Study Abroad in Dunedin, New Zealand

Living in Dunedin for four months was one of the easiest transitions I've ever gone through (easier than going to college!). With the help of TEAN, I knew so much about where I was going and how to navigate the city within a few weeks of being there. I also learned very quickly how to travel the country and did it almost every weekend! The South Island was perfect for me because of the endless hiking tracks, ski mountains, camp sites, bungy jumping, and breathtaking scenery around every corner. I also had the opportunity to visit three other countries (Australia, Fiji, and Tonga) and explore the majority of New Zealand was something most people weren't able to do in four months. The TEAN leaders were very helpful by emailing us often to check up, give travel suggestions, or let us know of any upcoming events. While going abroad was at first out of my comfort zone, I quickly settled in and still consider Dunedin to be my home.

Going to New Zealand was the best life choice I have ever made. The Education Abroad Network is definitely the best program to go with - they were truly amazing. The staff is wonderful as well; they truly care about their student's abroad experience, no matter where they go. I would use TEAN again if I went abroad. The pre-semester trip to Fiji with TEAN was absolutely amazing. That was one of my favorite experiences. In terms of New Zealand, I loved it. It's such an amazing country. It's beautiful, safe, and easy to travel around. I now have so many memories that will remain with me forever. I met really spectacular people in my travels. Dunedin was such a fun city to study in; I can't wait to go back someday.

After having a rough time deciding where I wanted to study, I finally decided on going to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It could not have been a better decision for me. Without a doubt it was the best semester of college thus far.
The city of Dunedin is great in and of itself. It is a college-town and thus is built perfectly for the college lifestyle. There is an endless array of museums, exploring the nearby parks and trails, or having fun downtown in the social scene. Although the city is large, it is extremely walkable. Furthermore, it is located right next to a harbor so if you want to sail or have fresh fish these can be easily found.
How they house students is a lot of fun. You have the opportunity to cook for yourself and live with around five other students. In addition, the other houses nearby become like family as well. The only downside to the housing is that there is little insulation and it becomes quite cold in the fall and winter. However, you learn to be best friends with your sleeping bag and everything is fine.
The university itself is phenomenal. There is an endless array of clubs and organizations you can join while there. There is no way you can be bored. In addition, the classes I had the chance to take were great. I would recommend taking a Maori class while there. When else will you have a chance to learn about the Maori people of New Zealand?
Lastly, the adventures that await you in the South Island are beyond comparison. You can visit the beach and then hike up a mountain into the snow in the same day if you really want to. Multi-day hikes in the wildnerness without cell-phone service, internet, or access to roads is the norm. Get ready to meet an array of adventurous, kind-hearted people from around the world! If you are a person who loves the outdoors, than Dunedin, New Zealand is the perfect place for you!

I'll start off by saying how difficult it is to fully describe my experience in New Zealand. The scenery, people, nature, and culture were all so different from any other place I've ever been in the world. For over four months, I had the constant feeling that I was living an incredible dream.

Aside from our program orientation in Fiji, I was able to travel all over New Zealand in my free time, whether that meant taking a bus, renting a car, or flying for much cheaper than in the United States. During this travel, I got to meet people from all over the world, experience fresh scenery full of life, and exercise my mind, soul, and body.

I was thrown into a flat with three random American girls and a Kiwi guy, but I absolutely loved it. On our street, we built a great community of people, mostly Americans, but from all over the world. University life was nice because I got to take courses I genuinely wanted to take. They were equivalent to courses I took here, and I got credit for them, but they were from a New Zealand perspective. This was a great learning experience, because so much of what I was doing outside of the classroom was related to this.

I'm a bit of an adventurer, so a lot of my preferences in things I did might be a bit biased, but I'll share them anyways. Some of my favorite hiking experiences outside of school were Mount Aspiring, Arthur's Pass, Milford Track, and the Routeburn Track.

Aside from that, some of my favorite experiences were bungy jumping in Queenstown, kayaking in Abel Tasman and Bay of Islands, parasailing and Bay of Islands, seeing rare wildlife on the Otago Peninsula, participating in the Relay for Life at the University, watching the All Blacks rugby team play in Dunedin, glowworm viewing, abseiling/canyoning down waterfalls with TEAN outside of Auckland, a Stray Travel bus tour of the South Island, and rock climbing in Castle Rock (where I unfortunately broke my ankle. But still, it was awesome.).

Some of my favorite viewing places aside from hiking were the Catlins, Lake Matheson, Murchison, Wanaka, Glenorchy, and Arrowtown.

My typical week looked like this: Monday - Thursday afternoon I would study, do homework, go to all my classes, and experience university life. Thursday late afternoon or early Friday - late Sunday I would travel as much as I could. This consisted of incredible scenery, bungy jumping, parasailing, hiking, meeting new people, and traveling with various friends.

I have personally developed and matured a great deal because of this experience. I learned to travel (flights, bus systems, rental cars) independently, how to better take care of myself, and overall how to live well and adventurously. I even had a scare with a broken ankle near the end of my stay, but fortunately the health care system was incredibly reliable and helpful. Even with that, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Today I'm still in contact with a handful of friends from my university and program, and would consider them some of my best friends.

