Study Abroad at the University of Auckland, NZ

I have had a great study abroad experience so far. I honestly didn't think I would be able to, nor wanted to study abroad while in college, but I'm so glad I did. I've done so many things that I would never have had the chance to do back home and I am so grateful for this opportunity. Two weeks ago, two friends and I enjoyed our mid-semester break road tripping around the south island. We started off in Queenstown, doing the bungy jump and the nevis swing, and made our way up the west coast and down to Dunedin. We had a great time hitting many of the major tourist spots, while also enjoying the scenery during the drives. We also got to explore Wellington at the end of our trip, though the weather was not great. I definitely suggest Fidel's restaurant to those going to Wellington...it is definitely the best spot to get breakfast/brunch. I went twice during my short stay, two mornings back to back, and had chicken and waffles which were amazing. They also have a variety of amazing milkshakes as well as really cool pastries. If anyone likes Tim Tams they had a Tim Tam cake that I regret not trying. I seriously suggest to any exchange students looking for somewhere to travel to take advantage of New Zealand. Don't just head right for other countries like Sydney, or Fiji and take advantage of the entirety of New Zealand, especially the South Island.

Studying in Auckland is one of the greatest decisions I've ever made! I've been to beaches, mountains, hot springs, wine tastings, and bungy jumps. Waiheke Island is definitely one of the highlights of this trip. It's one of the most beautiful places I've seen. South Island of New Zealand is also incredible. I would really suggest taking the opportunity to study abroad in NZ. The food is good, the people are nice, and the place is beautiful!

Coming to New Zealand, I had no idea what to expect. Through my university back home in America and my exchange program, they tell about a lot of the customs and slang, but they can't prepare you for actually being in the country. I learned quickly to adjust to living in the heart of a vibrant city, surrounded by the ocean and other eager students. I've also learned a lot about many other cultures, not just New Zealand. In my flat, I have a Chinese, Singaporean and an English flatmate, as well as having talked to many other international students. As a whole, this experience has served to broaden my horizons and help me learn how to connect with people from a different background than myself.

As an indigenous studies student, I spent most of my time in Māori studies papers and have not regretted a minute of it! The staff and fellow students within the department are kind from the very beginning and take great care of their role as tangata whenua in making everyone coming through feel welcomed. Out of all the places on campus, I was never made to feel as much at home as within the Marae. A huge shoutout and thanks to all those within the Māori studies who work so hard to provide such a space for Māori and other students!!

Being able to go overseas to study isn't only because it's a great experience for your working life, it's also a great opportunity to travel the county and experience the culture. I have traveled all around New Zealand and have done everything from bungee jumping to cruising in the Milford sound. A semester or year abroad is the best experience you'll ever get as you'll also make friends for life which means you can come back to visit in the future, or they can come to you. How much better can it get?

During my mid sem break (which I was pleasantly suprised was 2 weeks long) I went skiing at Mt Ruhpehu. Being only 4.5 hours away from the snow is truly awesome as being from Queensland, Australia, its a LOT further than that. The mountain was as beautiful as I've been fortunate to come to expect from this amazing country and even though the weather wasn't great that week, the time we spent in doors with the people at the lodge were some incredible times in their own right! The beautiful landscape and wonderful people make Auckland a totally unique and enjoyable place to study (not to mention all the nearby parks and surrounding beaches!)

I am a study abroad student from Norway, and I am studying at UoA for two semesters. In the following paragraph, I will tell about an awesome day hike about one hour north of Auckland.

A few weekends ago, some friends and I decided to do a track in Waitakere Rangers that I had discovered on Instagram. Just to have said that, one can get lots of inspiration and explore many unknown places by following other students on social media. This time I was made curious on this tramp by a Swedish friend, who had posted an amazing picture of a person climbing a ridge with a beautiful ocean view.

It was the morning for the hike and the weather looked promising. Our 7-seat car was filled up by five Norwegians, one Canadian and one Estonian. The road was winding, but we arrived without any feeling car sick. The tramp started along a river in the forest. I had promised a view, and in the beginning it did not look very promising. The picture of the ridge was still in my head, and I tried to tell the others that we would see the ocean soon. Suddenly, through the tree, we could glimpse the ocean. Everyone was so excited and lined up take a picture. Not the greatest view I though, and new there was more to come.

