Program Reviews

This program is a perfect way to fit in that study abroad experience into your busy college schedule! I took a geography of the South Island course during my time on this program and learned so much while on fantastic adventures and meeting amazing people. Three weeks was a short time but we still managed to pack in plenty. Several of my classmates and myself even stayed for awhile afterwards for further independent travel on that side of the world. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking for a fun and informative stuff abroad experience!

If you have a busy schedule at your home institution and can only fit in a short summer abroad program then this is just right for you. The 3 weeks that you are in New Zealand you will meet people from all different places and backgrounds that will leave a positive impact on you and help you to see the world from a global perspective. One thing I highly recommend is taking road trips with friends you meet in the program, as the trips I took with my new buddies throughout the beautiful landscapes of the south island will always be some of my most cherished memories. If you are worried about being there during the southern hemisphere's winter, rest assured that the landscapes are still verdant and gorgeous and the skiing and snowboarding should be great too. If you're looking for a summer abroad program that breaks from traditional study abroad norms and will lend you lifelong friendships and memories from the other side of the world, then look no further!

By challenging, I don't mean it entirely in the academic sense but in the social aspect as well—trying to remember everyone you meet and putting yourself out of your comfort zone in only 5 months was a challenge. In terms of academics, I decided to take 300 level science classes and the material was a bit challenging for me since I didn’t take the proper pre-reqs but the professors were so friendly and supportive. They offered so much insight and resources to help international students succeed. In some cases they even recommended places to visit in New Zealand, so I definitely recommend introducing yourself or talking to them after class if you have a chance.

The campus is beautiful (despite all the construction), but it felt a bit smaller than what the images on the website and brochures may have evoked in size. The flats on Castle St owned by Uni are homey and spacious. I even had a sink in my room! The flats across the street though, not so much, so you should be prepared to see a lot of broken glass on the floor. Uni has a reputation for its party scene and Castle St. is famous for it. Ironically I didn’t know that before I moved in, so if you prefer a quieter place, make sure to note that in your housing survey. Still loved my flat and my experience on Castle.

Other recommendations: I recommend joining a club on campus if you actually want to meet a good amount of Kiwis. Most of the people I met were international students and a couple Kiwis from my classes.

Oh man where do I start? I have so many beautiful memories from my trip to Dunedin and my study abroad experience at Otago. First of all I would like to thank the wonderful staff the made my trip outstanding, there was a lot of support from the University of Otago from all aspects. From the Uni flats staff to the professors at the University would always be at my service when ever I needed their help or support which is something that I've NEVER experienced at my home university. People are extremely friendly in through out New Zealand and I've made lots of friends while I was abroad. I will truly keep New Zealand very close to my heart for embracing me with open arms! Thank you!

Studying in Dunedin is one of the most kiwi things you can possibly do. Through the flatting system, I got to live with people from all over the world, from Kiwis to Brazilians. Dunedin is not far from some of the most gorgeous scenery in New Zealand- Mt. Aspiring National Park, the Remarkables, etc. and not far from tourist destinations of Wanaka and Queenstown. Dunedin itself boasts some incredible beaches and wildlife, some beautiful hills, and a very fun social scene. The academics can be as challenging or easy as you want depending on the classes you take. UniFlats was awesome and provided tons of support, fun events and meals, and information.

