Well I've been back in the United States for almost six months now. It was hard to leave New Zealand and get reacquainted with my old lifestyle in Nebraska. I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't think about my New Zealand adventures and friends. Studying abroad was one of the most magnificent experiences I've ever had and I recommend that every college student should consider studying abroad. Studying abroad gave me a lot of perspective and confidence to know I can conquer any challenge put in front of me. I transformed into a Kiwi while I was gone. I learned to love the laid back lifestyle and appreciate the small things. Since I've been home I have been a lot more relaxed and less stressed out.
I hope my experience will inspire readers to study abroad. I plan to post a series of blogs to help students find ways to study abroad.
Today my blog will focus on choosing a New Zealand school. No matter which school a student chooses to study at, the teaching style will be significantly different from the U.S. Classes are very independent and homework is rarely assigned (unless a student is studying math and science based courses.) Libraries have gone out of style in the U.S. but not in NZ. I frequently went to the library to read assigned readings for my courses. All of my classes had term papers and a final writing exam. The term papers were graded by marks. Professor grade papers by going through the paper and placing check marks or checks with a plus next to the things you wrote well in your paper. The number of checks determines your grade.
The University of Canterbury
I attended UC which is a great school. It is located in Christchurch also known as the "Garden City". Christchurch is the largest city on the south island. I really enjoyed the amazing transportation system in this city. Without a car, I was able to get anywhere I wanted to go in Christchurch and all over the South Island for a reasonable price. Canti had a good reputation and student life programs. Canti was rated in 2008 as one of the top 200 schools in the world.
As a undergraduate journalism student I was frustrated with Canti because there is not a journalism degree offered to students at the undergraduate level. I took a COMM class which is the equivalent to a journalism degree. Majority of JOUR students attend UC for graduate school only because it has a decent journalism program.
Regardless, I really enjoyed Canti. The campus is beautiful and I liked the classes I took.
More info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/university_of_canterbury/
Lincoln University
Lincoln is located right outside of Christchurch in a more country setting. I don't think I would have enjoyed Lincoln because I'm not the type to like small schools. But if you're into small schools this might be the pick for you.
more info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/lincoln_university/
Massey University
I don't know much about Massey so you're on your own.
more info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/massey_university/
Otago (pronounced O-tog-o)University
Otago is located in Dunedin on the southeast coast of the south island. Duedin is known for its large hills. The largest hill in the world, Baldwin St., is located in Dunedin. The nickname for Dunedin is Dunners. Be sure to drive up it (or walk if you are daring.) What I thought was the most impressive about Otago was the architecture and updated facilities.
Dunedin/Otago has a reputation for being a party city and school. Canterbury students go down to Dunedin if they are looking for a fun weekend. Students are rowdy and have street parties frequently. The parties are fun but the disrespect students have for houses they rent is not impressive.
I'm sure Dunedin is a great school. From what I saw of it, I really liked it, minus the street riots where students burnt couches in the middle of the street.
more info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/university_of_otago/
University of Auckland
If you want to be where the majority of people live in NZ, Auckland is probably the right choice for you. Auckland is the largest city (1.3 million) and has one of the largest university (34,000).
more info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/university_of_auckland/
Victoria University of Wellington
I love Wellington. It is filled with businessmen, government and politics. Wellington is the capital of NZ. But if you chose to live here you better get used to the daily gusts of wind that nearly blow you over. It's nicknamed Windy Wellington. I don't know much about the universities in Wellington. I do know they are located downtown. The uni buildings are spread out across Wellington, which didn't impress me much.
more info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/victoria_university_of_wellington/
The University of Waikato
I'd highly recommend Waikato. I didn't see the university but it was my second choice. It's located in the middle of the north island, close to the Bay of Plenty, white sand beaches and amazing surfing. I had a friend that attended and she really liked it.
more info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/university_of_waikato/
AUT
AUT is New Zealand's most contemporary university. It was recently transformed from a community college to a university in 2000, so it's still trying to get its feet off the ground. AUT is located in Auckland. Class sizes are bit smaller than the University of Auckland. There are 16,822 full-time students and 23,715 all together.
more info: http://www.australearn.org/universities/aut_university/
Showing posts with label Wellington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wellington. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Windy Wellington
Last weekend I went the capital city of New Zealand. Wellington is known for its extreme winds and higher paying job market. Many political elites and businessmen bustle through the downtown area. The downtown area reminded me of a larger city in America. Everyone had places to go and people to see. During working hours people would practically run you over if you stopped on the sidewalk and give you the “how dare you disrupt the flow of traffic” look. Yup, sounds like America. The feel of the city was refreshing in a way, since I love the city life.
