Absolutely lovely semester spent in Aotearoa!

ARCADIA:
Awesome program! Very thorough orientation and the transition into my semester abroad went smoothly. The Directors and Student Support Coordinators answered ALL my questions and were very helpful/accessible throughout the entire semester. We went on many excursions together too: geothermal parks, black water rafting through glow worm caves, surf lessons, a re-created indigenous Maori village, Zorbing, an All Blacks rugby game, and more! I had lots of fun and bonded well with my fellow Arcadians on these weekend trips. Not only that, but Arcadia coordinated my accommodation and placed my entire program in Carlaw Park Student Village. Carlaw is located in a great neighborhood and is just a 10 minute walk from campus. I have to say that it has the most facilities and was the cleanest student accommodation I have ever stayed in.

My experience was unique because I took a Pacific Studies course as well as a Islam in the Contemporary World course... topics I could not have taken in my home university. By the end of the semester, I felt that I had gained a rich cross-cultural learning, where I definitely had to engage in cultural humility and self-reflection, while confronting and reconsidering my preconceptions. With courses that foster critical thinking as well as the most beautiful natural landscapes/views I have ever seen, studying abroad in New Zealand at the University of Auckland was truly a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I'm glad I did not pass up on!