IFSA University of Otago Partnership

When I landed in New Zealand, I was freaking out. I knew absolutely no one and I had slept for around 4 hours in the last day of travel. But, I was met with the people who would make my abroad experience so special. The staff of IFSA truly felt like a safety net for me. I was so excited to go out with the friend I made through IFSA and try new things, putting myself out there, and every time I did, I knew that Sian and Christina would be there for me if I needed help. I truly felt safe and supported in Dunedin because of the IFSA staff. They threw us students together as soon as we got to the Pre-Orientation program, making it easy for us to meet each other and settle in. They continued to reach out through the semester for coffee catch ups or ice cream outings. The trips they planned for us were extraordinary. I fully attribute my ability to enjoy my time in New Zealand to IFSA and could not recommend studying abroad with IFSA more. In terms of the Otago program specifically, it was exactly what I wanted. The beach was a 25 minute bus ride away, and amazing weekend hikes were close by as well. The town of Dunedin is a college town through and through, so there's never a dull moment. Live music can be found just about every night of the week, and you're never more than a 5 minute walk from a coffee shop. To me, studying abroad with IFSA at University of Otago is a no-brainer. What I got out of the experience (new passions, a better understating of myself, and life-long friends) will stay with me forever.

When I arrived in New Zealand I was pensive and worried being so far from the United States. Thankfully, I made a good group of friends within my IFSA program. We would do homework together, explore the city, and I even went on a couple of hikes on the other side of New Zealand! Adjusting to the workload in another country was difficult at first, but with the support from my friends it wasn’t all that bad. The mountains I climbed with my friends made the mountains of work I had more bearable.

My IFSA experience was life changing. I experienced the highest highs and lowest lows of my life so far, all of which changed me for the better. Our orientation was informative, adventurous, and extremely community-oriented. While it was very emotionally, socially, and physically exhausting, my memories of sea kayaking, trail blazing, bird watching, sunrise-watching, visiting a Maori sanctuary, and sharing meals are some of my most cherished, and allowed long lasting friendships to organically and enthusiastically begin to form. The IFSA excursion, particularly the Doubtful Sound sailing trip, were some of the most emotionally/mentally challenging yet rewarding experiences of my entire time abroad. A huge thank you to the IFSA staff!!! The University of Otago is beautiful, academically challenging, always bursting with activity, and despite its large size, I always felt cared for by professors/lecturers and engaged in small class sizes. I felt I could not have been in a more perfect, classic university environment than at University of Otago. The biggest drawback for me was access to health (particularly mental health) resources. Especially as an international student, accessing counselors, check ups, medicinal prescriptions, and specialists were extremely challenging (often having to wait weeks for appointments or pay massive copays for necessary prescriptions). As a study abroad student with mental health issues and a chronic illness, this was both frustrating and discouraging. I appreciated the outreach and support of my in-city IFSA advisors in the midst of that frustration. Dunedin is a lively little city with interesting restaurants, cafes, parties, museums, and architecture. The surrounding mountains and beaches make for an INCREDIBLE outdoors experience at the foot of your doorstep (though the entire South Island itself is brimming with unbelievable scenery and adventure). Public transportation is very limited, which makes outings and outdoor recreation very challenging. This is a major downside of studying in Dunedin (whereas Wellington may have offered more city experiences and walkable/public transit options), though tons of students (as well as campus clubs) are willing to help each other out with rides and carpooling. Overall, my experience