Study Abroad at the University of Auckland, NZ

Choosing to study abroad in Auckland was a bit of a snap decision for me, since I already was abroad during the semester before the one in which I would have to do my semester in Auckland in order to graduate on time. Nevertheless, the application process went unbelievably smoothly from UoA's end which was amazing for me since I was away from my home institution during the process which could have made things really complicated.
Once I got there, the entire semester was great. The classes are challenging but fair, and the lecturers approachable. I chose a combination of Stage 3 courses in my major (Statistics) and other courses that were of interest to me. I very highly recommend taking a class in the history of New Zealand as my time here has emphasized over and over how little my education thus far had covered New Zealand history or Pacific history in general.
The campus is very well situated to give students easy walking-distance access to the CBD, and is well connected to the bus lines. Student housing is also well placed within a short walk from campus, and has a very friendly and helpful staff.

Well let me start from the enrollment. All the process is clearly noted and I found it easy to handle all the things by myself. Meanwhile I felt a sense of accomplishment when all things like accommodation and courses had been done. The overseas experience included not only the education but also the experience you got. I had to do everything alone and used to being alone. However maybe there should be some parties for overseas students to have fun and make friends. I found it difficult for me to communicate with others.
I am really into the teaching system here which is different from China. I mean there are kinds of courses like tutorials and lectures as well as labs. In addition the mid-term break is brilliant and I could go out to have a look at Auckland and other cities.

I applied the study abroad program in March 2016 and received my offer in April. I couldn't forget how excited I was on the day offer came to my mailbox. Before came to Auckland, I had been expecting for several months and searched information about every aspect about New Zealand. In April, I watched a travel show on TV called XFun China. The hosts explored delicious food in the whole New Zealand. The cuisine shown in film looked really fantastic and attractive. And this film made me feel more excited about studying abroad in Auckland. Help from The University of Auckland and information on websites made me fully prepare for studying, living in Auckland.

I arrived in Auckland on 13 June after 13 hours flying and I was a little tired. The weather on that day was cloudy. My hometown is Chengdu. The weather in Chengdu is always cloudy without sunshine. So when I saw the dark cloud in Auckland’s sky, I was a little disappointed. But now, the blue sky and sunshine make me fall in love with this beautiful city. As we all know, good weather always make people in good mood. Auckland’s weather in winter is very special, there was sunny seconds ago, but showering later. No time for reaction. It is really like baby’s mood. In addition, wind is so strong in Auckland because it is a coastal city. Sometimes I feel that I am almost blown up. I haven’t been to Wellington, world's windiest city. But I want to experience how unbelievably strong the wind is in Wellington.

Let’s talk about studying in The University of Auckland. When I first attended the class, I couldn't get used to teacher’s talking speed. Therefore, there was nothing to get at the first class. And after the class, I felt exhausted because I had to pay much attention to hear what lecturer said. It took me about two weeks to fit in English teaching environment. After that period, I find I am totally attracted by the class. In every class, lecturers bring out new knowledge basing on previous class smoothly and illustrate important points in various ways. At the same time, lecturers and students communicate much in class. During the communication, I can have deeper understanding of the knowledge. Of course, I will join in the communication and discussion sometimes. That is a good way to practice oral English and thinking in English. But nothing is perfect, I get a thing really disturbs me for a while. That is many people talk in silent study area and the sign is like invisible. This phenomenon in Faculty of Engineering is serious. Hope the university can improve it.

Overall, I think study in The University of Auckland is fantastic. I can’t forget this experience after finishing my study abroad in UoA.

New Zealand is a long way to come abroad from the UK, but I can confirm that it's definitely worth it. I've taken up kayaking while I've been here, and it's already been a great way to see some dramatic landscapes, whilst also getting the thrill of being tossed around a bit on white water. The kayaking and canoe club are also super friendly, so I'll happily recommend them to anyone looking to sign up. I've not missed a trip yet and hope that continues.
When not out on club trips, there's loads to see here. There are some awesome sights less than an hour's drive out of Auckland. And I've not even been to South Island yet, but I hear that's amazing too!
Work wise, it's different to back home. You're expected to be able to do more things on your own. However, it's still doable, and the lecturers are happy to provide support when asked.
I will warn that it is more expensive to live here, but save up and come anyway!

Not many places can top New Zealand's views and environment and I'm happy to be spending the semester in a place as diverse as Auckland. The student body makes it easy to meet students from different parts of the world with varying interests. I've enjoyed meeting others through clubs and sharing my own background as well. Though courses keep me busy I have definitely found some great friends in the clubs I have joined during my time at University of Auckland.

Loved the experience at the university. There is a great social scene, the location of the university is perfect, and everyone is very nice. Classes were great and offered me a new opportunity to grow as a student. Also enjoyed the ability to travel around and explore the country on weekends and holidays. Getting to meet so many amazing people and see some incredible places have made this such an epic experience.

Studying in Auckland has been wonderful! It took some time to make the city feel like home, but I love it now. And I may be biased because I don't like cities anyway, but I needed to go to the University of Auckland for certain classes I wanted to take. But I'm happy to say this is a GREAT university. I feel safe, I love the campus, and it's easy to feel removed from the city if that's what you want. There's lots of parks in the city and especially near the campus. Albert Park is beautiful! If you love big towering palm trees go here!!! I love seeing the lit up sky tower at night too. There's lots of ways to spend the day in Auckland, like taking a ferry to a nearby island, climbing Mt. Eden, free museum entries, biking to Mission Bay Beach... I think there is something for everyone! The downside is that the night life is just OK (most clubs have a cover charge), and this city is pretty expensive in general (groceries!!)

I love my classes at the uni of auckland! Amazing how it's such a big university with so many students but I still feel like my lecturers care about my academic growth.

Traveling around New Zealand has been AWESOME. Definitely go to the south island if you are studying in the north island! And vice versa. See as much as you can. New Zealand is beautiful.
I haven't traveled to Australia or Fiji since being here but a lot of people have so that's easy if you want to do that.

There are so many clubs to join when you arrive at University. I would suggest that every student join as many clubs as their interested in as it can be difficult to gage who is the most active, especially if you come by yourself like I did. I recently got my scuba license and went on a trip with the Auckland Underwater Club. It was a blast. I had so much fun. I saw so many fish and other underwater creatures. I would highly recommend everybody get their license.