Best experience of my life

Staying in Christchurch was a great base location for travelling as it was close to the airport and many popular locations (Fox/Franz Joseph glacier, Queenstown, Otago, etc.) The inner city itself is completely fenced off after the earthquakes a few years ago though and that area used to be the hub of club life and other entertainment. There are still a few bars around town that are easy to get to by bus, which leaves right from campus. I would still recommend staying in Christchurch even with the construction because it was very interesting to see the effects of such a horrible natural disaster and there were many classes offered to learn about it and the New Zealand environment. If you visit or stay in Christchurch a must see are the Container stores. They are in the center of the city right near the fenced off area. After the earthquake many stores moved their merchandise temporarily to large shipping containers. They have become a permanent fixture in the community though and are beautifully renovated with hard wood floors and multiple windows.
The apartments I stayed in were clean, new and the large compared to my on campus housing at home. The people were all very friendly and helpful with any questions I had. There is also a few grocery stores in walking distance which is nice because I do not recommend getting the meal plan, I hardly used it and the food was not that great. You have to stay in the study abroad housing, so it is a little difficult to meet the locals, but classes and going out at night helps that.