Study Abroad at the University of Auckland, NZ

This was my first time leaving my country and I could not have asked for a better experience. Auckland is safe and the people are nice, but I still have gained the independence that comes from living in a big city. The schools here are challenging, but not overwhelming and there is always help available if you need it for both academics and adjusting to New Zealand life. I would definitely recommend this program to any student looking to study abroad.

Being a fearless youth, I always think about leading a different but meaningful life elsewhere.
This is the reason why I choose the University of Auckland.
And fortunately, it turn out to be one of the most precious time I have ever spent.
Different education and life style. Pleasant environment and air. Earnest people.
I think every young man should have a chance to be here, to see another possibility of life.

Overall I am so happy with my choice of Auckland for a study abroad destination and would definitely recommend it to others. Whilst I have only been here 2 months, the experience has been amazing. The city itself is buzzing, (although on the expensive side), I have met lots of friends from all over the world, and the trips out of the city have been incredible.

Auckland is everything I wanted in a study abroad location. It is of course English speaking, everything in the city is in walking distance, and there is plenty to do to fill my time., It is also really easy to get out of the city and experience the "real" New Zealand. Buses and hostels are cheap, therefore weekend trips around the North Island are extremely easy. It also easy to fly to the South Island and again to travel round there.

I have loved my time here and cannot wait for what the rest of the year will bring.

It is so easy to meet other international students, and I really feel like home here. In the mid-semester break I went to the south island for 11 days, which was amazing. We took the plane down to Christchurch and rented a small campervan. And visited places like Arthurs pass, Franz Josef glacier, Wanaka(which was one of my favorites, if you are there, you should go to Roy's peak), Queen town and lastly Mt. Cook national park. Love New Zealand and can't wait to see more of what it has to offer!

New Zealand is one the easiest and safest places to travel in the world! The people are super friendly, which is great if you ever need directions or even a ride. My favorite adventure was traveling to the South Island during the 2 week mid-semester break. In one day, I went from mountains and glaciers to farm land, rain forests, and the beach! I found the workload at uni to be very manageable, which meant lots of free time to travel. The most stressful part of going abroad was deciding where to go and how to get there. The transition into student life was also very smooth. I lived in Parnell Student Village apartments, and they planned monthly activities like ice skating, bowling, and even dessert nights at the delicious Chocolate Boutique. It was a great way to get to know other international students and the kiwis. The best part of living in Parnell was the gorgeous walk to school through the city park. The park is super safe during the day, but don't walk at night because there are no lights. It takes about 25 minutes to walk to campus, or 15 minutes by bus. You will gain some serious leg muscle walking up the hills everyday! Although the course load is not as challenging as I am used to at a top 50 liberal arts college in the US, the professors are extremely passionate and engaging. I was able to take classes that are not offered at my college like Maori Studies and Debates in New Zealand Health Care Policy. I gained a global perspective abroad that has changed my life forever.

I never thought I would meet people I would go on to call my very close friends in my year abroad, especially since we've only known each other for a semester. We plan to keep in contact after and hopefully meet in the future. It's fascinating how quickly you can get to know people in a foreign environment and form a long lasting bond. It definitely helped that the place I met them was friendly and inviting.

I am glad that I was given to the opportunity to spend a semester in New Zealand. I met new friends and was able to experience a lot of things for the first time. It was great that UoA has a 2 week long mid-semester break, which allowed me to fully recharge myself for the second half of the semester. A 2 weeks break also meant that I had the opportunity to travel and tour South Island. Studying in New Zealand gave me the opportunity to see how Geography comes alive and I am so thankful for it especially when natural landforms like mountain ranges and caves are not readily present in my home country.

I have been sent to the University of Auckland for a year by my French university to complete my second and last year of Master in the field of International Business and Management.
So far, these 2 last months have been a great experience! The University of Auckland is a good place to study where everything on the campus is made to make you feel at home, e.g. sofas, computers, food court, uni bar, ...
UOA provides good quality teaching but prepare yourself to read a lot!! What has surprised me when I started is the amount of readings we need to do for each papers on each week. What a change compared to the French system! Nevertheless, this allows the teachers to be more interactive with students during lessons even if we are 300 in the class and bring the lessons more interesting.
Coming to study in New Zealand is a great opportunity to meet many people from different cultures. You will also be able to discover some lovely places. To me, NZ is one of the most beautiful places in the world. You can find everything, e.g. white sand beaches, volcanos, forests, hiking tracks, shopping, snow, sun, rain and sheeps ;) You will experience some amazing road trips with breathtaking landscapes.
To finish, my last word will be: Just live and Enjoy life and earth!