Program Reviews

I could write forever about my amazingly unique experience at the UoA but it comes down to these small points. As a Samoan university student the opportunity to study at the Center for Pacific Studies was priceless. To learn from professors who reflect my pacific island culture, upbringing, and core values was an absolute blessing and was such an empowering experience. Not to mention attending a university where so many of my peers are of Maori and Pacific descent. I also had the privilege of living at the brand new student housing on 55 Symonds which was modern, clean and so convenient (only a 10 minute walk from City Campus). Living in very close proximity to the K Road & Queen St was also a true blessing as it allowed for me to experience places like Aotea Square, Skytower & The Cloud. All in all it was an experience of a lifetime and I would encourage all students to participate in a study abroad program. Of course I am biased towards New Zealand now but I believe any study abroad program is worth the try.

My home university is a private all-Women's college in the United States. I had never planned to study abroad, but upon talking to some friends, I decided that I wanted to study abroad in a place that is beautiful, academically rigorous, and spoke English. I found that the University of Auckland has one of the best psychology programs in the world, which made me apply. Thankfully I was accepted because being here has been the adventure of my life. Auckland is a safe place, and I love being able to go to school so close to the city. Have the ocean so close is also one of my favorite aspects of being here. As far as academic goes, the professors, in my experience, are great and having tutorials with tutors is also super helpful because one can practice and go over the material learned in lecture. All in all, I love being in Auckland and wish I could stay for much more time.

University of Auckland has been a great experience for me. Auckland has great weather and despite being far away from many of the natural beauties people come to NZ for, there is a lot to see in the area! Coastal trips are only a 1-2 hours drive and you can see some of NZ's beautiful beaches and tracks. The university has been welcoming, and the campus is nicely set up with tons to do in between classes. I'm enjoying all of my papers and highly recommend taking NZ Politics 107. All and all, it has been a great experience!

Choosing to study abroad in New Zealand has easily been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I had never travelled outside of the States prior to studying abroad, so New Zealand was my first out-of-country experience. The tall glass buildings, the water and the wharf, the diversity of people, and the iconic Sky Tower all caused me to immediately fall in love with Auckland. People (even complete strangers!) are especially friendly here, and I've never once felt like I wouldn't be able to make any friends. In fact, through the UCEAP Orientation Program, I was not only able to meet people, but I was able to become best friends with about 7 or 8 others who I know I'll stay in contact with when I go back home to California.

As far as traveling around New Zealand goes, I had two weeks before the semester at Auckland Uni began to visit the South Island- BEST decision I could've made. I and 4 other friends spontaneously planned a trip to go to Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Milford Sound, and the trip did not disappoint. Dunedin was a very quaint city with lots of shops (and a cool Chocolate Factory that you can tour!) and things to look at, but Queenstown was the tourist-go-to spot for sure. Despite the freezing cold weather (nothing two layers of pants, a long sleeve shirt and two jackets, a beanie, gloves, and a scarf can't protect you from), we enjoyed 5 days together exploring the city (we went on the luge- look this up!). Milford Sound is an absolute MUST. I'm not a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but I LOVED this trip and would even call it a highlight of my time in NZ thus far.

My papers (aka classes) at Auckland Uni haven't been too stressful. I ended up with one engineering paper (I initially was taking two but one was cancelled last minute) and three general education (GE) papers. My advice in terms of which courses to take would be to take what you need so you don't fall behind back at your home University, but if you have the option to, lighten your course work and take a GE or two so you can really enjoy your time abroad.

On weekends, I and about 4-6 others (my good friends that I met from the UCEAP Orientation) always go on day trips around Auckland. We rent a car (driving on the left side of the road is very strange I'll admit, but if you and your friends help each other out, it's very do-able!) and travel as far 3 hours away from the city to explore beaches, waterfalls, or cool hiking trails. Even these little trips have made my time in NZ that much better.

In the end, what I've taken from my time in NZ thus far is that you need to make the most of the time you're given. I've found that it can be easy, and admittedly tempting, to want to lay in your room and watch some Netflix for awhile. BUT, in the time that you spent binge-watching your favorite show, you and your friends could have been half-way to a breathtaking beach or scenic hike outside the city, and this is something you don't want to miss out on. Studying abroad has been a huge privilege, and if you have the chance to do something like this, put yourself out there and don't think twice about it.

The UoA is a very good university with lots of interesting courses to offer. My home university has an obligatory semester abroad so I had to choose courses that are similar to my studies at home. The UoA courses are more challenging than my studies at home because you have to do several quizzes, assignments and a mid-semester test during the semester instead of one if final exam. Since I'm not used to this system, it's a bit hard in the beginning to organize yourself. It's very important to keep up with all the stuff because it's very hard to do all your tasks when you fall behind. Two of my courses had tutorials which were very helpful to exercise for the test and the exam. What I really like is that most lectures are recorded so if you miss one or if you just want to go through it again you can always do that at home and work on your own. However, I have to say that due to that high workload you don't get to travel as much as you may want to, but you can still do that after the semester or during the semester break.

Everyone's so friendly at the uni, easy to find the right people to ask for help and quick replies to emails etc. Can always find some way to have a good time with shadows bar and a bunch of cafes on campus. Easy to find your way around once you get to grips with the room numbering system. Loads of extra curric stuff if youre into that, something for everyone and all very open. I study Biology and have loved each of my papers so far, lecturers really friendly and workload not toooo bad.

Auckland is a really nice city and the university has a lot to offer. I joined the tramping club which was really nice. I had all of my courses at crafton campus, which is a bit smaller than the main campus but still a nice place to be after classes.
The courses I followed were really educational and thr professors were friendly helping out if you experienced any problems. Would definitely recommend taking courses in the field of medicinal science at university of Auckland.

