Study Abroad at AUT University in New Zealand

Being an international Study represents an unforgettable experience. AUT in Auckland had made my semester enjoyable thanks to its warm welcome, and its integration. As Iive in the other side of the world, in France, the unviersity has well helped us to prepare our arrival like visa, accomodation... As a business student, the differents papers allowed me to know more about the business culture of New Zealand.

Studying at AUT is such a great experience, especially as an exchange student. The pace of the classes are easy to manage which gave me lots of time to still travel around. Plus the housing we are given is in the middle of the city which was convenient for enjoying what the city has to offer. The only downer is that there is a lot of construction but that's one of the prices you pay for living in a bustling city.
Also the locals here are wonderful and very inclusive! They are always happy to offer advice on places to visit and how to get there. I've made such wonderful friends here and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to call Auckland my home for a semester.

My semester at AUT was an incredible experience. The courses were very interesting and different from my courses at home, which made it fun to go to class. The group work allowed me to meet many Kiwis, which was great.
Most important to me was the nature and travel opportunities in New Zealand. There are so many different things to experience and I am sure everyone that come to this beautiful country will find something they like.
The mid-semester break allowed me to travel the South Island which was definitely the highlight of my stay here.
I would recommend anyone to come here, you will have an amazing time!

I had the opportunity to study at the Auckland University of Technology for a semester. For this reason I have decided to take an internship semester that gave me the opportunity to be both a student at AUT and an intern in a local high-tech company. I can definitely say that I am happy for choosing this university. The papers were able to capture my interest and the AUT staff is expert and helpful in case of any necessity. Unfortunately I cannot say anything about the university student's apartment since I have chosen to live in a house outside AUT. However, the price of the houses here in Auckland is quite expensive and still rising. Be aware of not renting a room too far from uni, since the transport service is not so spread.

Accomodation:
Coming to Auckland in the beginning of february two weeks before orientation week the first challenge i faced was finding a place to live. Because WSA (AUT student accomodation) was already booked out i had to find a place to live on my own. At first it was quite challenging and i wasn't sure i would find something. Apartments or rather rooms in apartments in the CBD are very expensive and usually quite small. I exlusively looked for apartments through the website "Trade me". To open up a "Trade me" account as a non NZ / AUS citizen you need a New Zealand phone number and an address in New Zealand. For apartments in and around the CBD i found this way the most promising to find an apartment. A good alternative are facebooks groups like "AUCKLAND FLATS / HOUSES FLATMATES ROOMS & BOARDING WANTEDTO RENT".
Ultimately i got quite lucky and found a place on queen street. Most reviews i read from other students told me to come to Auckland two weeks ahead of the beginning of Uni to find a place and it turned out to be around two weeks till i found a place that suited me.
If the places in CBD are not to your liking look in the suburbs around CBD. For example grafton, parnell or ponsonby.
If you cannot decide if you want to live at WSA or a place outside of the student accomodation you should ask yourself how bad you want to be connected to the student life around WSA because most students meet and plan trips together within WSA.

Studying:
From my experience the workload and the level at AUT are managable. One of the challenges is to fit in all the assignment you will have during the semester and at the same time get as much travelling done as possible. I suggest to put in a good amount of effort on your first assignments so you get a sense of how much work is needed for the grade you want. If you have any questions or doubts always just turn to your tutor/lecturer/teacher and ask them for help. They are really supportive and try to make all the tasks as clear as possible.

Travelling/Student Life:
First of i have to say that living outside of WSA has been quite fun and relaxing because i basically had my own place and didnt have to follow any guidelines or rules of student accomodation. On the other side i learned that to stay connected to the international students you most certainly will have to go to WSA quite a lot to socialize and stay connected to what is going on. Also don't underestimate the time you will have to travel and to do road trips. Before you know it will be exam time and you wont have as much time to travel or all the other students won't have time because they will have to prepare for exams.

There is a lot of cool stuff to do in and around auckland. Definitely take your time to check out the south island and do so as long as the weather is stable.

My experience was very unique because of the different classes I took while here and all the different people I was exposed to. From my classmates to my professors everyone I met had different mindsets and experiencing that was something that can never be done again. I've had too many great memories here to just pick one. My advice to any future participants is just go out and put your best foot forward to meeting new people and making new memories.

A semester in New Zealand has changed my life, and Auckland was at the forefront of this experience. Auckland is a young and vibrant city with a very diverse population. There is an endless number of shops and stores, restaurants, bars and clubs to explore. There are a few notable hills (mounts) in Auckland that are a quick hike with some rich history behind them, and just a short ferry ride away are a number of islands worth exploring. The student apartments (WSA) were great as they were comfortable, well designed and filled with other international students. The Education Abroad Network did an incredible job making sure their students had an amazing experience abroad. They often provided tickets to events and adventures, and a sit-down dinner with a staff member was never too much to ask.

The Study Abroad program at AUT is amazing! The staff are incredibly helpful and the campus is a great place to live and study. The Maori community is one of the best things about the program - learning about the culture from passionate members of AUT is both intriguing and inspiring! In all, the plentiful amount opportunities provided through this program to assist you in making the most of your time in the beautiful country of New Zealand made the experience unforgettable.