Geography Study Abroad Programs in New Zealand

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!

I had an amazing time in Auckland! We did a lot of cool trips as a group and it was great to have such a fun group of students to experience this with! My accommodations were only 3 minutes away from my building and I had amazing roommates from around the world! Overall, I got to meet a lot of locals and travel around the country. If I ever needed help figuring out travel plans, my advisor was always available to offer some advice! I even had my wisdom teeth removed which was completely covered under the travel insurance! The trip was amazing and I hope to go back to New Zealand soon.

My time in Auckland was sureal and it's something I will never forget. TEAN was very helpful in finding accommodations, and my RA was easy to talk to whenever I needed help. She planned fun excursions, and most of these excursions ended up being my favorite things during the entire semester. We went to Queenstown for orientation, and Cathedral Cove as the semester started to close. We also had lunch dates, coffee catch-ups, and comedy nights. My RA was also very straight forward in this being "an edu-cation experience as much as it is a va-cation experience" and that stuck with me. I may have focused more on my academics than having fun, but the classes I took genually interest me, so I was having fun while studying. Overall, this was a great experience, and I could not have done it without TEAN! Enjoy this picture I took with other study abroad students who were chosen to be apart of a promotional photoshoot for UOA (I'm the one in the green shirt with a snake).

New Zealand honestly exceeded my expectations. The country in itself is BEAUTIFUL. Auckland is obviously more of a city, but it's on the water and has lots of parks so you still feel close to nature! Getting to other parts of the country is really simple, with plenty of cheap flights and busses. I really enjoyed the housing accommodation, living apartment style with two other flatmates. The University of Auckland campus is nice as well, very blended into the city but still with a campus feel. Auckland has a lot of good food with a wide variety. I really enjoyed how easily we could walk downtown and find new cafes and restaurants!

I felt so taken care of by TEAN and I had such a great time abroad! I met people that will be my lifelong friends through TEAN and I feel so lucky to have been a part of such an amazing program. The program directors were always available to talk and we met up quite often as a group, which I liked. New Zealand is amazing and I had the time of my life living there!

Studying abroad in Auckland allowed me to explore a new city and have easy access to nature and neighboring countries. My program allowed me to meet amazing people and my housing was great. I had the opportunity to live with two girls from New Zealand and form friendships with people from Auckland, other cities within New Zealand, and even with people from other countries. I got to experience life on the other side of the world and could have not imagined a better experience. I would highly recommend studying abroad in Auckland, New Zealand!

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.

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).

I highly recommend every student to pull every string possible to study abroad. My personal bias is to do so in New Zealand. I fell in love with the country of New Zealand and grew more in this past semester than I have in my entire college experience. Studying abroad gives one the opportunity to be exposed to many new phenomenons of life. Studying abroad pushed me out of my comfort zone forcing much growth in my personal confidence while providing me the opportunity to explore my role in the greater scheme of the world. While quite intimidating, this exploration was freeing and exciting realizing that one could spend lifetimes exploring. Studying through TEAN gave me the privilege to explore on my own will having comfort in having the support of an onsite staff and community of other students in your same position. Our onsite director was so excited to share the Kiwi culture with us, from dinners to Rugby games she was more than willing to provide in suggestions for various activities. Additionally, due to the size of my field of study I was able to make friends that I am confident that I will stay in touch with for years to come. Every student should take the opportunity to study abroad. And if for nothing else, go for The Lord of The Rings sitings!

I highly recommend every student to pull every string possible to study abroad. My personal bias is to do so in New Zealand. I fell in love with the country of New Zealand and grew more this past semester than I have in my entire college experience. Studying abroad gives one the opportunity to be exposed to many new aspects of life. Studying abroad pushed me out of my comfort zone forcing much growth in my personal confidence while providing me the opportunity to explore my role in the greater scheme of the world. While quite intimidating, this exploration was freeing and exciting realizing that one could spend lifetimes exploring. Studying through TEAN gave me the privilege to explore on my own while enjoying the comfort of having the support of an onsite staff and community of other students in your same position. Our onsite director was so excited to share the Kiwi culture with us, from dinners to Rugby games she was more than willing to provide suggestions for various activities. Additionally, due to the size of my field of study I was able to make friends that I am confident that I will stay in touch with for years to come. Every student should take the opportunity to study abroad. And if for nothing else go for The Lord of The Rings sightings!

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.

TEAN Abroad made going abroad to the other side of the world incredibly comfortable and easy! Everything from pre-departure planning to cultural immersion in your host city is made easier by TEAN Abroad. The mix of academics and amazing experiences that TEAN abroad helps you experience is unmatched by anyone. Definitely choose TEAN for your abroad experience!!!

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.

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

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!

The time I was able to spend in Dunedin through IFSA’s University of Otago program is something that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. IFSA facilitated the experiences that defined my time in New Zealand and provided me with the resources and support needed to make the most of my semester abroad. From the moment I was accepted, IFSA helped lay out exactly what I still needed to get done, from housing forms to visas to what to pack. IFSA’s orientation was incredible and helped me get over jet lag, showed me some of New Zealand’s beautiful landscape, and introduced me to many of the friends I would spend the next 5 months with. During my time abroad, IFSA provided structure, friendly faces, goal tracking, incredible trips, and countless resources. The IFSA staff in Dunedin with me were lovely humans who stayed relevant and were always ready to help with academics, housing, any medical issues, and whatever else life threw at me or my fellow IFSA kids. The trips IFSA took us on, specifically the overnight boat cruise in Doubtful Sound, were simply amazing. I would have never been able to organize such a trip myself and looking back on my time abroad this boat cruise was one of my favorite memories (which is really saying something as New Zealand gave me a lot of favorites!). In summary, choosing IFSA made my abroad experience the wonderful time it was and I cannot encourage other nature-loving, kiwi enthusiasts enough to go to New Zealand through IFSA!

I wouldn't change anything about my experience studying abroad in Auckland. Growing up in a small, rural town, I was worried I would be overwhelmed by the big city, but everyone I met made me feel so welcomed and I never felt unsafe. Auckland definitely isn't for everyone if you want to be more consistently immersed in New Zealand's stunning countryside, but getting out of the city rush is very easy and the entire Auckland region and surrounding regions are full of natural beauty. The public transportation within the city is great and there are plenty of affordable bus charters that will take you around the whole north island, and getting to the south island is only a 1-2 hour flight. ISA also provides excellent cultural experiences to help students adjust to the New Zealand lifestyle, as well as fantastic weekend trips throughout the semester. Highly recommend this program.