I had dreamed about coming to New Zealand for years, but actually traveling and studying in this program was an entirely different (and yes, better) experience than what I expected. As an international student in the University of Auckland, even for only four weeks, I was faced with the challenges of living in a city twenty hours away from home by plane. However, Auckland--and New Zealand in general--is one of the safest places I've visited. As a country, it is astoundingly beautiful and welcoming to the traveler. The terrain differs distinctly from north to south, east to west, and there is always more to explore.

As for the program itself, the goals and perspectives of the staff made for a friendly learning environment, which is unique especially within filmmaking. We were encouraged to make mistakes and learn from them, truly "learning by doing," because the goals of the staff were to see us improve, and they believed in us enough to mentor us. I worked as one of two directors in our film groups, and I quickly learned the value of collaboration. Every job within a film or television show exists for a reason, and learning to work with people I had never met before--even as they were figuring out their roles--was a challenging and rewarding experience. By the end of the course each of the two groups had produced two scenes written by our convener John Callen, one scene written by the group, and one full short film created, produced, and edited by the two groups in tandem. However, I think one of the most incredible outcomes of the course was seeing how much we improved in four weeks, going from a clustered group of individuals from all around the world, to a fully-functioning team of filmmakers.

In addition, we had the opportunity to take a few field trips. As a Lord of the Rings fan, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Hobbiton. Wellington satisfied not only my fandom but a lot of my questions about the production and post production process as we visited Park Road Post Production, Weta Workshop, and Roxy Theater. Our impromptu visit to Shortland Street at the end of the course was an absolute treat in watching professionals do on a much larger and faster scale what we were trying to achieve at the university. We also had the opportunity to hear from and converse with Damon Andrews and Rachel Jean, both professionals within the New Zealand television industry, whose insights were extremely helpful. Most of all, we had the opportunity to learn from a professional throughout the four weeks of the course. John Callen is filled with filmmaking knowledge, and he thoroughly believes in the students he teaches. One of my favorite memories is riding the bus up to Hobbiton and sitting next to John, discussing everything from his experiences on The Hobbit trilogy to filmmaking tips to our families.

I would highly recommend this program for filmmakers, creatives, and general students alike. The collaborative lessons, as well as the empowerment gained in travel, has a value that can be applied to any job or field of study. My biggest advice to future participants: seek to learn, not to impress. Ask questions and seek out feedback, even though you will receive plenty during the course. Filmmaking truly teaches a person how to stay calm enough to fix problems and move on quickly, and it is helpful if you stay open enough to mistakes from the beginning. Develop relationships with the other students and staff members--I know I have made some life-long connections during this course, not just for making films but also as friends and mentors.

I would also recommend making real attempts to travel around the country on the few days that you may have off. New Zealand is just as picturesque as... well, the pictures, and I learned valuable lessons in traveling on days off just as much as I did in class. It also allowed me to clear my head in between script meetings, schedule meetings, rehearsals, location filming, studio filming and editing, which I think circled back to help in keeping perspective during those meetings, filming and editing sessions.

Overall, I had an unforgettable and enriching experience while in New Zealand doing Screen Tools, and I hope that my return will not be too far in the future.

During my time in Screen Tools, I not only learned about practical production process, but also taught me that no dream is impossible and there will always be a place for our craziest ideas in the industry.
I had the opportunity to work with incredibly talent people from New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Started like friends and at the end we were like a little family, always got each others back.
My role during the four weeks was Director’s Assistant. I was in charge of the vision switching, continuity and was constantly communicating with the 1st AD in the studio. This role made my develop several skills such as multitasking and working under pressure. I always had help and great advice from our incredible mentors, I never felt like I was working by myself.
There’s a lot of information to process in only four weeks, but not overwhelming, everything falls into place and you don't realise how much you have learned until the very end. Such an incredible experience I would live all over again.

Apply! Don't think about it, just apply! This course was one of the best experiences I've had!

From day one, it was hands on and engaging, and everyday was another chance to develop my filmmaking skills. I was a bit nervous going into the course because I hadn't had much experience making films, but the staff made sure the learning environment was supportive and encouraging, and a space where it was okay to ask questions and make mistakes. The staff showed their professionalism through experienced knowledge and advice, of which I found incredibly valuable.

I also loved working with talented and like-minded students from around the world. Having a diverse range of people means we had different perspectives and suggestions which contributed to the success of our final product. I made some really great friendships, and would be eager to collaborate with them again in the future!

Taking part in the Screen Tools course not only re-affirmed my love for the filmmaking industry, but it gave me the confidence that I needed, to prove to myself, that I am capable of working in this industry. The course was set up to mimic industry standards and each day we learnt more and more about what it is like working in the film/television industry.

The awesome field trips also gave a look into how the industry runs. The trip to Wellington was amazing, in particular, our time spent at Park Road Post where we talked with professionals about their roles in the post-production side of filmmaking. This was an area I didn't have a lot of knowledge about and I found it incredibly interesting. All of the staff at Park Road were willing and eager to chat and discuss their roles and the industry which was really lovely.

Our trip to Shortland Street was also wonderful as it was a similar set up as what we had been using. It was really cool and inspiring to see that what we were doing in class wasn't dissimilar - Shortland Street was just on a much larger scale!

For any future students fortunate enough to take part in the course I would suggest to ask as many questions as possible, absorb as much as possible, go with an open mind, and just enjoy every single second of the process! It really is an awesome opportunity!

Oh, and enjoy New Zealand! It's such a warm, welcoming, and beautiful country!