Program Reviews

I really enjoy my time at Victoria University. Both students and teachers are very friendly, helpful and supportive, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The courses I’m taking (Spanish and English studies and New Zealand flora and fauna) are very interesting. They come with an average workload, not too easy and not too demanding – I’m having the perfect mixture of studies and leisure time to enjoy the life in Wellington or to go on weekend trips. The midterm break was perfect for a trip down to the South Island. The library is a great place to study in the quiet zones or to work with friends in the many comfy working areas. The view over Wellington is amazing!

The Victoria International office offers a free airport pick up service including a welcome packet with useful information and a sim card. There were two days of international orientation with introductory courses, final enrolment and course adding/dropping. The latter took a little too much waiting time. The third day was an optional trip which was lots of fun and perfect to get to know better the other internationals. The Vic International team is always friendly and will help you with problems and sorrows, just go there and talk to them. They also organize fun events now and then.

Other people’s reviews here mention problems to get to know kiwis – for me that was no problem. I chose one of the cheaper catered halls which means that it is not directly next to campus but also that there are less international students but more kiwis living there. The distance to uni is no problem at all, there is a free shuttle service which takes about 8-10 minutes to Kelburn campus. The hall offers a great community and many activities, events and trips. So just pick a hall that is not likely to be every international student’s first choice and you will probably live with both - internationals and kiwis.

Wellington is a great city and Victoria University is a great university!

Victoria University of Wellington offers a welcoming, friendly and inspiring educational experience as an international student. My campus (Kelburn) has great facilities to improve your learning and social time around lectures - The library, The Hub, A Recreation Centre - many of them with a beautiful overview of the Wellington city centre.

The unique Wellington experience is made up by the beautiful waterfront, scenic surroundings with parks and nature reserves, lots of cafés, restaurants, bars, shops and the like, cultural attractions, festivals and events and an always friendly atmosphere and people - all packed into a city that you can cover by foot in just one day. But do not be fooled, Wellington and its surrounding hills holds enough activities, views and attractions to always go somewhere new - not to mention the rest of New Zealand, which offers limitless possibilities, fantastic nature and is easy to travel around by car or bus.

So if you're looking for a great and unique studying abroad experience, with a focus and academic gains as well as free time activities beyond compare, Victoria University of Wellington is the place to go!

Studying abroad was something I knew I wanted to do before I even applied for college, let alone knew where I wanted to study and what degree I wanted to pursue. I chose to come abroad all the way to New Zealand because coming from the U.S. I really couldn’t come much further and that was the goal. I wanted to immerse myself in a new culture, experience new things, and most of all I wanted to find myself. New Zealand is amazing if you love trying new things and seeing new places constantly. I’ve done more and seen places I never could have imagined before coming to New Zealand and because of that this has been the greatest experience of my life.
Yeah, you are taking a huge leap. You may have never left your hometown before and you’re looking at coming to a whole new part of the world- but take the leap. You won’t regret it and I can promise that. The culture shock may hit you, and it may be hard, but you’ll come out stronger and knowing yourself better. If you want to experience life from a new perspective and create a memory that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life….then come to New Zealand.

I do enjoy the days in VUW and Wellington. Beacuse I am in the last year in my home institution, I do not have the pressure to gain enough credits. Hense, I can fully enjoy the life here.
The air is very clean here. So does the food and streets. People in Wellington are very enthusiastic. They are always ready to help the others. So I never feel lonely or any kind of uncomfortable here.
Those staff in the international office of VUW are nice and patient. If you have any questions, just go and ask them.
If I really need to say something not that good in Wellington, it would be the weather. Wellington is fulled of strong wind. It often rains occationally as well. So a rain coat is extremely necessary!
The atmosphere in VUW is free. If you are not that shy, it is easy for you to make a large group of new friends from different countries with the same hobbies.
In one word, both of Wellington and VUW are the good places to experience the new life and learn about something new about other culture.

My welcome by the Victoria International team was very smooth with a free taxi ride to my accommodation and a useful welcome which included a free phone SIM.

International orientation was useful and concise only spanning over two half days.

My only negatives with the studying here is the library printers and availability of course books from the library. These facilities are better at University of Leeds, my home university.

Overall, I am quite pleased with my experience here at Victoria University of Wellington.

