The Semester of a Lifetime

Spending a semester here in Auckland has been the best experience of my life, hands down. Auckland is a huge city with so much to offer, while at the same time being a short ride from beaches, mountains, and other natural beauties of New Zealand. I live in Parnell Student Village, which is a little community of apartments situated outside the main city that houses people from all over the world. I have made the most amazing friends that I will always have for the rest of my life, and have learned so much about different cultures. I study engineering, and the university's program has been really supportive in helping me out when I need it and the course material is interesting and challenging. My friends and I have done the most amazing things: skied on a volcano, white water rafted the largest commercially rafted waterfall, went zorbing, bungee jumped, went sand-boarding, dug for hot springs at the hot water beaches, and so many others! The beauty of TEAN is that I got to make friends before the semester even started, and even though some of them went to different cities that only means that I had places to stay when I was traveling. TEAN also has a wonderful support network of friendly staff that are always looking to help you out. It's really amazing how spending 5 months in a country, exploring it and getting to know the people around you can make it seem more and more like home.