"Yeah, I'd probably enjoy study abroad..."

I applied to study abroad on a bit of a whim, and I'm so glad I did! I had heard about Auckland Uni from a school friend who did Semester 1 2017 here, and so far everything and everyone has lived up to what I was told. While Auckland itself is a bit of a sleepy city, I've found the university community- from staff, to kiwi students, to other international/study abroad students- to be welcoming, helpful, kind, and easy to find and talk to if needed. I've been able to take classes in every stage (including post grad), travel across the country on weekends, and have even enjoyed a few afternoons studying on campus. Professors here are extremely welcoming of study abroad students and so far mine have gone out of their way to help and take an interest in us, which has helped me a lot since my program at home is small and intimate. My advice is to grab those seat sales on AirNZ and Jetstar and explore the entire country! NZ landscapes are diverse and beautiful, the people are friendly, and long-haul flights don't exist! And take classes in all stages and departments, Auckland Uni has some fun and interesting classes you likely can't take at home.