Wellington is such a friendly city with plenty to do and amazing views, even in the winter! So far I’ve loved all my courses at Vic and found several opportunities to get involved in clubs and local volunteer efforts, both through IFSA and on my own. IFSA and Vic staff have been incredible as well—very helpful and encouraging, especially by guiding me through any problems with my first living situation and providing me with an alternative accommodation. As someone who has never travelled alone before, I feel totally safe and cared for in this program. Highly recommend!!!

While the academics at Vic weren’t nearly as challenging as my home university, this opened up a lot of time to explore Wellington and New Zealand! I thought the level of support from IFSA was perfect to get a footing in a new country/culture while not being overbearing, and really appreciated the planned programming to help immerse us. I found that Kiwi culture was similar enough to my own to not be shocking, but still allowed for a lot of personal growth. Highly recommend the study abroad program at Vic!

Campus itself and the students were quite nice! I enjoyed my time at Vic very much. However, I really loved Wellington, the opportunities there, and exploring greater New Zealand. Wellington is an amazing bouncing-off point for the rest of the island, and has so many great treasures within the city as well. I pursued an internship in Parliament and that was the hallmark of my time there. I would highly recommend making the most of your time in a capital city, and take advantage of every opportunity that you can! I also joined a local church choir to meet locals, and they became my second family. It was truly the best five months I could have hoped for.

Wellington was a wonderful and walkable city with so much going on! I found some of the best people in this city and great opportunities to be involved in the community. Its a beautiful city in such a great location with access to other great places. There were so many organizations to get involved with like Everybody Eats and Vincents Art Studio which are 2 places I spent a lot of time at. The people I met were very welcoming and introduced me to so many new experiences. I couldn’t recommend it enough!

My time at Vic University of Wellington in New Zealand so far has been amazing. The first few days were spent at an ecosanctuary where I was able to meet and become friends with other IFSA students from the US. This experience helped feel much more settled and secure before starting uni. I met some amazing friends and was able to participate in super fun activities. It was like summer camp for adults. In my time with IFSA for the orientation I made such close friends and now I am able to say I have friends not only all over Wellington but all over New Zealand!

The IFSA program at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch is exceptional. I was there for one semester over their winter and spring. The program coordinator provides amazing support as you adapt to a new culture and life style. IFSA plans trips in the local community to allow you to see and learn about things you might not get the chance to without them. Because of the initial orientation with IFSA, the students I met in my program became my absolute best friends. I would recommend this program for anyone who loves the outdoors and exploring. There were so many day trips and weekend trips in the canterbury region that I really got an in depth look into the culture and beauty of New Zealand. I also joined a lot of the UC clubs which helped me get out in the community to go skiing and volunteer. The housing that is offered is very close to campus, clean, and allowed me to meet so many people living in the same apartment complex. As someone from a more rural town in the US, Christchurch felt like a big enough city to do fun things and get everything I needed without feeling overwhelmed. If you are looking for the true city feel, I would recommend going on the Auckland IFSA trip instead. The public transport system in Christchurch is also very easy to use and cheap.

As a young adult who had little experience with travel and zero experience with international solo travel, I sought out a program provider that offered on-the-ground support and guidance through all the logistics of living and studying abroad for a semester. IFSA was the perfect option for what I needed. From finding student accommodation to working through jetlag -- the staff was friendly, supportive, and clearly had our best interest at heart. I had the opportunity to witness how they helped friends through adversity, and we all knew that if we needed someone, they were just a phone call away. The program size was small enough to be intimate yet forced us to make connections outside our fellow program participants. While a seasoned solo traveler likely wouldn't need the level of support IFSA provided, I would highly recommend this program to nearly all prospective study abroad students. The knowledge and assistance they provided throughout the program allowed me to avoid many of the stresses of traveling and quickly adjust to being abroad, improving my immersion and helping to create a meaningful and impactful experience I will cherish forever.

I was initially drawn to New Zealand for their outdoor adventures and picturesque landscapes. In addition, the University of Auckland stood out to me as it is a prestigious research-driven university. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of my time studying in the field - an opportunity you cannot find in many places. As a criminology major, I got to work with a professor who analyzed justice systems across several surrounding countries and volunteer at an organization that worked to assist and mentor young children whose parents were incarcerated. The professors I had recognized that the students are genuinely interested in the subject, not solely for completion of a degree. New Zealand is the most beautiful place I have seen and in it I found a place that I could collaborate in and one that I loved to research.