IES Abroad Auckland

The decision to study abroad was, for me, sort of an agonizing decision. I'm sure lots of people decide when and where they're going to study abroad before they even pick their college, but in my case, I barely got my forms submitted in time because I was debating it for so long. Part of the issue for me is that I'm an athlete (I run track and cross country), so that going abroad would mean missing a season of track. The other factor was something I'm sure a lot of people struggle with in making this decision: I didn't want to go all the way back to square one and feel like a freshman again for a semester, not knowing the area, not knowing the university, and most of all, not knowing any people. The prospect of leaving the comfort zone I'd built around myself at Ithaca College, and missing what had the potential to be a great track season almost overcame my strong desire to experience a different life for a while, to explore the world and myself.

But it didn't. Pretty suddenly, it just sort of became clear to me that this was an opportunity I couldn't let just float on by into the land of what-if. I decided to go to New Zealand, and I am so extremely grateful to my past-self for finally reaching that decision.

New Zealand is an incredible place. Virtually any town you visit, whether it's the tourist havens of Queenstown and Rotorua, or the tiny town of Glenorchy (I don't know if there's a single stoplight in that place), there is something amazing nearby. In places like Queenstown, it's rather obvious (when you fly in, the airplanes land in a freaking valley between giant mountains, and you're never far from them in town). But even a metropolis (for New Zealand anyway) like Auckland has beaches within a short run or bus ride, and the mighty beachside cliffs of the Waitakere Ranges and even more beautiful beaches like Piha and Whatipu within a 35 minute drive. Similarly, in the other big town, Christchurch, the awe-inspiring Port Hills are a $3.50 bus ride away. There is so much to see. My best advice would be to join the tramping club (that's what they call hiking in NZ) - they organize trips all across the country and allow you to see places it might be hard to get to on your own. If you are a person who can appreciate the beauty of this world, New Zealand is seriously an ocean of possibilities. There's so much more to say, and I could go on forever, but I think the most important thing is that I'm so glad I took the leap.

Living in Auckland lit a fire in me to take on every day with no constraints, to deeply love people from entirely different walks of life, and revealed the blessing of speaking one's word into action. It was the most life-changing, inspiring, and empowering gift I have ever received. I went to class daily, but learned so much more from my interactions and relationships built outside the classroom. I took advantage of my 3-day weekends (I didn't have Friday class), and traveled every chance I could. I went deep-sea fishing, visited Goats Island and vacation homes with the locals, traveled to South Island to see Christchurch, Queenstown, and Milford Sound, and I joined the Canoe Club at Auckland Uni. I was the only member of IES to live in a home stay while I was abroad and I absolutely loved it. I wish I had invested more in the IES kids from America--whether that be visiting their flats after class or grabbing more meals with them, but overall I was able to balance my time between my host family and interacting with the other study abroad students just fine. Auckland was so so good to me and I cannot wait to return someday.

I went to New Zealand by myself, without knowing anyone else. I was a little worried at first but I ended up having a phenomenal time! I did a home stay and made a bunch of local friends, whom I went out with on weekends and showed me around the suburbs as well as the city. I traveled with some of them to Middle Earth to see the set of the Hobbit. I lived in Lynnfield right along the coast of the ocean. I went for daily jogs on the beach and saw the most beautiful sunsets that I have ever seen. I even took holiday in Melbourne with my host mum! By the end of my stay, my friends even threw me a Halloween Costume going away party. It's been two years and I still keep in touch with them via social media. And I actually made one of the best, closest friends I have to this day over there. She lets me stay at her house whenever I come back to visit, and we send gift packages back and forth to each other whenever we get the chance. I met some of the most inspiring, wonderful, caring people abroad and they definitely enhanced my life. I did get homesick, but my Kiwi friends helped me out so much and stood with me through it all. It was truly an amazing experience that I would do over in a heart-beat.

NZ was amazing- by far the best six month experience I could have asked for!! From Auckland (where I was based) to Dunedin, the country is beautiful and filled with incredible people. There is never a shortage of things to do and see. Each day my schedule was flexible and would go to the beach after class one day, caving a different day, tramping the next, playing on the uni's ultimate frisbee team, and the like. Weekends I traveled with friends to places both near and far. Getting around in NZ is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. If you choose to go, be sure to visit the South Island and make sure that you have enough time to enjoy everything around you. Somehow time seems to fly by faster in NZ than in any other place. I cannot wait to get back!

