I Left my Heart in Palmy

I chose the semester-ling study abroad program at Massey University in Palmerston North New Zealand and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I made so many new friends and shared experiences that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Kiwis are some of the kindest people you will ever meet - the cashiers at Pak & Save actually took the time to ask me how I was doing and were interested in hearing what I had to say. In fact, I asked where something was one day and the store clerk stopped what he was doing and physically showed me where to find what I was looking for instead of riddling off a random isle number. I really appreciated that.

As far as academics went, Massey offered courses that were challenging and enlightening. The overall class structure was completely different to what I was used to with my home university: there were only a couple assignments or "homeworks" to pass in and then there were exams and those were your only grades. A lot of learning outside the classroom is required as well - professors don't hold your hand nearly as much as they do in the States. I learned a lot from my courses at Massey and was able to get an interesting take on various aspects of American politics and education by hearing the Kiwi side of it.

Culture shock was not really a problem in New Zealand since everyone spoke English. I think my greatest challenge was getting around, and even that wasn't that difficult. The bus schedules are posted throughout campus and are easy to look up online.

The scenery, the people, the culture... everything about New Zealand was amazing and beautiful. I loved it so much that I've been back again in a year and I am planning on living there permanently in the future.