Study Abroad at the University of Auckland, NZ

I could write forever about my amazingly unique experience at the UoA but it comes down to these small points. As a Samoan university student the opportunity to study at the Center for Pacific Studies was priceless. To learn from professors who reflect my pacific island culture, upbringing, and core values was an absolute blessing and was such an empowering experience. Not to mention attending a university where so many of my peers are of Maori and Pacific descent. I also had the privilege of living at the brand new student housing on 55 Symonds which was modern, clean and so convenient (only a 10 minute walk from City Campus). Living in very close proximity to the K Road & Queen St was also a true blessing as it allowed for me to experience places like Aotea Square, Skytower & The Cloud. All in all it was an experience of a lifetime and I would encourage all students to participate in a study abroad program. Of course I am biased towards New Zealand now but I believe any study abroad program is worth the try.

My home university is a private all-Women's college in the United States. I had never planned to study abroad, but upon talking to some friends, I decided that I wanted to study abroad in a place that is beautiful, academically rigorous, and spoke English. I found that the University of Auckland has one of the best psychology programs in the world, which made me apply. Thankfully I was accepted because being here has been the adventure of my life. Auckland is a safe place, and I love being able to go to school so close to the city. Have the ocean so close is also one of my favorite aspects of being here. As far as academic goes, the professors, in my experience, are great and having tutorials with tutors is also super helpful because one can practice and go over the material learned in lecture. All in all, I love being in Auckland and wish I could stay for much more time.

University of Auckland has been a great experience for me. Auckland has great weather and despite being far away from many of the natural beauties people come to NZ for, there is a lot to see in the area! Coastal trips are only a 1-2 hours drive and you can see some of NZ's beautiful beaches and tracks. The university has been welcoming, and the campus is nicely set up with tons to do in between classes. I'm enjoying all of my papers and highly recommend taking NZ Politics 107. All and all, it has been a great experience!

Choosing to study abroad in New Zealand has easily been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I had never travelled outside of the States prior to studying abroad, so New Zealand was my first out-of-country experience. The tall glass buildings, the water and the wharf, the diversity of people, and the iconic Sky Tower all caused me to immediately fall in love with Auckland. People (even complete strangers!) are especially friendly here, and I've never once felt like I wouldn't be able to make any friends. In fact, through the UCEAP Orientation Program, I was not only able to meet people, but I was able to become best friends with about 7 or 8 others who I know I'll stay in contact with when I go back home to California.

As far as traveling around New Zealand goes, I had two weeks before the semester at Auckland Uni began to visit the South Island- BEST decision I could've made. I and 4 other friends spontaneously planned a trip to go to Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Milford Sound, and the trip did not disappoint. Dunedin was a very quaint city with lots of shops (and a cool Chocolate Factory that you can tour!) and things to look at, but Queenstown was the tourist-go-to spot for sure. Despite the freezing cold weather (nothing two layers of pants, a long sleeve shirt and two jackets, a beanie, gloves, and a scarf can't protect you from), we enjoyed 5 days together exploring the city (we went on the luge- look this up!). Milford Sound is an absolute MUST. I'm not a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but I LOVED this trip and would even call it a highlight of my time in NZ thus far.

My papers (aka classes) at Auckland Uni haven't been too stressful. I ended up with one engineering paper (I initially was taking two but one was cancelled last minute) and three general education (GE) papers. My advice in terms of which courses to take would be to take what you need so you don't fall behind back at your home University, but if you have the option to, lighten your course work and take a GE or two so you can really enjoy your time abroad.

On weekends, I and about 4-6 others (my good friends that I met from the UCEAP Orientation) always go on day trips around Auckland. We rent a car (driving on the left side of the road is very strange I'll admit, but if you and your friends help each other out, it's very do-able!) and travel as far 3 hours away from the city to explore beaches, waterfalls, or cool hiking trails. Even these little trips have made my time in NZ that much better.

In the end, what I've taken from my time in NZ thus far is that you need to make the most of the time you're given. I've found that it can be easy, and admittedly tempting, to want to lay in your room and watch some Netflix for awhile. BUT, in the time that you spent binge-watching your favorite show, you and your friends could have been half-way to a breathtaking beach or scenic hike outside the city, and this is something you don't want to miss out on. Studying abroad has been a huge privilege, and if you have the chance to do something like this, put yourself out there and don't think twice about it.

The UoA is a very good university with lots of interesting courses to offer. My home university has an obligatory semester abroad so I had to choose courses that are similar to my studies at home. The UoA courses are more challenging than my studies at home because you have to do several quizzes, assignments and a mid-semester test during the semester instead of one if final exam. Since I'm not used to this system, it's a bit hard in the beginning to organize yourself. It's very important to keep up with all the stuff because it's very hard to do all your tasks when you fall behind. Two of my courses had tutorials which were very helpful to exercise for the test and the exam. What I really like is that most lectures are recorded so if you miss one or if you just want to go through it again you can always do that at home and work on your own. However, I have to say that due to that high workload you don't get to travel as much as you may want to, but you can still do that after the semester or during the semester break.

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.