Study Abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand with WorldStrides

I spent my semester abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand with Worldstrides, and it was an extraordinary experience from beginning to end. We began the program with a 4-day orientation in Queenstown where we got to meet all of the Worldstrides students in New Zealand and participate in special culturally immersive events, while also being supported in the transition abroad. Having the opportunity to befriend each other before everyone continued on to their respective cities (Christchurch, Auckland, Dunedin, and Wellington) is something that I came to realize was unique to Worldstrides. Many of us ended up visiting each other across the country throughout the semester, and I loved being able to show Christchurch to my friends from other cities. It definitely created a community from the start, and I knew wherever I traveled in New Zealand I could always reach out to a fellow Worldstrides student nearby! As for the city of Christchurch, I cannot recommend it enough. Living in the Uni accommodations created such a special environment that tight-knit friendships with students both in and out of the Worldstrides program. Another huge part of my Christchurch experience was our Resident Director, Gill. She was basically our parent away from home and she truly cared about every one of us–not to mention she was a blast to hang out with! She gave us a tour of the city and gave us all of her local knowledge. She checked in on us weekly and always went out of her way to be there when one of us needed some extra support. When I go back to New Zealand (because after this experience I most certainly will), Gill will be the first person I call. Academically, the University of Canterbury offered some of the most intellectually stimulating courses I’ve taken in my college career, and I was surprised by the relationships I was able to build with my professors and local classmates in such a short time. I ended up getting more involved at UC than at my home campus, and the clubs were so welcoming and open to study abroad students. The culture and environment of New Zealand truly encourages you to get outside, step out of your comfort zone, and become a part of something so much bigger than yourself. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!

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I went to UC for Forestry, as the school is well known for the program, and I am so glad I did. The classes were very interesting, and I felt completely welcomed as an international student, as many professors accommodated for lack of prior knowledge of the area by taking time with me to help me understand the land I was now living in. As for the program, I was able to meet some great people who have already moved into the status of life-long friends. I was able to go all around the South Island and see some of the most beautiful sights in the world, and some were already included in the program. Whether it was boating on the Milford Sound or sea-kayaking with dolphins and penguins, my experience was nothing less than extraordinary. Our advisor was super helpful and provided us with great support and recommendations as we went through the semester. I had the time of my life, and I would recommend it to anyone!

I had a great time in New Zealand!! Studying abroad in Christchurch was amazing and there are so many things to do within a short walk or bus ride. Absolutely amazing time hiking and taking advantage of the beautiful nature! Studying there was satisfying and I was able to learn so much!

My experience working with staff at the TEAN program was nothing short of awesome. Everyone at this organization is so well-versed in what they do and know such specific things about each program that their ability to help students is top-notch. Studying abroad is a pretty big decision and absolutely stressful when the process first begins. However, TEAN was so helpful and answered every single question I could muster up, and managed to get me excited about this amazing experience I was about to have. I would have to say my favorite thing was having an on-sight TEAN advisor. My advisor was actually born and raised in New Zealand and attending graduate school so she was super helpful when it came to travel advice in the area, any questions I ever had about the way their universities worked there, and even just what hikes she liked or coffee shop she recommended. I haven't stopped thinking about my semester abroad since I've come home, and it's been about a year now since I started the application process. I made life-long friends, which I was honestly super nervous about at first, but it was so easy. Every single student going through TEAN that I met at orientation was so excited to be there and so adventurous and accepting; we were all in the same boat, trying to meet people and have fun, so it was so easy to make friends. My friends that I met at Lincoln University are absolutely, without a doubt, life-long friends now. Living in an international section was probably the best decision I made because I got to meet people from literally all around the world. I was traveling the incredible and beautiful country of New Zealand with American, Norweigian, Dutch, German, Swedish, and Brazilian friends. Who could have even imagines that? It was so surreal, and I wish I could relive every single second of my semester in New Zealand. I always felt like I had a safety net with in-person help from TEAN as well as over the phone and online as well. They were always there in the background which was amazing, and I was still able to explore and travel and be adventurous without being held back. Overall, I would 110% recommend this program to anyone looking to get out there and adventure a little bit; you won't regret choosing this program!!

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Worthwhile is an understatement when describing my time abroad. Although it may sound cliche, I absolutely feel like I grew and changed as a person during my time abroad. I came back to the US more confident, cultured, and with a new outlook on life. Traveling through TEAN allowed me to make friends, see incredible sights, and make unforgettable memories. If I could do it all over again, I would choose TEAN every time.