In a sentence, my time in New Zealand was the most transformative, exciting, and time warped five months of my life. I loved every second of my time in New Zealand. I'll start with the academics because according to my dad, that was the reason I was there but I'll explain later, and you've probably heard before, study abroad is not really about the studying. The University of Otago is a far cry from my small liberal arts school in northern Washington State, as it is home to 24,000 students all whom work hard and play hard. In my labs I got to meet Kiwi students and work closely with professors, teaching fellows and peer demonstrators. I got to experience work on the research vessel the Polaris and see more of my adopted Otago region because of it. I loved the hands off teaching style that allows students to take their education into their own hands, I wasn't used to not having someone check up on my work, seeing if I was comfortable at with the material and at first I struggled. I was unsure how to study without a test every two weeks to prepare for, but after the first month I fell into stride and loved being responsible to manage my time.
Like I said before however, it wasn't the academics that made my adventure most memorable. It was the people and the places. I lived in University run housing, UniFlats and loved every minute. The flat housed 6 students, myself, two other americans, two kiwis and a brit, in a complex of 8 identical flats. I couldn't have loved my flatmates more and the whole complex became a family, with shall I say social events being held almost every night and weekend trips to the mountains and lakes and natural beauty of New Zealand being a regular occurrence. It was my time with these people who helped transform to be more willing to say yes, who got my blood pumping as I leaped off a bridge and who made time fly. There is so much more to be said about why you should go to NZ, the ample opportunity for professional networking, the ease of traveling around the country, the friendliness of the locals and so much more but to sum up, I loved my time abroad and can't for the next adventure.

Within the first month of arriving in New Zealand, I had already checked several things off my bucket list, some of which I didn’t even know were on there! One of those adventures was a trip to the West Coast.
After a class that went 3 hours past its scheduled time my entire flat and one other in our complex set out for what turned out to be the most challenging and rewarding trip of my life, so far. We drove about 4 hours from Dunedin and camped right outside Wanaka. It was the middle of winter and FREEZING! We piled into tents after throwing on a few extra layers and woke up in time to watch the sunrise. Had it been just a little warmer, it would have been the perfect start to the trip.
After another long drive, we arrived on the West Coast at the start of the Copland Track. This 23km track to the hut we stayed at began on a beach. We were surrounded by tropical foliage for the first hour or so of the hike. Through the course of the track, we crossed several rivers, both on wire bridges and by just walking through the middle of them, we climbed boulders, and we saw the foliage and birds change as we climbed in elevation. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, however, I was in terrible shape and felt like my legs were going to give out at any time. It took us about 6 hours to arrive at the hut and I haven’t was ecstatic to sit down! I felt like I had just conquered the world, while everyone else had just barely broken a sweat. We spent the night hanging out in the hot spring, admiring the snowcapped mountain and getting to know each other. I made several new friends that night and got closer to others.
That night, the warden came to the hut and told us that the track had closed while we were on it due to weather and that we could stay an extra day or be extremely careful the next day. We decided to trek through the rain. The rivers had rose and the mud was terrible, but we made it out without any problems. The 45kms total were the most strenuous thing I have ever gone through, but afterwards I was ready for the next one. I ended up doing 3 of the great walks, as well as many other hikes. Without the Copland track, I definitely wouldn’t have seen the beautiful nature that I was exposed to.

Before my experience abroad, the word "home" made me think of my parents house which I grew up in. While studying for almost half a year in New Zealand, I now think of the small student flat that I stayed in as my second home. New Zealand proved to be an adventurous, exciting, and friendly place. Whether I was watching the sunset and yellow eye penguins on a beach near campus, or summiting one of the many cool mountains, I had a smile on my face and a content feeling in my heart. For an outdoor enthusiast, the University of Otago was the perfect choice for a semester full of learning, growing, and fun!

This country has everything an adventurous outdoors student could want. Even in the local area surrounding Dunedin, there is so much to explore (if one has a car). The peninsula is packed with great spots to sight see, rock climb, surf, and explore. University of Otago students foster a fun lifestyle that allows for lots of socialization. Overall, the south island offers so many opportunities for all sorts of adventures regardless of the activity.

Not only are all the teachers friendly, but they are incredibly direct and clear with their teaching style. The material covered is both stimulating and enriching, providing a diverse teaching style from the U. S.. Students have 3 teachers, who specialize in their own individual topics, to one course (in sciences) compared to the one in the states. My zoology classes consisted of publish readiness lab writings and field components. Aside from academics, Otago's backyard has the steepest street in the world, beautiful hike/tramp tracks (such as Silver Peaks), and some of the greatest mix of chill and entertaining Kiwis you'll meet. Not to mention incredibly accommodating international housing staff! The beauty of colorful sunsets and nightly milkyway will be missed; hiking/tramping is not the same outside of New Zealand!