Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Student culture at the University of Otago is unique & special Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/26/2018 to 06/18/2018 with

University of Otago, New Zealand: Study Abroad Programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be independent, how to navigate through unfamiliar places on my own.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes at the University of Otago were so much easier than Middlebury.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

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)

New Zealand is expensive, but I saved a lot of money by cooking my own food.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook your own food.

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?
  • The Student Culture at Otago
  • NZ nature/environment
  • Dunedin
* What could be improved?
  • More comprehensive orientation
  • People in programs tended to stay in their "groups"
  • Facilitating more interactions with students from NZ
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? NZ gets cold in the winter. Bring warm clothes.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Ecology and Conservation of Diversity
Course Department: Ecology
Instructor: Robert Poulin
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Class was easy. Lectures were in huge lecture halls and boring. Labs were more interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Economics of Developing Countries
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Stephen Knowles
Instruction Language: Englsih
Comments: Course was on an interesting topic. The teacher was knowledgeable , but quite dry. I was assessed on an in class exam, an out of class essay, and a final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Pacific Bodies: Pacific Worlds
Course Department: Pacific Islands Studies
Instructor: Michelle Schaaf
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The class was not challenging, although I did learn a lot. Most of the people in the class were either from the Pacific Islands or had Pacific heritage. It was interesting to hear about different perspectives and learn about different cultures. The teacher was not the best at teaching, but was very friendly. I was assessed based on weekly essays on key course concepts , a research paper, and a final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: