Design Study Abroad Programs in New Zealand

For our program, we had an orientation held in Queenstown, New Zealand where we had an abundance of adventure activities and did a deep dive into the culture of Māori. TEAN helped each and every one of us grow accustomed to the country and helped us learn how to best navigate our study abroad experience. Throughout the semester we were able to take trips provided by the program with our very helpful Dunedin advisor Dee. Dee acted as our New Zealand mom and was there for us through thick and thin.

Going overseas to study in New Zealand was probably one of the best decisions of my life. Not only did I get to meet people from all over the world, but I was allowed to expand my worldview and learn what life looks like outside of the United States. I have so many incredible memories from this journey that pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to adapt to new surroundings - I wouldn't change anything about my time abroad! Anyone on the fence about studying abroad should choose not just for the time you travel the world, but for the time you get to find out who you are.

I took 3 classes ("papers") which were great - I recommend Māori 108 ! The uniflats office paired me with great housemates that I got along with and I really liked my house/ location (I thought mine was one of the best) and loved having a kiwi host. TEAN organizes your living through uniflats so you don't have to worry about too many housing logistics before arrival. Dee (program staff in Dunedin) is very kind and helpful! Dunedin provides great access to south island adventures and beautiful scenery. I did lots of beach swimming, hiking, queenstown adventure fun, etc. The otago peninsula beaches are amazing! I felt safe in New Zealand and really enjoyed my time :)

Thinking about my experience studying abroad, I would say that this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I got to explore the beauty of New Zealand, learn new things and also meet new friends along the way. The landscape is breathtaking, and weekend trips were one of my favorite memories during my time studying abroad. Most memorable one was when I went to Lake Tekapo and camp at Wanaka. In Lake Tekapo, my friends and I went hiking, swim at a hot spring, and watched the skies filled with stars at night. In Wanaka, while we were camping, I was able to see the beautiful and magical aurora appearing. Although it was freezing cold, it was so worth it. I will forever cherish the moment!

There are so many sights to see and places to go, and I would love to go back to experience more. I would highly recommend Dunedin if you are nature fanatic and want to spend a lot of time outdoors. I loved how much it rained and was luscious with greenery

The Uni of Otago was the perfect place in New Zealand to experience a study abroad semester, especially with my passion for the environment. There is so many activities you can do: beaches galore, the Royal Albatross Center, the OPERA, and Lanarch Castle are just some of the ones I recommend. Dee was an amazing resident director, always there to help and act as a mom figure! The classes were challenging but synced with NZ concepts and I learned so much and got to push myself. The people of New Zealand are the most friendly, always there to help you. The culture and hospitality made me feel right at home even at first moments of arrival in my host city. My kiwi host was lovely and a friend to be there to guide me through this experience. Overall, my experience abroad was the most amazing thing I could have experienced in my undergraduate career. I met so many diverse people, ate local foods, traveled the country, and learned so much from my classes and professors. I truly found a new home in another country, and I am so keen to go visit asap!!!

Studying abroad in Dunedin New Zealand was one of the best decisions of my life! Dunedin is in the perfect location, close to the beach and only a four-hour drive to the west coast, it is adorable and super safe! I made so many lifelong friends during my time studying abroad and met students from all over the world like South Africa, Cambodia, Norway and Sweden! The University of Otago has so much to offer from spike ball club to the ski and snowboarding club and there is so much to explore around the south island itself. My favorite memories were top rope climbing on Long Beach, going on weekend backpacking trips through the mountains with friends, and learning to surf with the sea lions at Aramoana! You won't regret your decision to travel here!

I had the most wonderful time studying abroad in Wellington. Vic U is a great institution with plenty of courses to choose from, an active student life, and supportive staff. Wellington itself is a vibrant city with amazing food tons of things to do and wonderful people.

Possibly one of the coolest experiences of my life. Being able to travel half way around the world to a place I had heard of and seen lots about, but experiencing it was an entirely different thing. The people were so kind, especially the head of the program Dee. She was an amazing person that was so helpful and welcoming. My favorite memory from my time there was a road trip to the west coast that a friend of mine and I did. It was my first and only trip over there and wow the scenery was magical. The mountains were stunning, but the coast is really what caught our attention. Being surfers, you're always in search of perfect empty waves. Somehow we got lucky enough to find just that. We didn't know exactly where we were going, but with the little info that we had, we were able to score some of the best waves of our life. I am definitely planning another trip back in the future to stay for as long as I possibly can.

This semester was by far my favorite out of all I’ve done. New Zealand is the perfect place to really find yourself, connect with nature and culture. From hiking (or as they say tramping) to learning about Māori culture, I feel as though I got everything I wished for and more out of this experience. You have enough freedom to get up and go on a roadtrip to a lighthouse across the island and stop to see the Milky Way but enough support to get help if you need any. I cannot express how much I recommend Wellington to anyone. It’s a perfect in between point for the North and South Island. One weekend my friends and I hopped on the ferry and went to Kaikōura to go whale watching. There’s access to everything and anything you want with the city right there (in a very manageable size) and nature in your backyard (quite literally too).

My semester abroad with TEAN was life changing. Upon arriving, I was welcomed by TEAN staff and spent a week with other students at orientation in Queenstown, helping me to make friends and adjust to life abroad. TEAN supported me before, during, and on my way home, which made the whole process super easy and a lot less scary. A semester abroad was way out of my comfort zone, but New Zealand quickly became my second home with stunning landscapes, happy people, and a unique culture!

Studying abroad in Wellington was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The city is beautiful, the people are super friendly, and Vic is an amazing school to study at. Personally, I'm really into exploring different cafes and Wellington is full of them. No matter where you are in the city, you will be within walking distance of a good latte and pastry. I'm also a really big sports fan and Wellington is home to two really fun teams to watch. The Hurricanes (Rugby) and the Phoenix (soccer) both have discounted student tickets and are a great way to meet new people so if you're into sports Wellington is a great city to be in. TEAN did such an amazing job organizing the program and they will always be there if you need them. The program's orientation is in Queenstown and it was a life changing experience for me. Getting to spend a week in one of the most beautiful places on earth was an amazing way to start my experience abroad.

If you're going to study abroad in New Zealand, do it through TEAN. They provide multiple opportunities to make the most out of your time abroad: orientation in Queenstown, mid-semester excursions, and several cultural events in your host city. They also provide an abundance of support from start to finish. Preparing to study abroad can be overwhelming, but TEAN's website guides you through the process in six easy steps, and they also provide a checklist for documents to submit. Although I would've preferred not to have the virus affect my time abroad at all, it did show how capable TEAN is: I felt like I could trust TEAN when I was deciding on whether to go home or not. They made it clear that they would support students whatever their decision was. Studying abroad with TEAN means unique opportunities and continuous support.

Living in New Zealand for a semester was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I met friends that I will have for a lifetime and left a bit of myself in that beautiful country. Before going, though, I was definitely a bit nervous as I contemplated all of the unknowns. TEAN made the entire process manageable and their staff was so much more helpful than I ever could have imagined. From advising me on which university to go to, to helping me get classes pre-approved, to answering all of my other questions, the TEAN staff was so kind and patient with me. They responded to my emails very quickly and gave me many useful resources and advice. Upon getting to New Zealand, TEAN staff met me right in the airport and brought myself and some other TEAN students to our hostel. I could tell that they cared about us and wanted us to have the best experience possible. Their enthusiasm was contagious. The TEAN staff periodically checked up on us throughout the semester and asked all about what we were doing, what we were learning, and what we were going through. They were so kind and available! I felt as if I could go to the staff in my host city with any problems and they would help me through it.

My experience at the University of Otago is by far the best academic experience I've ever had. My semester at the University of Otago was a combination of taking challenging and culturally immersive courses and a very exciting social life. Academically, the University offered culturally immersive courses such as Introduction to Maori culture and society. One particular course that I enjoyed was Adventure Education. This course taught topics related to the psychological and sociological effects of adventure on an individual. Moreover, the University of Otago offers an array of clubs such as outdoor recreation groups (OUTC, OUSSC), social events, and volunteer opportunities. Some of my favorite parts that I loved about the University of Otago is its beautiful campus, friendly community, and the accessibility to restaurants, coffee shops, libraries, and nearby towns. I chose to study with API because of their stress-free application process and support that they have for its students before, during, and after the program. I 100% recommend API to any student thinking about studying abroad!