Do to New Zealand's unique and extremely far location I knew that I wanted a large period of time to experience all aspects of this incredible country. TEAN made traveling to a place so far away and so unique an easy transition through our Fiji orientation where I met incredible people from all over the US soon to become lifelong friends. Our orientation leaders were amazing, kind, and helpful people who prepared us in every way possible for the following 5 months in New Zealand making the transition effortless. TEAN orients everyone studying in New Zealand together which allowed me to make friends all over the country who I then visited during my experience, making travel a lot more accessible. As prepared as I was, really getting out into the country and experiencing the outdoors first hand allowed me to appreciate nature further and advance my outdoor education. But along with all the traveling I was able to accomplish, living in Christchurch provided me with a unique experience. Christchurch is deep in the recovery of a devastating earthquake an eye opening sight that my professors were able to incorporate into their lectures by giving real life New Zealand examples to the theories we were learning in class. It made my studying part of being abroad that much more special and close to the place to which I was learning. Living in Christchurch allowed me to hike almost every weekend and living in Ilam helped me meet people from all over the world. Studying in Christchurch in the South Island not only opened me up to an endless amount of outdoor opportunities but also allowed me to experience a wealth of beautiful geography from glaciers to fiords to numerous national parks. Studying abroad in New Zealand has changed my perspective on the different cultures we have in our world and has inspired me to find adventure where every I am in the world.

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I absolutely loved everything about New Zealand. TEAN does an amazing job helping students to accomplish their dreams of studying abroad. The pre-semester excursions were a huge upsell to this program compared to others. Out of all the students I talked to from other programs, I can confidently say that I would choose TEAN again and again with no regrets.

I had a great time while I was at University of Canterbury. It was great being able to work with people that are passionate in their field of study. I had a great time interacting with many people from New Zealand and around the world. I did so many things in such a short amount of time.

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Before I even left for New Zealand, I was already impressed with The Education Abroad Network. I was amazed at how organized and efficient they were and at how smoothly the whole process of becoming ready to study abroad with TEAN was. Once I left for New Zealand, I continued to have a great experience with this program as well. I think that this program does a good job of making the whole experience a comprehensive one in that they've been able to successfully combine culture, academics, friendships, adventure, and a lot of fun into one program. The pre-semester excursion to Fiji was such a blast! With TEAN, you're lucky enough to be able to enjoy a couple days chilling on the beach meeting great friends, snorkeling, and talking to locals and walking through the local village all before travelling to Auckland for a program orientation and then travelling to your school. I met a lot of friends because of this aspect of TEAN and it made the rest of my study abroad experience that much more enjoyable because I had people to travel with or meet up with when I travelled to various other cities in New Zealand. Another Fantastic aspect of TEAN was the option to travel to Thailand for a mid-semester excursion. I was so glad that I took this opportunity and I would definitely recommend this trip to any future TEAN participant. I think that the Thailand trip is an opportunity that you wouldn't be able to have with many other study abroad programs. I truly felt that The Education Abroad Network was a unique program that afforded me travel as well as various cultural opportunities that I wouldn't have been able to do if I wasn't a part of this program. I had a wonderful experience at the University of Canterbury more specifically as well. I was placed in a nice, modern apartment with four kiwi flat mates who I still talk to occasionally. I had a couple fantastic professors at UC too. One standout class that I think is an excellent choice for international students to take to get a feel for Christchurch would be CHCH 101 with Billy O'Steen. I thoroughly enjoyed that class. Overall, I liked the University of Canterbury. The staff there was good and my time there went very smoothly. I especially enjoyed Christchurch; It's quite a unique and intriguing city with a lot of creative people who are working to brighten up the city during its rebuild. TEAN NZ at Christchurch is a wonderful program and I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in studying abroad.

My experience studying in New Zealand was nothing short of amazing, and I owe that to ISA Study Abroad! One of the best things about this program was the Bridging Cultures orientation week right when I arrived in New Zealand. The seminars were a great way to prepare for cultural differences and to get acclimated to being in a new place. I was given so much choice and so many opportunities through ISA, such as excursions and fun activities, and met wonderful people that I was able to study with and get to know very well through traveling. While being affordable and extremely helpful in preparation before going abroad, I would recommend ISA to any prospective students that want to have a life changing experience!

