Study Abroad at Victoria University of Wellington

I loved Victoria University as well as the city of Wellington. With a great location within the city, everywhere was basically walkable.. In respect to classes, they were easy enough to balance travel with studying.
I was able to take advantage of the two week Easter break, this was a very big part of my study abroad experience. Being able to travel to four different countries during this time was something that gave me more knowledge than I could ever have learned in a classroom.
I have only heard positive reviews of Victoria University and the housing that was offered. The best part of studying there was the people that I was able to live with. Being placed with people from all over the world I was able to broaden my knowledge without even realizing it.
Overall location of Wellington within New Zealand was perfect. I was able to travel the whole North and the whole South Island. The ferry took a few hours and flights were cheap so you could plan last minute trips without spending too much money.

This was the most incredible experience of my life. Being in a country this far away from my own really put the whole world into perspective. I had always dreamed of traveling New Zealand after seeing beautiful pictures, and I felt that Victoria University of Wellington offered the perfect balance of academics and free time for an exchange student granting me the opportunity to explore this beautiful country.

I chose to study in Wellington because of the country's fascinating culture, and for me Wellington is the perfect combination of opportunities while not being overwhelming in size. I also was attracted to the University of Wellington's strong science department. The opportunity to do a lab for my Earth Science class in the field was especially exciting. Where else do you have a fault line nearby that you can visit?
The InterCity Bus also makes traveling around the north island easy. I spent a weekend in Tauranga, and also got to see Napier. It's also not hard to get cheap flights within New Zealand. But even if you don't want to leave Wellington, there is so much to do. A couple of my recommendations are: take a ferry to Somes Island, spend an afternoon at Te Papa, visit the Underground Market on Saturdays, and go to the Wellington Zoo and/or Zealandia. I have loved this semester, and do not want to leave. I highly recommend traveling abroad to everyone!

Vic Uni of Wellington does an amazing job accommodating international students. From the first day I was greeted by my kiwi host, and any issues I had during my semester I felt I could go to them for help. Uni Hall (the "dorm" I stayed in) had fun events all year long and I made my best friends from this group. The academics were not as challenging as my home university, but I'm sure more difficult classes were offered.

While being an exchange student at Victoria University of Wellington and living in New Zealand, I learned a lot, both related to my studies, and about myself.
It was a fantastic experience living abroad. I got the experience of living abroad and traveling without giving up on my professional goals related to my studies.
The social aspect of being an exchange student has been an incredible experience as well, where I have met many new friends and been a part of several clubs, where I could meet both local and other international student who have turned out to become new friends for life.

When I applied for this program, I already knew that New Zealand is a great country. But since i'm here, it goes way beyond my expectations!
This country is amazing, there so many things to see that I'm afraid no to have enough time to visit all the things I'd like to visit.
People are really friendly, there always a new thing to discover around every corner.
Moreover, the education in New Zealand is great. I come from France, where the education is all about theory. When I started the university, I was very surprised that all the courses works in the way. All about discussions, reflexion.
I'm in New Zealand for one year, and I'm already afraid to come back to France because I love this country.
So, if I had to give you an advice, it would be this one "be curious, ton be afraid to ask and have fun !"

Victoria University of Wellington itself is it's own little community within it's small campus. I always found some of the buildings homey, and there's a great amount of places to be social. Sometimes it is hard because a lot of the classes will refer to things people who have lived in New Zealand all their life would know, or assume you have knowledge of that is specifically related to New Zealand - especially in classes higher than 100 level.
The library at VUW is excellent, and has so many resources that you'd need. The view can be a bit distracting, but watching the sunset while you're stuck studying makes it all a little easier.
Go outside of the University, and you realize you couldn't have chosen a better place to be. The city of Wellington is a major city, but it's not too large. If you need to escape the city life, you can find bits of nature in every direction. The public transportation makes it easy to get around, and if you don't want want to spend money everything you need is walkable. It's a very livable city, and the fact that the university is there makes it perfect. But it's also a city that doesn't revolve around the university, so you can easily escape the university life if you need.
Wellington is a place to call home, if you make the most of it.

VUW is a very good university to go abroad with. Im an exchange student, and I have got good support and good housing through the university. They are always there to help with anything!
The school is very different from my home country, as there are internal assessments and several tests and assignments through out the year, and not just one final exam. But the lecturers have been very helpful in any confusion or if you have any questions.
Furthermore VUW is located very close to downtown Wellington, which is very nice, so you can literally walk everywhere. Also the housing through the university is located very nearby the school, so it only takes 10 minutes to walk there.