I studied abroad at the University of Auckland last fall in 2011 and had the most memorable and enjoyable experience of my life.
The only downside to studying abroad was that I was not able to get my chemistry class to count for credit towards my major. So definitely make sure that you check with your home university for credit transfer.
I stayed in a dorm called the International House and I absolutely loved it! The majority of these rooms are singles and every floor has a lounge space. The rooms were comfortable and bed linens were provided for every student. This dorm was a mix of about 50% kiwi students (mostly 1st year students) and 50% international students from all over the world. I feel that a lot of people who lived in homestays did not meet too many people outside of their exchange program. Apartment living was nice, from what I hear, but I think living in a dorm is the best way to meet a lot of new and different people. In addition, this particular dorm had its own cafeteria and this is how most students met each other and socialized. But, like most campus dining halls, the food variation was not the greatest and there were not many choices for each meal. There was always a vegetarian option though.
In terms of academics, I was completely satisfied with 2 out of my 4 papers. My Spanish and New Zealand Youthwork papers were great and I loved the teachers. My Educational Psychology paper was boring and my Physical Chemistry paper changed professors 4 times for each topic change and I did not like that very much. The class sizes were good though. About 20 students in my Spanish class and about 40-60 for the other three lecture style papers. The work load was not bad at all, but for my lecture style papers, the majority of my grade was determined by one midterm/research paper and one final. Also, I loved having two weeks of spring break and one week of "reading period", the time in between the end of classes and finals.
My favorite part of being in a new country was definitely travelling. Every chance I got, I would rent a car from Jucy with a few friends and go somewhere new. We visited places all over the north island, such as Rotorua, Taupo, Matamata, and Pureora Rain Forest. There are so many outdoor and adventurous activities to do, like bunjy jumping or hiking, but there are also a lot of other, tamer, activities, like a set tour of the Shire (LOTR) or visiting the zoo. In addition to this, for spring break, two friends and I flew down to the south island and rented a camper van for two weeks. We traveled around a good majority of this beautiful island and had the time of our lives! We flew into Christchurch and witnessed the devastating effects of the earthquakes, saw the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park, went catamaran sail boating in the Tasman Sea, took a boat cruise around Milford Sound, jumped off the canyon above the Shotover River in Queenstown, and ate chocolate at the Cadbury Chocolate Factory in Dunedin. So my advice to anyone studying abroad: Get out and explore! I think it is so important to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that each country has to offer.

I studied at the University of Auckland with IES in Fall of 2010 and had a life-changing experience that I would not trade in for anything. I arrived in New Zealand as a shy and constantly stressed girl, but I quickly learned that there was a better way to living.
I met so many new and different people and had to put aside all of my biases and close-minded views so that I could immerse myself into a new culture and benefit from it.
Studying at the university was a lot different than my university back home in Texas. Students were not constantly worried about their grades and GPA, but rather looked at education as a learning opportunity instead of a resume and statistics booster. In this way, students were more able to relax and enjoy life outside of class. I found myself studying during the week, and taking relaxing trips to the beach or countryside over the weekends, something that I would never do back home since I was always sitting in a library studying or catching up on sleep. I definitely absorbed this mentality towards education and still use it today. It has made my academic life so much more enjoyable and I am grateful for that.
I lived with four other students in a student apartment, which was quite an experience since we were all from different countries. I learned a lot from this housing situation and become even more accepting of other cultures. I would recommend student housing since you will be able to meet more students from all around the world. I did have a mate who chose to live with a host family though, and her experience with her Kiwi family was also amazing, so the choice is up to you! I think both options are great. As long as you are an outgoing person, you will be able to meet other students.
The country itself is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it has so much to offer. The Kiwi people are absolutely wonderful and friendly and they are always willing to help you throughout your travels. There are also so many outdoor activities to do, so make sure that you take advantage of them even during the semester. I myself even stayed in New Zealand for a month after finals ended so that I could travel and enjoy the country. I would definitely recommend doing this!
Overall, I truly enjoyed my time in New Zealand, made unforgettable memories, and made some amazing friends who I still keep in touch with frequently. I miss it so much that I am actually going back at the end of this year to work there for 8-9 months!