IES Abroad - Study Abroad in New Zealand

Spending a semester abroad was more than just taking courses in another country for a couple of months. The experience impacted me in every way imaginable. I experienced the unknown a lot while I was abroad – public transportation, Kiwi slang, Māori language and culture, Tim Tam Slams – and each of these experiences is a memory I carry that developed me into who I am today and who I will be in the future. Study abroad taught me to be more independent, flexible and fun-loving. The five months I spent navigating the ins and outs of a new country increased my self-confidence and helped me mature as an individual. The curriculum I engaged with while abroad opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about subjects I thought I already knew, and a spark has been ignited in me to follow my passion and do what makes me happy. While my experiences abroad may have shifted some of my plans for my future profession, there are certain qualities I acquired that will be useful no matter what field I end up in. I have a greater respect of people who aren’t the same as me. I’ve always been a tolerant person, but study abroad has helped me to better understand habits and notions of my own culture that were so ingrained in me I didn’t realized they existed. Not only have I earned a greater sense of respect for people, but I also feel more comfortable adapting to new situations and environments. My semester abroad threw many things my way I couldn’t plan for. I had to learn very quickly how to juggle them in order to succeed. As part of my program, we went to Rarotonga, the Cook Islands. The entire trip was unforgettable. IES gave us such an incredible and unique experience that I never would have been able to plan myself. On one of my favorite days, we got to visit a school that had preschoolers through about year eight students. After our introduction and a performance from the children, we got the chance to interact with them on a more personal level. They showed us how to play the drums, husk and grate coconuts, weave plates and make coconut leaf jewelry and I even got the chance to play netball and tips with them on their lunch break. As we were leaving that day, most of the children lined up to give us parting high fives. A little girl that I played netball with grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers instead of giving me a high five. She had one of the biggest smiles on her face I think I’ve ever seen and at that point I realized I would have been so grateful to just spend every day on our trip playing with those kids. Their lives are so fundamentally different than my childhood was, but their happiness was infectious. I have never been on a holiday where I’ve interacted with the local culture as much as we did that week. Yes, we spent our fair share of time on the beach, but I also left with a greater understanding of what life is like for Cook Islanders. I hope I can do that on all my future trips. A semester abroad is about engaging with the culture of your host country. My program and my semester abroad helped me to do just that. I got the opportunity to embark on road trips with newly made friends, fly to the North Island and set out on an adventure in a very cramped campervan, work on one of my greatest passions (photography) and just see and experience the awesome New Zealand landscape. It seems like around every turn in the road there’s something new and overwhelming you get to take in. I spent a lot of my time abroad just feeling small in such a grand landscape. It was refreshing. I had my life turned upside down in the Southern Hemisphere and realized that it was exactly what I needed for a lot of pieces in my life to slot together. I don’t think I’ll go a single day in my life where the impact of my semester abroad doesn’t somehow play a role in how I interact with this world. Study abroad is important. It opens new pathways and changes perspectives. Study abroad enabled me to learn about marine biology, evolution, Māori culture, and land ethics. It enabled me to learn about what it means to engage with your surroundings. It enabled me to learn about how I think about the world and what I can do to be a better global citizen. My experiences during my semester abroad are unparalleled to any method of learning I have previously been a part of. Not every moment was perfect, but I experienced so much sheer joy in the five months I spent abroad, I know I’m going to look back on those memories in the future and just soak in that happiness again. I am so immeasurably grateful for the opportunity to study abroad and I can’t wait to continue traveling in the future.

I had packed my 2 suitcases and headed to the other side of the world, not really knowing what to expect. From the hustle of city life in New York to the laidback one-large-village vibe in New Zealand, my world was flipped upside down. Study abroad was the time to experience many firsts- camping, climbing mountains, diving, whale-watching, white-water rafting, glowworm cave hunting, traveling independently, driving on the left side of the road, operating on island time, and many many more. Throughout the ups and downs of study abroad in Christchurch, IES faculty had been a solid foundation through which all of my concerns were answered thoroughly. I cannot recommend it enough. Study abroad. Do it.

Growing up in the middle of farmland leaves you wanting a different setting for yourself. This is why I chose New Zealand for my study abroad experience. New Zealand is known for its beautiful mountains and extensive nature. I craved a new view. New Zealand brought me this and so much more. I was fortunate enough to partake in study through IES Abroad whose advisor was of Maori culture. Throughout the semester I became immersed in the Maori way of life; learning about their values and history. I learnt more about myself the first two days on Waiheke Island than I had in a lifetime. However cheesy it may sound, I made lifelong friends and pushed myself in ways I could only do there. I welcomed the feeling of learning a new campus with new classes and people. The University of Auckland offered all the courses I needed and challenged me just as much as I am at my home university. Being time zones away from my family was new to me, but I have never felt such a true happiness that I felt being in New Zealand.

