of Otago, New Zealand: Study Abroad Programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned self-sufficiency (how to cook) and other great things about a different culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were easy relative to Middlebury, but not so easy that you could totally check out.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

All my needs were met.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was housed with 1 NZ kid and four Americans, and the NZ kid ended up being a great friend who showed us all around the country. Flats all have singles.

* Food:

I learned to cook!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Having a NZ friend definitely helped me along in terms of getting integrated.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Student health was very helpful.

* Safety:

Some flat burglaries but little serious crime and no issues walking home alone at night.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Direct enrolling was simple and easy, but then again I also lucked out in being housed with friendly NZ students.

Finances

* 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)

Alcohol was expensive, but food was very reasonable.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan out big trips far in advance as those suck in money.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Local Culture
  • Easy Classes
* What could be improved?
  • Not much.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I'd known that all of the other people around me were going to be in programs. At the same time, because I was housed with a cool NZ guy and also living next to a good friend from high school, it didn't make much of a difference.

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 Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

SOCI101
Course Department: Sociology
Instructor: Lesley Procter
Instruction Language:
Comments: It was a bit challenging, but very interesting material about income inequality in NZ.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

POLS213
Course Department: Politics
Instructor: Iati Iati
Instruction Language:
Comments: It was a bit challenging, but all this guy really talked about was how the US was secretly funding the war in Syria. Seemed a bit out there at times.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

POLS101
Course Department: Politics
Instructor: Carla Lam
Instruction Language:
Comments: This was challenging, but satisfying.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

HIST107
Course Department: History
Instructor: Michael Stevens
Instruction Language:
Comments: A fun interesting course about the history of NZ.
Credit Transfer Issues: