Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Reviews

My experience at AUT has been utterly fantastic. From the very first time I arrived and I was amazed at how the buildings looked in the city. My first experience was OWeek where AUT volunteers were really friendly and gave great information about the campus. I also got to stay at the WSA apartments. That is where I met people from all over the world. Exchange students to local Kiwis. I was amazed at how friendly everyone was and how willing they were for adventure. I met a really great group of friends stretching across Europe and North America. We all bonded over our love for New Zealand and our sense of adventure. During the week we stayed in Auckland and got to explore the beautiful places around such as Waiheke, Piha Beach, Mission Bay. Then on weekends, we got to see the wonderful places of New Zealand like the Coromandel, Cape Reigna, Bay of Islands. AUT gave me the chance to explore this wonderful country and meet great people along the way.

I wanted to travel in New Zealand for a few years and there is a partnership between my engineering school and AUT so I decided directly to come in Auckland for 6 months for my studies. Furthermore New Zealand has a great reputation in terms of ecology consequently for me it was perfect.

I traveled around New Zealand with my flat mates. Firstly we spent a few days in Coromandel, Rotorua and the North of the North island. During the mid break of two weeks we did a road trip of 10 days in the South Island and it was absolutely crazy : wonderful landscapes, penguins, sea lions, seals...

The lessons were very interesting in AUT and the teachers were very friendly. I recommend this university.

Though, I was hesitant to study abroad at first, I am beyond happy I made the decision study at AUT. Studying here at AUT was a life changing experience for me. I have met so many amazing people and made friendships that I know will last a lifetime. Accepting and including everyone is an important part of AUT. Just from walking around campus I can experience aspects of New Zealand's Māori culture. I even participated in Auckland's Pride Parade with AUT, which was definitely a highlight during my study abroad experience. Even though Auckland is over 8,000 miles away from home, it sure does feel like home to me now. Essentially, choosing to study at AUT was one of the best decisions I have made and for those who are contemplating whether to study at AUT or not, I would say 100% do it. It will be a decision you will never regret!

Studying abroad in Auckland, New Zealand was one of the best choices I have ever made. The country is extremely different from where I reside and I love it because I got to experience a new culture, diversity and overall the greatest views I’ve ever seen. If I could do it again, I would. Getting out of your comfort zone to experience this amazing country will never be a regret even though at times I did want to go home. Thank you New Zealand for this unforgettable experience.

I'm studying environmental and energy engineering in France and travelling to New-Zealand has always been a dream for me. When I realised that we had an exchange program with AUT, I immediately jumped in and am absolutely not disappointed.

My first impressions were extremely positive: the availability and kindness of Kenneth Holt, the warm welcome at WSA (the student apartments), and the extraordinary exotic beauty of the country. I would definitely recommend as they are very near to the campus, and public transports is a bit of a mess in Auckland, and you are just in front of the wonderful Domain Park. My classes were mostly very interesting, even though it had been difficult to pick up the good level for each of them. The teachers were extremely friendly, and the assignments interesting and well-made. Some lessons are more interactive than others, like everywhere, but there are always some practical applications, which is great.

The timetable is not too filled, so I had the opportunity to discover New Zealand further: we went to the North of the North Island before the lesson started, in Coromandel and Rotorua for Eastern and experienced the marvels of the South Island during our mid-Semester break. Coming for the first Semester is really funny for an European, as the Summer surprises a bit when arriving, but I think it is definitely the best period to discover New Zealand.

Overall, it was an extraordinary experience to study at AUT, and I don't regret any bit of it!

From the begining I had a amazing support from AUT helping me with the courses selection and all the paperwork. Everything was quickly and easily done.

I found the classes easier than in my university back home (Spain), but that was perfect as I had more free time to enjoy the social and cultural aspects of being in New Zealand.
I loved the location of AUT, it's close to the city center and it's easy to walk everywhere. The accomodation (WSA) is also perfectly located for students as it is just across the street form the campus.

I was surprised by the amount of events organized by AUT for international students. Specially, orientation week was great for meeting other students and to get to know the city campus.

I would highly recomend this university.

Studying in New Zealand at AUT is such an amazing experience. I'm from The Netherlands so, it's the other side of the world for me - this makes it a big adventure. I didn't really know what to expect from this whole trip and University, but it ended up to be great.

