Study Abroad in Auckland, New Zealand

I have nothing but good things to say about TEAN. There are extremely organized and helpful and made my experience unforgettable. I had an advantage to a lot of other abroad students in that I came with a program and had already become acquainted with other abroad students before school started. It helped me feel more at home and helped me adjust to the change. I went with TEAN to Thailand over mid-semester break and it was absolutely the highlight of my semester. The staff was amazing, the trip was perfectly organized and we backed about everything there is to see in Thailand in 9 days. Anyone traveling abroad should go through TEAN if they have the opportunity too.

This experience was beyond amazing. Choosing New Zealand as my country of study was the best decision I have made. NZ is so unique, and a lot of times a country that people forget about. It’s just one of those countries that you have to see the whole country to be satisfied. TEAN was a great choice of progam, as they know how to support us in any way possible and make us feel as comfortable as we can in such an unfamiliar place. After talking to others through different programs, it just seemed to me that TEAN really knew what they were doing compared to the others. Studying abroad in general taught me how to adapt to new cultures, how to be way more independent, and how to stop caring so much about what others think and just live my life. I am so greatful for this experience.

Waiting in the airport was a strange feeling for me. I had just said goodbye to my friends and family for five months, but I was overcome with excitement. I knew the coming months would be an incredible journey, but I couldn't even imagine just how great they would be. As I sat there, waiting to board the plane, it was the most anxious and nervous I have ever felt. But I would give anything to go back to that exact moment. I can't even describe what that feeling was like. I had spent so much time getting ready for that semester abroad that it didn't even feel real at that point. It was the most vivid and amazing dream I've ever had, and the rest is history, as they say.

I can still remember the exact moment I decided on this program. I had been meeting with my school's study abroad office and I was trying to decide where I wanted to study. There were so many options to choose from that it was a little overwhelming. I was scrolling through Instagram one day, and I saw a picture of a place in New Zealand called Cathedral Cove. I was mesmerized by the picture, and knew right then that New Zealand was where I wanted to go. A few weeks into my semester abroad, my friends and I all rented a car and took a road trip to Cathedral Cove on my birthday. As I stood there looking at the same view I saw in that picture, all I could do was smile. This is a pretty bold statement, but I think that was the happiest moment of my life. It was so simple but I've never felt pure joy like that. Being there on my birthday, with all these new friends, knowing that I was accomplishing my dreams was a feeling I'll never be able to accurately put in writing.

Counting down the days until I meet again with the lovely Pacific Island of New Zealand! My friends from my program and I had so much fun hiking, surfing, climbing, and going out during our time spent overseas. One of my favorite stories was getting invited to a semi formal with a cute kiwi boy and dancing the night away in the city! The lessons I learned from this trip made me the best version of myself I can be!

Being a part of the TEAN program studying at the Auckland University of Technology was a life-changing event and I could not be happier to have completed it. Beginning from the time we left LAX as a group of nearly 90 students getting prepared to face the unknown, TEAN gave us the tools and resources to enjoy our experience to the best of our ability and I can't be more thankful. As our orientation took us from Fiji to Auckland, we spent time building connections with other US students facing the same situations we were going through. Then once moving into our new homes and becoming a part of the AUT community, I was able to establish friendships with a lot of local Kiwis, especially my four roommates who were all from the same town in the north island. I cherished these friendships more than most and the uniqueness of crossing cultures has been incredible. Throughout the semester, TEAN staff did a good job putting together trips and activities for us to attend, ranging from a rugby match to a late-night comedy show. All-in-all I loved my time abroad and learned so much more about myself and the world surrounding me than I ever would've guessed.

Throughout my entire study abroad stay in Auckland, New Zealand, my number one goal was making memories! And it was an easy goal to accomplish thanks to my friends and advisors at TEAN, the Education Abroad Network. From our orientation in Fiji to our first week in Auckland, my TEAN advisors were there to help me and my new friends get adjusted to life in New Zealand. They took us surfing and then to my very first taste of fish and chips. After that, I was hooked on this meal! Everywhere I went afterwards, be it to Kaikoura to Wellington to Fox Glacier, it was the first thing I would eat! It became a ritual for me. So much so that my friends would tease me for it. But to me, it represented the food culture of New Zealand, and that's how I best connect to a place, through its food. And it was through food and meals that I made such great new friends and visited some great place!

The Education Abroad Network has set up a solid program for studying abroad in Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland already provides an abundance of opportunities to learn about Kiwi culture, but TEAN fully prepares students to live in a new country for 5 months.

TEAN is very good at making checklists of the required items we need. This made it easier to adjust in New Zealand and also less stressful. They helped with my visa application, university application and payments for the program.

One of the outstanding things about TEAN is the number of trips and events they plan for the students. Throughout the semester, they will host cultural events such as a rugby game or surfing for students. This helped me explore more of the country but without the hassle of planning it myself. One of the unique things they provided for us was a voucher for the Sky Screamer in Auckland. It's the perfect precursor for adventuring in New Zealand.

The residential advisors are the best people to talk to learn about the culture or just places to eat. They seem genuinely concerned about the students and whether we are making the most of our study abroad experiences.

From beginning to end, The Education Abroad Network was a fantastic program. I was impressed in the beginning on steps they took to answer my question and preparing us for our time abroad. The orientation in Fiji is an experience I wouldn't trade for the world. Lack of technology and distractions, Fiji offered the cultural experience of a lifetime. My favorites include the cultural dance performed for us and a hike to the local village.
When arriving in New Zealand, I felt so set to take on this city from the fist night eating tapas downtown. We had the opportunity as a program to explore the city and take time with friends. It was so relaxing and being able to spend my first week with people who I met in Fiji making it extremely comfortable and fun.
After getting settled in Auckland I realized how lucky I was. I had brand new housing with an American student from a different program looking to travel and locals. I felt like I had a balance where I met people who wanted to travel as well as locals to teach me all about kiwi culture.
I was able to accomplish so much while I was there. I learned a lot for great professors, I felt like I had made lifelong friends, and I felt like I had an amazing support system along the way with TEAN. I would not go back and do it any other way. I wholeheartedly suggest you choose TEAN if choosing to go abroad because there is honestly no other program that will give you all that they can!