I must start by saying that my time abroad in New Zealand was absolutely the best experience of my life. I traveled all around the country, made some of my best friends ever, and had incredible outdoor experience (walking on a glacier, surfing, canyoning, etc.) I stayed there for the full 6 months that my student visa allowed me to, and I am so grateful to have gone through TEAN's program. TEAN was absolutely amazing. They were always just a quick email or phone call away if I needed anything. My university did not have any courses pre-approved for the University of Otago, but TEAN helped me immensely throughout this pre-approval process. Additionally, I was very unsure about what university I wanted to study abroad at in New Zealand. I switched around three times before settling on the University of Otago! TEAN was so incredibly flexible and understanding and helped me ultimately decide on Otago (which was undoubtedly the right choice for me). The TEAN representatives at the University of Otago were also outstanding. They were Kiwis (from New Zealand), and were a great resource for any questions about Kiwi culture, recommendations for travel, food, or just about anything! They went above and beyond to plan fun outings for their TEAN students. What I really appreciated was that they were there if we needed them, but they also let us explore and have our own individual experiences. Planned events were frequent enough to keep in touch and check in, but spaced out enough to let us explore on our own. I really can't say enough good things about how TEAN takes care of its students while they are abroad, while still allowing them to be independent with their experience. Thank you TEAN!!

TEAN was an amazing program to go to an amazing country with. They supported me from pre-departure to arrival and all the way through the semester. If I ever had a question, there were plenty of people to ask that would get me the right answer. Dunedin itself was a dream. I never thought I was one to enjoy the ocean, but I miss having it 15 minutes away. The mountains were a little more of a drive, but the drive never felt long because of all of the beauty along them. If you wanted a night out, the Octagon had plenty going on. I've been home a few months and already have a list of things to do when I go back. It's impossible to do everything.

I studied abroad in Spring of 2019 for Trimester 1 at Victoria University Wellington in New Zealand. I usually try my very best to not have expectations before going into things, so that way I can experience whatever was meant to happen to its fullest, and I have to say, even if I had expectations this program and this experience would've blown them out of the water. With AIFS a single all-inclusive fee paid for my tuition, housing, insurance, most meals, excursions, and travel. I opted in for the travel payment because I also went to Fiji through the optional Pacific Studies program and I didn't want the flights to get too overcomplicated. I spent my first week abroad in Fiji doing a cultural immersion/university learning program, and it included going to the University of the South Pacific for lectures on a few of the days and basking in the beauty of Fiji for the rest. We spent our last day at a resort, which, needless to say, was stunning. In New Zealand, I was able to go to many different parts of the country through AIFS-funded excursions. From visiting the studio where LOTR was made, to relaxing in a Polynesian hot spa, I really felt like I was able to see New Zealand. In addition, the city that I stayed in was right on the coast, so the ocean was literally just a few minutes' walk from my house. Once I even saw a shark just swimming around! I could really go on about how amazing my time was, and how much I'm looking forward to returning one day to continue my adventures, but I will just say that choosing to study abroad in Wellington, New Zealand through AIFS (with the optional Pacific Studies program) was the best decision of my life, and I highly highly recommend to any and everyone who is able.

Studying abroad in New Zealand through TEAN (The Education Abroad Network) was hands-down one of the best academic decisions thus far. As an outdoorsy person, Dunedin was a perfect match. Almost everyone at the university loves exploring which makes it super easy to find an adventure to a nearby glacier, mountain, or beach most weekends. On top of that, having an American-Kiwi transplant residential advisor nearby at all times made my semester 110% better. My TEAN RA was like a supportive aunt for all of us; she was always there to get a meal or talk if we needed a hug or any advice but wanted us to have our own adventures separate from the other American students we came over with. I couldn't have asked for a better semester abroad experience.

The entire experience feels like it was a dream. TEAN gave me the opportunity to live in the coolest city and introduced some of the most genuine people I have ever met. The staff at VIC were incredibly accommodating and you could see how much they enjoyed working with the students. Each house in University Hall was unique which just added to the charm of Wellington. I could not recommend this program enough. I felt entirely connected to this program that, even leaving for weekend trips I would always have Wellington in the back of my mind.