I was nervous about studying abroad, but TEAN helped me jump right in by introducing us to great adventures right from the start. The orientation was awesome, both in Fiji and New Zealand. I didn't really know what to do with all my downtime after the program ended before the semester started, but once the semester got going I started to get to know people and go on trips. There's a big drinking culture on campus, and I'm not into partying, so I didn't meet a lot of people that way. Instead, I joined a tramping (hiking) club through my church, which gave me the opportunity to meet people and see the country at the same time. Bookme.co.nz is a great way to get discounts on fun things to do. Also, make sure you take extra time after the semester ends to explore without worrying about homework.

I was nervous about studying abroad, but my program did a great job of getting me pumped up about being there. We dove right in on the adventures. New Zealand is an amazing place to study. The lecturers at the University of Canterbury were enthusiastic, and the classes were very interesting. I don't party or drink, which limited my social interaction (since New Zealand universities have a big party culture), but I made friends with a lot of people from my local church. I joined the church tramping club and went hiking all over, which gave me the confidence to go on my own trips later on. Overall, it was an amazing experience. I learned a lot about myself and became much more confident.

My most memorable experience abroad would probably be travelling during the two week spring break. A couple of friends and I travelled down to Queenstown in the Southern Alps and got to see so many amazing sights along the way. While down there we got to go hiking, luging, and even took a horseback ridging tour through the mountains. When choosing a program to study abroad with, I chose to go through The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) because they offered so many locations in New Zealand and Australia to choose from and also had a program orientation that I found very helpful in making the transition to New Zealand more than just the half-day university orientation. While in New Zealand, I lived in Ilam Student Accomodation, which was a group of apartment buildings across the street from the University. The flats were above my expectations, with each one having its own kitchen, laundry, living room, etc, it felt much more like just living in a house than “dorm-style” like back in America. I was placed in a flat with 3 students from New Zealand and 2 other Americans. Living with students from New Zealand was definitely one of the best parts of my living abroad because I got more exposure to subtle cultural differences that I would not have noticed otherwise and they were very helpful in showing myself and the other Americans around the area and giving us a hand when we were lost or confused. They also introduced us to a bunch of other New Zealanders, which was great because it offered the chance to immerse more in local culture and activities as opposed to only hanging out with other American abroad students.

I learned so much while I was abroad and I am so thankful to have made the decision to go. I got to explore a really fascinating culture that on the surface didn't look too different from my own but surprised me in the subtle differences on many levels. I also was exposed to a new perspective of my own country as seen from abroad and it was eye-opening to see how other people viewed America. Academics: The classes were all challenging but very engaging and interesting. There was not much given for homework, so most of your grade was based on a couple long-term projects and the final exam. Cultural Immersion: Because half of my flatmates were from New Zealand I got to meet most of their kiwi friends and was able to immerse into the culture more once I had made friends who were from the area. Program Administration: I had a great experience with the TEAN staff abroad. Whenever I had a question or issue they were very easy to get in touch with and always responded quickly. The staff were all so friendly and certainly made my transition to a different country and my experience abroad very smooth.

Because I attend a small ag school in PA, our study abroad office is virtually non-existant, but thanks to a TEAN rep who visited campus, I became hooked on the idea of studying abroad in New Zealand. From the start, TEAN made the 'getting there' process fool-proof, with friendly staff on hand to cheerfully answer any and all questions and do everything they could to help get us there. Between phone calls and emails, I was soon underway, and my parents loved the value of the program and how easy the process was. TEAN handles everything from helping us book group flights to figuring everything out with our chosen Uni so everything is sorted upon our arrival. The pre-semester Fiji trip was absolutely unforgettable, and I will cherish the friends and memories I made there forever. Between the Aukland orientation and excursions throughout the semester, not only could TEAN students build lasting friendships with eachother, but also with the TEAN staff members, who were absolutely incredible people in every sense of the word. No matter what, they were only a phone call away to help us out with anything! Lincoln is a smaller ag-based school, and I absolutely loved it. While not in the heart of Christchurch, it's just a bus ride away and I was happy to escape the chaos of the city for a different sort of experience. Living on Farm Road was the best decision I made, most of my friends being kiwis or other international students from all over the world. If you're interested in anything ag, environment, or anything at all, Lincoln could be the place for you, and I would recommend TEAN to get you there; it was the best decision I could have possibly made when I chose to go abroad.