Program Reviews

Studying abroad in Auckland, New Zealand was one of the best choices I have ever made. The country is extremely different from where I reside and I love it because I got to experience a new culture, diversity and overall the greatest views I’ve ever seen. If I could do it again, I would. Getting out of your comfort zone to experience this amazing country will never be a regret even though at times I did want to go home. Thank you New Zealand for this unforgettable experience.

I'm studying environmental and energy engineering in France and travelling to New-Zealand has always been a dream for me. When I realised that we had an exchange program with AUT, I immediately jumped in and am absolutely not disappointed.

My first impressions were extremely positive: the availability and kindness of Kenneth Holt, the warm welcome at WSA (the student apartments), and the extraordinary exotic beauty of the country. I would definitely recommend as they are very near to the campus, and public transports is a bit of a mess in Auckland, and you are just in front of the wonderful Domain Park. My classes were mostly very interesting, even though it had been difficult to pick up the good level for each of them. The teachers were extremely friendly, and the assignments interesting and well-made. Some lessons are more interactive than others, like everywhere, but there are always some practical applications, which is great.

The timetable is not too filled, so I had the opportunity to discover New Zealand further: we went to the North of the North Island before the lesson started, in Coromandel and Rotorua for Eastern and experienced the marvels of the South Island during our mid-Semester break. Coming for the first Semester is really funny for an European, as the Summer surprises a bit when arriving, but I think it is definitely the best period to discover New Zealand.

Overall, it was an extraordinary experience to study at AUT, and I don't regret any bit of it!

From the begining I had a amazing support from AUT helping me with the courses selection and all the paperwork. Everything was quickly and easily done.

I found the classes easier than in my university back home (Spain), but that was perfect as I had more free time to enjoy the social and cultural aspects of being in New Zealand.
I loved the location of AUT, it's close to the city center and it's easy to walk everywhere. The accomodation (WSA) is also perfectly located for students as it is just across the street form the campus.

I was surprised by the amount of events organized by AUT for international students. Specially, orientation week was great for meeting other students and to get to know the city campus.

I would highly recomend this university.

Studying in New Zealand at AUT is such an amazing experience. I'm from The Netherlands so, it's the other side of the world for me - this makes it a big adventure. I didn't really know what to expect from this whole trip and University, but it ended up to be great.

At the AUT campus, you meet so many new people and friends for life. There are tons of events happening such as BBQ's and volleyball tournaments. The rooms are great and if you're lucky you got an amazing view over the city and water.

AUT is, in my opinion, a really well-organised school, clear policies and a clean structure. They welcome international students with open arms and are there always for you.

Use your holidays to travel around NZ and discover their crazy landscape - it's stunning!

I'm studying business information technology in Germany, and I'm currently in my third year. For me, it was totally clear since I started my studying that I definitely want to study abroad for at least one semester. The decision for me where to go was tough. But with AUT and Auckland, I took a great choice.

Accommodation:
The choice for the accommodation in Auckland was very easy for me. I heard from a student from my home university, who has also been to AUT, that he would recommend the AUT Student Village. After I lived here for some month, I would every study abroad student also recommend applying for a flat at the Student Village. Especially at the beginning, I got know lots of international students and new friends, and the view from my flat was amazing.

Studying:
The effort during the semester was much higher as in my home university. In my home university, usually, I don’t have any assignments. So, at the beginning of the semester, I took a while until I got used to it. In terms of subjects, if I could choose my subjects again, I definitely would choose one Maori course instead of my usual subjects. That’s the only thing I regret that I haven’t chosen a Maori course.

Travelling:
In terms of traveling New Zealand is perfect. We made many weekend trips or one-day trips especially at the beginning of the semesters. I have seen many beautiful places on the north island of New Zealand. But the traveling on the South Island during the semester break was the best travel experience I had so far. Especially, Milford Sound and Mount Cook was a highlight, and everyone who is also going to New Zealand should visit the two places.

I definitely can recommend everyone who wants to study abroad to go to AUT and Auckland. It was a very nice experience, and I had a lot of fun. And it is very sad that I will leave New Zealand in a view days and my study abroad experience is over.

I'm so glad that I chose to come to AUT! I came here as a third year mechanical engineering student from the United States. I picked AUT for two reasons. First, it was in New Zealand. Second, it offered classes that could take the place of my classes back home and allow me to not fall behind when I return to the US.

Overall, the classes were good. The professors were quite good and were very open to students coming up to them after class to ask additional questions. However, I did have some issues with the program. In two of my classes, the teachers changed after the midterm. I wasn't a huge fan of this as I had to get used to new teaching styles. Additionally, one of my classes was run like two separate classes: two teachers, two midterms, and two finals. I don't know if this arrangement is common in New Zealand, but I've never seen it before in the US so it took some getting used to.

For housing, I managed to get into the AUT student apartments and would highly recommend this living situation to future study abroad/ exchange students. The apartments themselves aren't anything special and it might be possible to find cheaper accommodations elsewhere, but the apartments are just so convenient. They're right next to AUT City Campus and with most of the international students living there, it makes it very easy to meet people.