I'll have to admit I never thought of New Zealand as somewhere one could "Study abroad." To me, Europe was were you went to study abroad and New Zealand was reserved for magical journeys such as your honeymoon or an Eat, Pray Love situation. When I discovered I could study abroad in New Zealand I had no idea what to expect. The whole moving to a new country with nobody I knew was more intimidating than I'd like to admit to my family and peers who consider me an adventurous and responsible character. Nevertheless, I summed up the courage and applied and soon I found myself climbing off a plane onto the streets of Auckland, New Zealand. My housing situation was more than ideal; clean and comfortable and within easy walking distance of the school. I was also next to a large park which was great for running. The IES program I was on met within my first days here and it was here I met the most important factor of my experience; my friends. I'll spare you all the various details of our countless adventures and developments but in summary, together we set out to explore NZ and explore we did. The classes I took were interesting (I had the luxury to have a relatively flexible schedule) and so I took some novel courses. One thing I appreciated was that all of the lectures were recorded and uploaded online so I could review them before an exam. Another thing I noticed was that the coursework here was very writing heavy and some even included hand-written in class exams! Anyways, I could write pages upon pages about my experiences here however as far as a recommendation I could not recommend New Zealand (and IES specifically) more. IES provided me with the stability and comfort I required in order to make the most of my time abroad and I never once felt alone or anxious about my possibilities for I always knew where to turn. If you have ever felt the urge to sit alone on the beach staring at the milky way one weekend and climbing a mountain to look at some snow capped crystal blue pools the next (all the while taking courses and gaining college credit of course) New Zealand is the place for you.

I participated in IES Christchurch, direct enrolment into the University of Canterbury(UC) last semester and could not have been more pleased. The program coordinator was the most down to earth woman who made the transition into the Kiwi life super easy. All of my UC classes were 20-ish students because I was taking junior-level courses. The courses were challenging but very manageable compared to what a junior level Biology course at my home university would require. I had the opportunity to get to know my professors and other students in my classes. Not to mention, the south island of New Zealand is a prime location to study abroad for the outdoor adventurer. I'd go back in a heartbeat!

Travelling to New Zealand, a country on the other side of the world, was more than just a far-away country with new accents and foods. I wasn’t just on the other side of the globe – I was upside down and backwards. From navigating the airport and making my way to my new school, to walking on the other side of the street and greeting “Kia Ora!” to everyone I met, little things added up to create an upside down and backwards world. Even though everyone still spoke English, the language was different – and I don’t just mean the accent. Going to New Zealand with IES, though, gave me a steadfast support structure and people to help me navigate everything new. Our program director was there for any and every question I had, and the other people there with IES were immediate friends. Going abroad with IES gave me an invaluable entry into Kiwi society that I would not have been afforded otherwise. In both New Zealand and during an IES sponsored trip to the Cook Islands, the IES Christchurch program gave me the opportunity to converse with local figureheads about social, economic, political, and environmental issues. Moreover, our program director from IES took us on amazing trips throughout the semester to a wildlife sanctuary, showed us hidden highlights of the city, and brought us to a Marae. (A Marae is a Maori community meeting place, and you have to be invited to a Marae by one of it's members in order to visit. Once there, we got to learn about Maori songs, language, art, traditions, and modern day culture.) All of these trips were just a few ways that I was welcomed into the Christchurch community that I would never have glimpsed if I hadn't gone with IES.

It's hard to have any boring experiences when traveling in New Zealand. That being said, IES Abroad made my adventure so much more worthwhile. They truly made every single experience I had full of cultural learning and meaning, and that has made all the difference. I truly felt like I was a part of the culture around me, not like I was paying someone to perform their culture for me, an that was extremely important to me. IES took us to the Cook Islands, which is where I truly felt this way; that I was participating and learning rather than being a vacationing tourist. I believe that the unique connections IES has within these international communities is what made these experiences possible and significant.

New Zealand was a wonderful once in a lifetime opportunity. I traveled around the entire country while I was there. I made friends with other IES abroad students and with locals. I learned a lot about the culture and about the country. I saw amazing things and did crazy activities. I always had a nice comfortable home to go back to at the end of the day. Would recommend for just about anyone!

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience. Everyone I met, whether it was through the program or just the country itself, was so amazing and supportive and helpful and influential. I got all the help I needed, but figured a lot out on my own. I made friends and connections with so many incredible people and saw some of the most beautiful places in the world.

My experience with IES was fantastic from the very beginning. They were very transparent throughout the application process and having a personal mentor to walk me through that was incredible! I absolutely loved getting to New Zealand and having someone meet me at the airport and tell me what to do. Throughout the program my IES advisor Eunice was a fantastic help to me and was able to answer all questions and take care of every detail! One of my favorite parts about the program was the scheduled field trips both in New Zealand and the semester trip to the Cook Island. These did a fantastic job of introducing culture and making the interactive experience fun while holding educational value. IES went above and beyond the call of duty in terms of providing for their students and setting them up for success in this experience!

My experience in Auckland, NZ, through IES is next to none. I was immediately immersed in the culture and felt right at home. The program director was extremely easy to talk to and he did so much to keep us updated on local events around the city, safety issues, and special discounts that aided with our frequent traveling! I never had a negative experience with IES and they had a perfect combination of organized events and time to explore. If I were to ever study abroad again, it would definitely be through IES. Furthermore, New Zealand is one of the AMAZING places on this planet. With postcard landscapes everywhere you look and people that are truly the most hospitable people I've ever encountered, it is a country that just cannot be beat (not to mention their food is unbelievable!!!). So for anyone considering either IES as a program or New Zealand as a country, I say GO FOR IT! You won't regret it.