Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Flinn

Why did you decide to study abroad with AustraLearn in New Zealand?

Lauren bungee jumping in New Zealand!

Lauren: I decided to study abroad in New Zealand because I knew that it could potentially be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wanted to go as far away as possible (I'd say an 18 hour time change is pretty far away!). I was actually born in Scotland and most of my family is in the UK or Europe so I wanted to chance to see a place I had never been and had heard little about. I always want to do things that few people can say they've done so the adventure elements of New Zealand intrigued me as well. I liked the fact that English is their primary language also.

I decided to study at the University of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. I chose Auckland because it offered the city life and was also a great hub for travel and getting to other places. Although Auckland has a bad reputation by native kiwis, I thought it was a great city for young people, easy to live in and offered a lot of things to do close by. The University of Auckland also offered diverse course subjects and was larger than most universities in New Zealand.

I chose AustraLearn because they specialize in studying abroad in the South Pacific. Although it was more expensive than some of the other programs I looked in to, they helped me take care of everything prior to and after my trip. They also required that each study abroad student participate in a three day orientation which I really enjoyed. During the orientation we not only got to know other students going to our university but we also got to know friends who were studying throughout New Zealand so we had places to stay during our time abroad. Although the orientation reviewed safety elements and need to know items about our time abroad, we also got to do a lot of fun activities such as caving and zorbing that got us started early on many of the adventures we would have while abroad.

What made your study abroad experience unique and special?

Lauren: There were so many things that made my study abroad experience unique. I would say that the relationships I built while I was abroad and the people I spent the most time with made my experience the most special. Not only did I live with four American girls but I got to know so many great people from so many different states and countries. We travelled together, went out together, studied together, celebrated together and generally just hung out together. Many of them are still my best friends three years later.

I think another thing that made my experience unique were the places I got to experience. During my time in New Zealand I spent a LARGE amount of time traveling. New Zealand is a country in which you can literally experience four seasons and every different landscape in one day. I got to see the spot where the Tasman meets the Pacific Ocean, I got to bungee jump and skydive in the same 24 hours in Taupo, I got to fly in a small plane over mountains and glaciers to end up in Milford Sound which was one of the most beautiful places in the world, I travelled to Samoa and slept in a beach hut in a town that no longer exists because it was wiped out by a tsunami and I travelled to Australia twice to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge, hold a koala, feed Kangaroos and sunbathe on the Gold Coast. Those were just a FEW of my experiences.

Lastly, I think it was the time spent that made it unique. There are so few opportunities in life where you can drop everything you are doing and travel abroad for six months with very few worries.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Lauren: Studying abroad impacted my future in so many ways. Personally I think I came back a more laid-back, independent, daring and cultured person. I did so many things I thought I would never do, learned so many new things about myself and others and lived in another side of the world on my own. I think I also came back more focused. Now that I am in the professional world, I have no what ifs or regrets. I even got a kiwi bird tattooed on my foot to remember my time abroad.

Lauren holding a koala bear!

Academically, study abroad helped me complete basic credits such as history, anthropology and politics that I needed to complete my major. Taking these classes abroad was much easier than taking them at home as I got a pass/fail credit and I was also interested in what we were learning because it was all new information to me. It was also interesting to experience school abroad as class style was very different. In New Zealand, lectures are not mandatory however smaller discussion classes are required. There were very few check-ins or tests along the way and instead essays were completed and turned in independently from class. Personally, I found the coursework much easier and was able to pass all of my classes with minimal effort and lots of fun in between.

Professionally, study abroad impacted me more than I thought. When I returned, I applied to work in our study abroad office and ended up taking on a brand new role as PR coordinator. I worked part time and helped market study abroad, feature study abroad students and programs in the university news paper, volunteered at study abroad fairs and built and maintained digital accounts for study abroad. Prior to graduation I was sure I wanted to go in to study abroad recruiting. Although I did pursue careers in that realm for a while, I ended up getting a job in Public Relations but still apply many of the skills study abroad taught me to my communication efforts.