At the AUT campus, you meet so many new people and friends for life. There are tons of events happening such as BBQ's and volleyball tournaments. The rooms are great and if you're lucky you got an amazing view over the city and water.

AUT is, in my opinion, a really well-organised school, clear policies and a clean structure. They welcome international students with open arms and are there always for you.

Use your holidays to travel around NZ and discover their crazy landscape - it's stunning!

I'm studying business information technology in Germany, and I'm currently in my third year. For me, it was totally clear since I started my studying that I definitely want to study abroad for at least one semester. The decision for me where to go was tough. But with AUT and Auckland, I took a great choice.

Accommodation:
The choice for the accommodation in Auckland was very easy for me. I heard from a student from my home university, who has also been to AUT, that he would recommend the AUT Student Village. After I lived here for some month, I would every study abroad student also recommend applying for a flat at the Student Village. Especially at the beginning, I got know lots of international students and new friends, and the view from my flat was amazing.

Studying:
The effort during the semester was much higher as in my home university. In my home university, usually, I don’t have any assignments. So, at the beginning of the semester, I took a while until I got used to it. In terms of subjects, if I could choose my subjects again, I definitely would choose one Maori course instead of my usual subjects. That’s the only thing I regret that I haven’t chosen a Maori course.

Travelling:
In terms of traveling New Zealand is perfect. We made many weekend trips or one-day trips especially at the beginning of the semesters. I have seen many beautiful places on the north island of New Zealand. But the traveling on the South Island during the semester break was the best travel experience I had so far. Especially, Milford Sound and Mount Cook was a highlight, and everyone who is also going to New Zealand should visit the two places.

I definitely can recommend everyone who wants to study abroad to go to AUT and Auckland. It was a very nice experience, and I had a lot of fun. And it is very sad that I will leave New Zealand in a view days and my study abroad experience is over.

I'm so glad that I chose to come to AUT! I came here as a third year mechanical engineering student from the United States. I picked AUT for two reasons. First, it was in New Zealand. Second, it offered classes that could take the place of my classes back home and allow me to not fall behind when I return to the US.

Overall, the classes were good. The professors were quite good and were very open to students coming up to them after class to ask additional questions. However, I did have some issues with the program. In two of my classes, the teachers changed after the midterm. I wasn't a huge fan of this as I had to get used to new teaching styles. Additionally, one of my classes was run like two separate classes: two teachers, two midterms, and two finals. I don't know if this arrangement is common in New Zealand, but I've never seen it before in the US so it took some getting used to.

For housing, I managed to get into the AUT student apartments and would highly recommend this living situation to future study abroad/ exchange students. The apartments themselves aren't anything special and it might be possible to find cheaper accommodations elsewhere, but the apartments are just so convenient. They're right next to AUT City Campus and with most of the international students living there, it makes it very easy to meet people.

All in all, New Zealand is an incredible place to explore, and I will never forget my time here!

Two words: No regrets! Choosing to come to New Zealand has been one of the best decisions of my life. And studying in AUT has been absolutely wonderful. First off, AUT has such an interactive atmosphere. I took a photography paper and everybody there was so supportive and nice, and we were only about 15 in the class and we all really got to know each other. I also took a Maori class and our teacher (Jason King) was the nicest teacher I've ever met. Especially if you're Asian like me, you expect there to be a strict teacher-student relationship, but not in New Zealand (or AUT to be specific). Teachers here are so nice and you can talk to them about literally anything and everything and it really just encourages you to be friendlier to other people as well. At the end of the semester, even though it's only been 5 months, I'm having a really tough time saying goodbye to all these people.

With regards to travelling around NZ, I can safely say NZ is the most beautiful place I've ever been to. And I've been to Europe, the US, and a lot of other places, but NZ is a place quite like no other. From the peaceful atmosphere that basically encompasses the entirety of NZ to the sheep you'll find strolling around when you go on hikes, to the beautiful green and blue of grass and sky when you go to the countryside, it's all just absolutely breathtaking. I wasn't a hiker or a person appreciative of nature before I got here, but all I can say now is that I've been converted! Wow, just wow. I have absolutely positively no regrets coming to NZ. If you're still on the edge of deciding whether to come to NZ or not, don't think and just sign up to come study at AUT! The AUT admin are one of the most supportive, wonderful people you'll ever meet, and I promise you, you won't regret the decision. You can thank me later for all the fun you'll experience here in NZ ;)