After a nice lunch break in the sun, we only had one more hill to conquer before the track reached its highest point. The forest was less dense, and the ocean and beautiful landscape on the opposite side of the fjord were revealed. It was so such a great moment when I could finally experience the moment from the Instagram picture. Small islands, a long black beach, flowers, sun and great friends. We had a long break at the top, enjoying the nature. I was satisfied and the day had become perfect.

The study abroad program or overseas program is a really good way to meet new people, a new culture and a new language. I am so glad I chose NZ, and am looking forward to explore much more of this wonderful country!

New Zealand is a beautiful country and I love that I'm here. As for UoA there are some cons and pros, as with anything. Cons is that UoA is lacking school spirit. Coming from University that goes wild during welcome week and loves to celebrate school spirit, I missed that here. The introduction for incoming exchange students was just informative... but didn't include any fun events. I don't think the study abroad program coordinators put much effort into it - it was just a few hour event (compared to a week of fun events at my home uni). As for the pros: lots of great clubs (though you have to pay about $20 to sign up for each club which can get pricey) that organize awesome events. And of course fantastic people that make this experience fun!

In general, I am very happy about being an exchange student at the University of Auckland. The courses are challenging, the atmosphere good and Auckland is a nice place to be a student.
However, it is very hard to get to know people so I would have enjoyed some more introduction and "get to know each other"-days for the international students, and maybe also a bit more events during the semester.

During the mid-semester break, my friends and I headed down to the South Island for a trip. I am amazed by the beautiful scenery of the South Island. We do not even have to a tourist attraction to be wowed by the scenery. The drives during the road trip we took were all really enjoyable because the roads went by the lakes and mountains. The lookouts along those drives are also well-placed and such good spots to stop, breathe and take in beautiful pictures.

My second semester here at the UoA comes to an end soon. I had an amazing time here and am happy that I chose this university. Many other international students visit the UoA, which adds a good vibe. They offer a wide range of courses, and as an international student, I could enrol in all courses I wanted to take. The big majority of my lecturers were actually standing wholeheartedly behind what they were teaching and were, therefore, inspiring personalities. The personal interaction between all of the staff and the students is exceptional, from emails, over chats (Piazza) and open office hours. The uni has a smoothly running, well thought through online administration system. They even offer lecture recordings for most of the courses. There are always some buildings under construction, but the outcome is stunning, like for example the new science building. The uni provides plenty of work-, and computer-spaces in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition to that, there are many clubs to fill your free time and to meet heaps of other students, as well as professional Uni Health Services and a friendly International Office Team.

We travelled down to Taupo, to do half of the crossing in the midsemesterbreak. Had been able to borrow crampons and ice axes from the tramping club, so nice. The hike was awesome, even though it was very windy and we couldn't see that much. The first part of the hike was quite easy, before we entered the devils staircase! Then up to the mooncrater and finally, snow! After we drove back to Taupu and relaxed in a natural hot stream, perfect way to end a perfect day!

My exchange semester at the University of Auckland has been fun! It's very much a "big city" university, and quite different from my home university, but it has its charms. It is super easy to get to different parts of New Zealand, and I've done quite a bit of travelling! Also, my roommates have been fantastic, and made my time here even better. I have had the opportunity to live with both locals, and other exchange students, which has really broadened my horizons (and been a good way to ask 'stupid questions' about how things work here)!

Overall, I've enjoyed my experience in Auckland. The ease of schedule and long midterm break has allowed me to travel to Australia and around the North and South Island. My most important criteria for having a fun and successful time abroad was being able to experience the culture and beautiful nature around New Zealand and I have been able to do that so far. The professors and instructors are all personable and fantastic teachers. I was pleasantly surprised to be content with every one of my professors as that has rarely happened in all my years of schooling.

I also met a mobster on Ponsonby road and now I get into some bars without waiting in line or showing my passport to the bouncer, which is nice.

Overall, everything at the University is going very well. Classes are classes, and the workload is to be expected. The worst parts of this experience so far have been the housing, and also the required New Zealand course we had to take as part of our program at the beginning of the semester. The course took up so much time, it made the adjustment to life here much harder than it needed to be. In addition, I had 3 University classes on top of that, whereas most of my peers had only 2, so it was alot worse for me. In terms of housing, the Quadrant is a nightmare. The space is way too small and is not suited for living in or doing any school work.