Study Abroad at the University of Auckland, NZ

New Zealand is a beautiful country with a history worth learning about and studying. I would highly suggest studying abroad in NZ and would recommend spending time learning about or taking classes on the country from the Maori perspective. Auckland is a great jumping off point for the North Island, but definitely save enough time to see the South Island as well. I had a wonderful experience exploring the country, and it's easy to see many different parts of it due to its size. However, although the distances may be short, you can easily spend 2+ weeks in the South Island and not see all of it. If you're into adventuring and the outdoors, NZ can't be beat for a study abroad experience. Go bungee jumping!

My semester abroad at the University of Auckland was my first experience leaving the continent of North America. I am from New Jersey and had only travelled outside of the U.S. thrice before - once to Montreal, once to Quebec, and once to Vancouver (all in Canada). In conversations with friends and family, my reasons for choosing to study in New Zealand were primarily the lack of language barrier and the fact that the University of Auckland had a course of study that aligned with my own at my home university. Internally, I was excited to see its notoriously beautiful landscapes, to try my hand at mimicking a quirky but no less fascinating accent, and to uncover the absolute mystery of what experiences might await me halfway around the globe. When you choose to study abroad, you are willingly placing yourself outside of your comfort zone, with the promise of personal growth and everlasting memories. I made the greatest decision of my life so far when I decided to push the limits of that comfort zone breach and spend five months at the University of Auckland.

The courses (or "papers" as Kiwis would say) that I took were informative, unique, and well-taught. I was able to limit my workload to three courses while abroad, and chose Principles of Marine Science (which included a required field trip component - major bonus for an international student trying to travel anywhere and everywhere!), an introductory course on the entire geologic history of Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand; connections between this course and my travel experiences were infinite - I was constantly explaining to my travel buddies all of the reasons why NZ's landscapes and natural monuments exist the way that they do, from the Southern Alps to Rangitoto to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves to Rotoroa's hot springs to NZ's famous rolling green hills to Lake Taupo and the Tongariro Crossing and beyond!), and Energy and Natural Resource Economics (Steve, as our professor insisted we call him, was my favorite lecturer of the bunch, offering the global perspective of modern energy issues in addition to the specific case of New Zealand). The full content of all three courses included material that I never would have been exposed to, had I not chosen to study at UoA.

As an exchange student, as I alluded to earlier, my goals for the five months were to devote the time and energy to my courses that ensured I would pass and do well, and to spend every waking hour outside of that time trying, witnessing, and absorbing everything and anything new that New Zealand could offer. So I traveled. A lot. I walked the streets of Auckland, trying to get lost and stumble upon something interesting in an attempt to get home. On the days that my lectures ended before noon, I caught a bus Mission Bay Beach or hiked up Mount Eden or found a friend to grab lunch with in Ponsonby. Weekend trips to other cities via Naked Bus or Air New Zealand ($20 promotional fares to Wellington made for the greatest birthday present ever!) were constant. My first trip outside of Auckland happened just two short weeks after arriving; a group of six of us travelled to Waitomo to explore the glowworm caves and were rewarded with a true taste of New Zealand culture. The two-week mid-semester break gave me the chance to travel all around the South Island, where I realized even more how unrepresentative of the entire country Auckland might be. Don't get me wrong; Auckland is an amazing city and cultural center. To be honest, I think living there helped alleviate some of my initial culture-shock upon arriving to New Zealand. Sure, there are many differences between Auckland and home, such as the direction of street traffic, the cleanliness of the streets, and the 'pinging' of crosswalk signals. But a city is a city is a city. You don't get a feel for a country by remaining in its largest metropolitan area. You need to actively experience more - that is my advice to any prospective study abroad student.

New Zealand is the perfect country for traveling. From the easy-going, helpful nature of its inhabitants, to its abundance of unique attractions and natural landmarks, I could not have imagined that a foreign place could feel quite so safe, stress-free, or inspiring. Even if traveling all the way around the country, as I am guilty of doing, is not in your interests, the location of UoA and its many clubs and programs allow you to experience the true nature of New Zealand in so many ways. From the organized adventures of the Great Outdoors Series to the Meat Eater's club and beyond - get involved, take it in, and enjoy!

My time at the University of Auckland was incredibly dear and will not soon be forgotten. Helpful, knowledgable and easygoing staff, an easily navigable campus, and systematic tools for ensuring student success (such as recorded lectures, class Facebook pages, and course representatives) were just a few aspects that reassured me that I made the right academic decision. The respectful mixing of cultures, simple and slower way of life, ease of travel, abundance of unique and rewarding experiences, and development of meaningful friendships (whether they lasted a single day or the full five months) assured me that I made the proper personal decision.

Overall, I rate my experience 10/10. Choose the University of Auckland for your study abroad experience. And take me with you!!!

If you are at all interested in hearing about my study abroad experiences and adventures, I tried to keep up with a blog during my time at UoA for my family and friends. The link is: https://catchmeontheflipside.wordpress.com

If you like to visit a thrilling country that has so much exciting experiences to offer then New Zealand is right for you! Because of my time spent abroad here I was able to check so many items off my bucket list like sky diving, bungee jumping, zorbing, and doing the swoop swing to name a few. The kiwis (the people not the fruit) are so friendly! I loved going to an English speaking country for my first time traveling and studying abroad alone. Hands down an unforgettable experience.

Packing up and moving across the globe for six months was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I set off the security alarms in LAX and was treated for a full body pat down. My baggage was overweight and I couldn't find my gate. The airline ran out of vegan desserts. And my carry on strap broke.
It was worth every tear.
Studying abroad at Auckland University was amazing. Auckland as a city is small, but there is always something going on. The University spares no expense at helping their international students settle in. I was never afraid to ask for directions or help and was always met with a smile. Although, I'm sure my accent tipped them off that I was foreign and probably didn't know any better.
The facilities at Auckland Uni are top notch; the gym is easily accessible, the libraries well stocked, and the on campus eateries are cheap and still yummy.
New Zealand as a country is almost indescribable. I spent another month and a half after I finished my semester just driving up and down the islands. And there's still so much more to see!
It's safe to say that I fell head over heels in love with this place, this program, and these people.
New Zealand, I hope to see you again soon.

Studying abroad in Auckland was a unique experience since the feel of Auckland felt a lot like home, yet there were so many new things to learn and understand. While Auckland gave a different view of the country as compared to other major cities in New Zealand, it did provide a great basis to travel around the country, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. While I was there I was able to visit most of the North Island and the South Island on weekend trips or during my finals period. During my mid semester break I had the opportunity to also visit Australia and Thailand.

I recommend studying at the University of Auckland, or anywhere else for that matter, to everyone. I had a marvelous experience in Auckland and learned so much, from my studies to the Māori culture. The people there are fantastic and I can truly say I've made forever friends there. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. I loved the school and the scenery and even managed to fit in bungy jumping during my semester abroad.

Auckland is an incredible school to do a semester abroad at; the school is fantastic and the surrounding area is lively and interesting. There is so much to see and do around the Auckland and North Island area, and traveling the South Island is one of the most amazing things to do in the world.

Attending the University of Auckland in New Zealand was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. It left me with a new sense of self-confidence and accomplishment, along with a lifetime of memories. My favorite memory is when my friends and I competed in the University's Waka Ama competition. We had no idea what we were in for, we were just on the search for our next adventure, and when we found this, we decided to go for it. Long story short, we go pulverized by the competition. We came in dead last, with a lag time of at least 20 minutes, but we laughed and all had a great time. Now, we have a funny story to reminisce about.