I grew so close to so many TEAN friends that I hosted many in Dunedin, as well as visiting them in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. This was great because I got to stay with them, eat with them, and have them show me around--usually for free. Many of the things I did I previously mentioned I did with these incredible people.

I just want to start off by saying that without TEAN, this experience would have been completely different. My time in New Zealand was absolutely amazing. Hard to describe, but believe me when I say it was the best 5 months of my life. To be completely honest, I was really upset to leave my home university at first; what would I miss, what would my friends do while I was away, which, at first, sounded like a lifetime. As soon as I got to the airport, I knew I had made the right decision.

Dunedin is an incredible college town. Thousands of college students, everything is in walking distance, and all kinds of student deals everywhere. I loved staying there and calling it home. It was easy to travel to the rest of the country, via plane and bus, and my kiwi host was extremely helpful, fun, and was an adventurer himself, so was happy to show us all around. My whole flat (apartment), which consisted of myself, a Canadian girl, another American guy, and my kiwi host, got along perfectly. Uni flats and TEAN really do a great job placing people together. At first, its scary to hear you won't be living with other TEAN students that, by the time you have made it to Dunedin, have made lifelong friends with, but it ends up being a great way to expand the amount of people you meet.

By the time you make it down to Dunedin, TEAN has already brought you on weeks of fantastic, incredible adventures. Exploring Auckland and learning what city life is like, seeing the sites of this popular place, and getting oriented to New Zealand is an indescribable experience, that you'll love! Dinners are planned for you, which is wonderful, and you get to meet and interact with the other TEAN students, and then are given free time to relax, or explore.

Aside from Auckland, the orientation in Fiji was one of my favorite parts of my whole trip. I would go back in a heartbeat. Being on this beautiful island and having nothing to worry about for a week is so enlightening, and such a great way to bond with everybody you are getting to know, all while learning and understanding an entirely different culture.

Overall, TEAN sets up everything, so you have nothing at all to worry about except packing (which is daunting!) and I know it was an excellent decision on my part to travel with them. The staff are so helpful, all the way through to the flights home! I had friends who did a direct exchange, and really struggled with planning and coordination, all of which was taken care of!

Words cannot begin to describe my experience, but I'll try...
I came into going abroad not really knowing what I was looking for out of the experience. I was stuck in a rut in life, stuck in my routine, and knew I needed to get out of it. I left having gotten more out of it than I ever could have imagined.
First, New Zealand itself was a dream come true. Everywhere I turned, I saw incredible landscapes, and it felt like the sky itself was the image on a Windows computer. I spent my weeks in class, but because I had no job or other obligations, I had a lot of free time. I'm someone who has NO free time at home, so this was a weird change for me. But it was really what I needed to enjoy NZ to the fullest. I got to travel so many places and meet so many people! I met Kiwis in classes and in the tramping club, and made friends I know I'll have for a while despite the distance.
New Zealand itself would have been perfect any way, but TEAN really was the icing on the cake. From the beginning, they were so helpful with paperwork and processing and getting everything sorted, and I didn't feel too stressed because of their help. They took us to Fiji and Aukland, so by the time the semester started, I had traveled more than most of the internationals. Throughout the semester, we had a few get-togethers, we all went and saw a Rugby game, and had a final dinner. They treated us like adults rather than just college students. I couldn't have been happier. I highly recommend TEAN in whatever country you decide to go to (though I'm biased and think New Zealand is the best).
I came back having such an appreciate for life that I've never had before. I was a driven student prior to studying abroad, and had an impressive resume. But now that I'm back, I value the simple things more. I have the travel bug, and my desire to see new cultures and travel the world has gone from a small "that would be cool" to a "you HAVE to do this."
Adventure is out there. No matter where you go, you will have such a life-changing experience

I didn't think it was possible, but my semester in Dunedin was a truly amazing experience I'll cherish forever. Everyone was always eager to go out; whether it was a weekend trip to another region or just around town. Even on the weekends I didn't travel it always seemed like there was something to do like the Speight's brewery tour, the Dunedin craft beer fest, or just exploring the botanical gardens. The classes were all pretty interesting since I choose to take New Zealand specific classes (I figured why not! New Zealand history would be more interesting than more US history) and the whole lifestyle was just simple and relaxed.

It took a bit of adjustment with the no central heating, the data cap, and hanging out the washing in the flats but it was pretty easy to get used to that. It meant people weren't attached to their computer and it made me more aware of my own usage of electricity. If you study abroad in the NZ winter, blankets and layers will become your best friend.

Taking trips was much easier than I thought it would be. Just get a car full of people together, pick a place, rent a car, and you're good to go! My personal highlights were abseiling into a cave in Waitomo, Milford Sound (I never made it to Doubtful Sound but it was highly recommended!), Aspiring National Park by Wanaka, and Waiheke.

TEAN took us to Fiji, let us jump off the Skytower in Auckland and provided us with numerous advantages just by being a part of the program. The staff was alway eager to help and just a email away at all times. They constantly were updating us on things to do in Dunedin and around New Zealand in general and really cared! I knew that New Zealand was going to be one of the most amazing experiences in my entire life and TEAN really helped me achieve that.