The experiences I've had so far in Wellington have been great. I have been pleasantly surprised by how well taken care of I feel from the university and the "package" that it offers for exchange and study abroad students. The insurance that VUW recommends has already saved my bacon once!

VUW is quite lovely, although it's been difficult for me to get to know my kiwi classmates. I suppose that's just how it is, most people you will get to know well will probably be other international students. Make sure you join one or more of the university's many awesome clubs though, you will meet people and have a lot of fun at the same time.

I absolutely loved studying at VUW for a semester, so much that I wish I had the opportunity to do my entire degree there! The people were all so lovely and I felt right at home from the second I started. Classes were challenging but manageable, a good quality for study abroad courses. I would highly recommend anyone to study abroad at VUW because they have heaps of opportunities for everyone! Campus life at VUW was definitely more than ideal; the hub at the Kelburn campus is a great place to hang out in between classes and get some quick review studying in when needed. There are also plenty of affordable food and drink options around campus for an in-between class treat! The international student activities were a hit and I met many people from all over through attending their events. These activities ranged from group hikes (tramps, as kiwis would say), eating dumplings and playing pool, watching Pitch Perfect 2 in the comfiest movie theatre around, sporting events, to potluck dinners and ice cream socials. All of the staff in the international student department were so friendly and welcoming, helping me feel right at home from the start of my experience until the end. It was also nice to live with people who understood what it felt like to be so far from home. There were plenty of opportunities to meet locals other than the housing situations. VUW did a great job at paring my house together, we all got along very well. I could tell you I had a terrible time, but then I'd be a liar. My time spent at VUW was easily the best time of my life so far, and that is no exaggeration at all!

I am Jojo from Thailand. I like to do a lot of new stuffs all the time, one day I thought ‘why not go study aboard?’ and that was how my story begins.

Before I came here, it was really terrified, many things that I worried about, like what if I cannot make new friends, what if I cannot pass the course, what if something go on my trip. With the help of international office, if you can remember my email, I have emailed you like a million times about many stuffs, they answer all of my questions and give me as much as information they have. That was a huge relieve.
After I got here, it was extremely exciting and super terrifying at the same time. Anyway the first week went well, I make a lot of friends at orientation and we still hang out so far. I went to many places in wellington, I went to Victoria mountain to see the view of wellington that’s so stunning, I went to Somes Islands just last week and that was the first time I see the sheep and lamb, that was amazing! Besides the activities in wellington, I found out that the classes in Victoria are so exciting too. Even though the classes in Victoria University are quite different from my home university, but I like it here even more than my home university, we have tutorials that gave us opportunities to discuss with other student; this expended my point of view in life. The facility both in university and Wellington are so convenience, the system was designed very systematic and easy to understand. The last thing I like about the exchange opportunity is Kiwi people are SO NICE, they are easy to talk to, very generous, and the most I like is their accent even it’s very fast but the tone of speaking are so cool!
I would not regret to going aboard at New Zealand and I believe that whoever want to come here will not regret it too!

I was a bit worried coming here to Wellington but everyone is so welcoming here, the international office organises great trips and it is very easy to find and make new friends.
I have classes at both Pipitea Campus and Kelburn Campus so my hall (Katharine Jermyn) is right in between them with a 10/15 minute walking distance. Shops and Restaurants are very close by aswell.
The International Buddy Program is amazing, my buddy showed me around the first few days when I arrived and made me feel very welcomed straight away- I would definitely recommend joining the program.

Honestly I would recommend to everyone to come study here for a semester or two, it will be a once in a lifetime experience.

It was a correct choice that I had given up the other exchange program since I knew I was able to study VUW.
Studying:
I quite love study here because every one here keeps beautiful and sunshiny smile and is very very polite. In addition, professors try their best to help you to make out your questions.
I love the Website 'Blackboard' of VUW that I can know everything I should do in few days and also check the grades in present after I submitted my homework.
Housing:
My friend who study here before recommended me to live in home stay and I chose it. Living in Wellington is a healthy choice by fresh air, safety traffic and sweet milk. I am so impressed about the drivers here who stopped and waited for me kindly when I was reaching to cross road.
Sometimes I also visit my friends house in Uni. They just likes a family, washing dishes, hosting party and potluck all together, which seems like that they have known each other for a long time but not actually.
All in all, Victoria University of Wellington is a warm place to study, likes a library, palace filled with various knowledge, where I thought that is a dream place.