All in all, New Zealand is an incredible place to explore, and I will never forget my time here!

Two words: No regrets! Choosing to come to New Zealand has been one of the best decisions of my life. And studying in AUT has been absolutely wonderful. First off, AUT has such an interactive atmosphere. I took a photography paper and everybody there was so supportive and nice, and we were only about 15 in the class and we all really got to know each other. I also took a Maori class and our teacher (Jason King) was the nicest teacher I've ever met. Especially if you're Asian like me, you expect there to be a strict teacher-student relationship, but not in New Zealand (or AUT to be specific). Teachers here are so nice and you can talk to them about literally anything and everything and it really just encourages you to be friendlier to other people as well. At the end of the semester, even though it's only been 5 months, I'm having a really tough time saying goodbye to all these people.

With regards to travelling around NZ, I can safely say NZ is the most beautiful place I've ever been to. And I've been to Europe, the US, and a lot of other places, but NZ is a place quite like no other. From the peaceful atmosphere that basically encompasses the entirety of NZ to the sheep you'll find strolling around when you go on hikes, to the beautiful green and blue of grass and sky when you go to the countryside, it's all just absolutely breathtaking. I wasn't a hiker or a person appreciative of nature before I got here, but all I can say now is that I've been converted! Wow, just wow. I have absolutely positively no regrets coming to NZ. If you're still on the edge of deciding whether to come to NZ or not, don't think and just sign up to come study at AUT! The AUT admin are one of the most supportive, wonderful people you'll ever meet, and I promise you, you won't regret the decision. You can thank me later for all the fun you'll experience here in NZ ;)

I am studying mechanical engineering in my third year in Germany. Although my university doesn't have a partnership with any university in New Zealand, I definitely wanted to come here to travel and to experience how it is to study in a foreign country.

First of all, I have to say that finding a cheap accommodation in Auckland really isn't that easy. If you don't get a place in the student accommodation or don't want to live there, it probably takes you a while and a few visits to find a place to live. I eventually found a nice place in Mount Eden (which is 10 minutes by bus to the university) and paid $250/week.

Together with my German flatmate, I bought a campervan on my second weekend in Auckland. Due to the Auckland car fairs and the fact that a lot of travellers want to get rid of their car in Auckland, it is very easy to find a good car or campervan here. Buying a campervan was probably one of the best decisions we made here. We were able to make trips every weekend and travelled nearly all the North Island during the semester and the South Island during the semester break and after the semester.

Regarding the academic challenge of the program, I can say that the difficulty of the courses was lower than in my university in Germany. The lecturers were really kind and motivated though! In contrast to my university in Germany, I was expected to do a lot of assignments and tests during the semester, which already counted towards the final grade. This system reminded me a bit of school but is very helpful for people like me who are usually procrastinating and don't do much during the semester.

Because I was lucky enough to get a PROMOS scholarship from my university, I had to choose another course when I arrived in Auckland as I had to study full-time in order to get the scholarship. The international student coordinator recommended me to take a Māori paper and I decided to take the "Te Ara Pou - Māori Leadership" course which turned out to be the most interesting course I've taken so far and was a nice contrast to my other engineering papers.

All in all, I can recommend everyone to study a semester in New Zealand. I had one of the best times of my life, visited many beautiful places in this country and made a lot of friends from all over the world.

First of all, I really enjoyed my time here in Auckland at AUT. It was an exciting journey and in various ways different from what I expected.

Finding an accommodation:
Finding an accommodation in Auckland was a real challenge. I booked a hostel for the first week and searched on different platforms over the web for flats. I wasn't able to find something close to the university for a reasonable price, not for me alone, in a flat or together with two other students like me. Finally, I ended up in a single room in Rocklands - Epson for $200 a week, what was after all cheap, but not what I would recommend to other students who want to spend a semester in Auckland. I think, staying in one of the Student accommodations gives you more opportunities to spend time with other students and people with similar interests.

Study at AUT:
I really liked the atmosphere of studying at AUT. The city campus is well designed and has some really nice places to learn and socialize. Events, organised by Ausm or the Interfaculty tournaments, were always fun and brought real value to my semester. The Support of the people in the university and international office is amazing. If you have any problem, there is always someone who can help you out.
However, I missed the variety of sports I had at home. If you're not a fan of going to the gym, you have to go to the North Campus for most of the offered sports, what is not that simple and comfortable in a big city like Auckland.

Travelling New Zealand:
During the semester, I had many beautiful adventures. Auckland is the perfect starting point for a lot of day and weekend trips if you don't want to leave and return during the rush hour! The semester break is a great opportunity for longer journeys.

Me:
My name is Sören, I'm 23 years old, from Germany and I study at OvGU in Magdeburg.

The city campus has modern, beautiful facilities that are great for both work and play. It's right in the heart of Auckland, so there is a bustling city vibe. The international support staff are incredible, and my professors were passionate about both their subjects and teaching itself. There wasn't too much of a social scene on campus; my classmates mostly kept to themselves and there was not motivation to join clubs. However, it was easy to make friends with my multi-cultural neighbours in WSA student accommodation, and now we're quite close!