Program Reviews

I had a fantastic experience on my exchange to VUW. I found the course work to be comparable to my home university and there was lots of support options if you needed them. Wellington is a fun, safe and beautiful city to live in and gives you great access to exploring New Zealand. My only issue was that I didn't live in University housing and Wellington has an extreme housing shortage! Students struggle to find an affordable place to live so I would recommend organizing something with the school.
Studying abroad was a great experience and I learned so much about different people, cultures and myself. Definitely would do it all over again if I had the chance.

This was an incredible experience that I would highly recommend to everyone. The classes were taught in a format different from my home university, however I was able to adjust and really enjoyed them. The professors were genuinely excited to teach their classes. And the location is amazing. Wellington is an incredible city and really fun, with great nightlife and awesome opportunities. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

I loved studying abroad at Victoria University - the overall experience made me want to move to Wellington! Such a quirky, cool city with so much going on - also just very beautiful. I enjoyed my classes and the chance to learn about prospectives different than what I was used to. My professors were all really nice and accommodating. I loved having more spread out finals than we have in the U.S. I wish I could have extended and studied there longer.

I've spent 5 months in New Zealand and more particularly in Wellington. The life in this city was awesome. There's a lot of activities to do, a lot of landscape to discover. Moreover, even if the weather wasn't that good, people are super nice, that makes the adaptation to the new city way more easier.
Victoria University was amazing too. The buildings are really nice and clean. The organization is on point and I never had problem to contact staff, lecturer. Everything was made to facilitate our integration with local people.
Moreover, there were a lot of services that were provided. University helped me finding a accommodation in a student hall. That was super easy and convenient.
Finally, life in New Zealand is so much different from the life in France. I really enjoyed my time in "the middle earth". I highly recommend people to come in this fabulous country. And for sure, one day I'll come back there.

When my friend and I arrived at our University Hall accommodation on our first day in Wellington, we couldn't believe our luck; it was just SO perfect. Very unlike the grotty or average places that we had in the UK, we were living in a very nice and spacious house, with a great living and kitchen area. We shared a room, and it was perfect for us to be living with 10 international students and one 'kiwi mate' (a New Zealand guy who helped us organise socials and was generally there to help). The only thing bad about living with 11 people was the mess that accumulated - especially after pre drinks before a night out - but most of us shared the responsibility of cleaning up, and also what else do you expect with 11 people sharing one kitchen?! However, it was so good living with internationals, as they in exactly the same boat as you. As an international student from England, I found the culture pretty similar, so if you want to ease into living in another country then this should definitely be a strong consideration.
In terms of the University itself, I actually found the workload very manageable, and to be honest easier than at my home uni. The modules that I did were New Zealand specific, and that was really interesting because I have never studied anything from a NZ/Pacific Island perspective before. I found it a really eye-opening experience, as I hadn't realised how American/Eurocentric our curriculum in England was, from primary school up to University. One thing that I would stress is that they do take note of your attendance, and I have been told by friends that you may be penalised if you do not meet the required amount.

Outside of University, there is so much going on in Wellington. You're really close to open countryside for such a great city, which is ideal for me because city life is sometimes too much for me. I liked the waterfront too, where you could purchase fresh fruit and veg every Sunday morning. The country is really great, too, there's lots of culturally significant places to visit, and beautiful scenery, especially in the South. It was definitely worth the semester.

So far, I have really enjoyed my experience at Victoria! Wellington is a small, relaxed, and cool city. New Zealand is great for the outdoorsman, not so much the urbanite. The winter weather is not so great either, beware of strong winds and rain. Also learn to deal with extremely steep hills. Nonetheless, there are many things to do and see in the country and city. The people are super nice and the city has a great vibe. The university is very supportive and offers several opportunities to engage with Wellington and the local people.

I have absolutely loved studying in Wellington for the trimester. I have been able to explore parts of New Zealand outside of Wellington and have seen the most beautiful landscapes. Wellington is a wonderful little city with a lot to offer. Vic has been a great academic environment, challenging, but not too stressful! Overall, this term has brought a lot of happiness to my life and helped me grow as a person.

Walking barefoot under the rain and cold, eating fish&ships, supporting the best rugby team (go Canes!) of NZ, having a weeeeird but lovely accent, enjoying nature and tramping, being polite and welcoming, taking care and being proud of wild and amazing landscapes, and of course respecting or being part of the huge maori culture... That's what being a Kiwi means mate. There's so much to say about life in NZ, and in wellington in particular. The weather might not be nice that the place is still beatiful, how come?
Victoria Uni is a great place to study. The uper cool people to meet and the lot of different cultures mixing there make the place unbelievable...

Victoria is located in NZ's capital city, Wellington. The school has professors that are (in some cases) world renown in their feilds. There isn't really homework, just tests and essays for the most part. The city is compact and bustling, and there's so much to do! The beach, the food, the bars... it's amazing. Wellington also gives you perfect leeway to the South Island and the north island, plus there's an international airport. I got to do it all! I stayed in Unilodge Stafford House which was just like an apartment. I loved having the privacy that is non existent in dorms in the states. There, I met lovely locals and international students from all over the place. NZ is a much safer place than the states, and I felt comfortable using Nakedbus as a solo traveler. Wellington and Victoria really changed my life, and allowed me to see how confident and passionate I am.

My experience at Victoria University of Wellington was easily the best 5 months of my life. Not only is New Zealand as a whole amazing, Wellington more specifically had such an inviting and fun atmosphere. There were so many things to do throughout the day, and the night life was awesome! The housing at this university was wonderful, and so were the kiwi mates! Overall, I would 10/10 recommend Victoria University of Wellington to all students looking to study abroad!