A Beautiful, Expensive, Fun Country Past Review
By Rosie V (Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services., University of Maine at Orono) - abroad from 02/17/2012 to 06/23/2012 with
USAC New Zealand: Massey University - Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
It was very worthwhile, I feel like New Zealand is a part of me now. I learned and gained so much knowledge and experience of their culture that I won't forget.
Review Photos
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. |
The academics in New Zealand were easy compared to UMaine, the schedule was simple and classes were taught around the exams at the end of the year. Overall, I did not stress at all during my semester abroad. |
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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? |
The housing was decent, but fixes that needed to be made took a long time to get done. |
| * Food: |
I was on my own for food, the grocery store was close and cooking was easy and convenient. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Many kiwis don't like Americans/America, which I didn't expect to find. This set me apart from many of them, but I still made many good friends there. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
My program provided insurance while I was there, which was very helpful for doctor visits and small issues that came up. There were no prevalent health issues in New Zealand and I didn't need any additional vaccines for the trip. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe, even in downtown Auckland. I wouldn't recommend walking around in town at night, especially on the weekends because there are lots of young, intoxicated people and things happen. |
| 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) |
My budget was expensive because of the cost of things in New Zealand. I would give it a 2 probably. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably $100 |
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 wish I knew more of what to expect, talking to someone who had done it would have been helpful. |
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. |
