Study Abroad at the University of Auckland, NZ

Everyone's so friendly at the uni, easy to find the right people to ask for help and quick replies to emails etc. Can always find some way to have a good time with shadows bar and a bunch of cafes on campus. Easy to find your way around once you get to grips with the room numbering system. Loads of extra curric stuff if youre into that, something for everyone and all very open. I study Biology and have loved each of my papers so far, lecturers really friendly and workload not toooo bad.

Auckland is a really nice city and the university has a lot to offer. I joined the tramping club which was really nice. I had all of my courses at crafton campus, which is a bit smaller than the main campus but still a nice place to be after classes.
The courses I followed were really educational and thr professors were friendly helping out if you experienced any problems. Would definitely recommend taking courses in the field of medicinal science at university of Auckland.

Disclaimer: my home university coordinated the majority of my study abroad trip, including the initial preparations and orientation. However, the University of Auckland (UoA) International Student Services did contact me a number of times with class-related information once the semester began.

Academics: UoA was a lot less challenging for me than my home university, but it does take some time to get used to the New Zealand grading system. None of my classes required mandatory homework, and thus the final exam was often worth more than most American students are used to. This also means staying up to date on class material is on you. There are plenty of classes offered at UoA with interesting and NZ-specific content, and I would definitely recommend exploring these as NZ culture can seem almost the same as familiar US culture at first pass. I took a wine science class that involved wine tastings in lab - definitely would recommend.

Safety: New Zealand is mostly a safe country, but Auckland on a weekend night can be an exception. I myself had a close call on the Grafton Bridge near campus. Always travel with a buddy, and pay attention to liquor laws. Internationals at bars in New Zealand must use a passport or NZ-issued ID rather than a driver's license from their home country. Don't lose your passport by getting one of these NZ IDs, forms available online.

Adventure: The main reason I enjoyed my study abroad semester was the constant traveling I was able to do in New Zealand. The North Island can feel lacking at times from deep in the heart of the big city, but cheap rental cars and flights to the South Island mean travel is easy. UoA offers a number of its classes via webcast in addition to physical lecture, which is a great resource if you're out for a long weekend. Backpacking spots abound, and I would say Abel Tasman and the Copland Track are a must.

Tips: The city of Kaikoura on the South Island has seen an earthquake since my visit, but Kaikoura Cheese on the town's main road is phenomenal. The colonies of seals nearby are a plus.
Auckland has a delicious vegan eatery/bakery, Little Bird Unbakery. All their foods are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and delicious. Albert Park Cafe just a block from campus makes amazing polenta fries, and Scarecrow Cafe just a few shops down is a great brunch spot.

Auckland Uni is a place to grow and learn, and during my semester here, I had the opportunity to reflect on my future and focus on my long-term goals.
During my semester there, I made friends from around the world, joined some exciting clubs like the Auckland Uni Diving Club and the Aero RC Club, took courses taught my amazing, talented professors, and got to travel around New Zealand and explore its beauty.

To come here for nearly 3month ,I feel great beacuse lots of activities and firends here.

I have attended lots of activities and get help from so much people.When I first come to school,I did not no where to go because I have no booked a room and the staff gave me some wonderfull sugestion.After taking classes,I feel free t talk to my classmate as they have patient to tell you something I do not know.

I hope I can come here in the future！

Actually, I quite enjoy the life in New Zealand. And I like University of Auckland very much. I am a student from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. I come to University of Auckland as an exchange student for one term in School of Law. Everything here is new and fresh to me.

Environment: the UoA is situated in the city centre of Auckland. So life is convenient here. One can go to Queen Street for nice meals. The university cafe is also good.

Accommodation: I live in Huia. Although it is a little bit far from School of Law, but it is not very far to the city campus. And people here are quite nice. I met a lot of good friends here.

Study: Teachers are quite nice. The courses are well organised. Most of them will send the videos after class to make sure the people who has not come to class won't miss the point. Students here are hard working and nice to get along with.

Wanted to head to Rangitoto for the day with other ISA members but we missed the ferry. Instead we went to Waiheke (highlight area) and found ourselves on a beach. We then started exploring the edges of the beach onto some rocks and went rock climbing, I mean scaling some pretty high walls. From there we found this cool wooden ledge to take pictures from and other scenic area that were awesome. We ended up in a field of 3 ft grass and watched the sunset on the top of a hill! Then had to take roads back in the dusk because the tide came in and it was impossible to get back.

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.