I was in Wellington to visit Parliament. While most students my age thinks this sounds really boring, I was quite excited. I was acting like a little kid that was getting to go see the newest exhibition at the Henry Doorly Zoo. I ran up the drive of Parliament, ooo-ing and awing. I think my friends were even laughing at my bizarre excitement. But I can’t help my interest in government and politics. Plus the government buildings were really pretty. I’m a sucker for old architecture.
I sat in on the government official’s voting session, which would be similar to America’s Senate voting on a bill. It was quite a lot like Nebraska’s Senate actually; except NZ representatives shout out their votes instead of entering them electronically. The leader asks the representatives who is in favour, and all who are say I (in their awesome accents). If reps disagree they shout no. It was pretty entertaining. I also took a tour and learned a lot about NZ government.
After going to Parliament, I found a Borders bookstore and just about had a heart attack.
I have been looking for the Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama since the day I arrived in NZ, but all of the local bookstores don’t have it. When I ask the local stores if they sell it, they laugh at me and I’m sure they say “stupid American” after I walk out of the store. But I did find the book in Borders and this enhanced my already gleaming political spirit.
Oh, and I found an Italian restaurant in Wellington. This was huge because NZ doesn’t know anything about a good Italian pasta dish — they don’t even have alfredo sauce (NZ pizza sucks too.) My Kiwi friend, Hayley, took one bite of the pasta dish she ordered and said, “I now understand why you are always talking about how much you miss Italian food. This is amazing.”
On Sunday evening I ate dinner with a Kiwi family. They are originally from Troy, NY but moved to NZ last year for the husband’s work. They have two sons about the same age as my brother Tanner and sister Taya. The boys were quite entertaining. The family lives up in the hills overlooking the city. Their house was gorgeous and had huge bay windows surrounding the house. Rachel, the mom, made two of my favorite appetizers, bruschetta and artichoke dip and we had shrimp and chicken kebabs for dinner. It was fabulous and so nice to take a break from my typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich traveling meal. Rachel seems to love NZ but is a bit homesick. We chatted with her about what we miss about the states that we never realized we would miss. Like grape jelly, pizza and alfredo sauce. Rachel had Dr. Pepper and A&W rootbeer soda, which doesn’t exist in NZ. We all started to laugh because she was really excited to have American soda for us. Rachel was a blast and I am so glad I met her.
Everything else is still going well in NZ. Final exams start in June. Most of my final exams weigh 50 percent or more of my final grade and last three hours... so I am a wee nervous.
I was in Wellington to visit Parliament. While most students my age thinks this sounds really boring, I was quite excited. I was acting like a little kid that was getting to go see the newest exhibition at the Henry Doorly Zoo. I ran up the drive of Parliament, ooo-ing and awing. I think my friends were even laughing at my bizarre excitement. But I can’t help my interest in government and politics. Plus the government buildings were really pretty. I’m a sucker for old architecture.
I sat in on the government official’s voting session, which would be similar to America’s Senate voting on a bill. It was quite a lot like Nebraska’s Senate actually; except NZ representatives shout out their votes instead of entering them electronically. The leader asks the representatives who is in favour, and all who are say I (in their awesome accents). If reps disagree they shout no. It was pretty entertaining. I also took a tour and learned a lot about NZ government.
After going to Parliament, I found a Borders bookstore and just about had a heart attack.
I have been looking for the Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama since the day I arrived in NZ, but all of the local bookstores don’t have it. When I ask the local stores if they sell it, they laugh at me and I’m sure they say “stupid American” after I walk out of the store. But I did find the book in Borders and this enhanced my already gleaming political spirit.
Oh, and I found an Italian restaurant in Wellington. This was huge because NZ doesn’t know anything about a good Italian pasta dish — they don’t even have alfredo sauce (NZ pizza sucks too.) My Kiwi friend, Hayley, took one bite of the pasta dish she ordered and said, “I now understand why you are always talking about how much you miss Italian food. This is amazing.”
On Sunday evening I ate dinner with a Kiwi family. They are originally from Troy, NY but moved to NZ last year for the husband’s work. They have two sons about the same age as my brother Tanner and sister Taya. The boys were quite entertaining. The family lives up in the hills overlooking the city. Their house was gorgeous and had huge bay windows surrounding the house. Rachel, the mom, made two of my favorite appetizers, bruschetta and artichoke dip and we had shrimp and chicken kebabs for dinner. It was fabulous and so nice to take a break from my typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich traveling meal. Rachel seems to love NZ but is a bit homesick. We chatted with her about what we miss about the states that we never realized we would miss. Like grape jelly, pizza and alfredo sauce. Rachel had Dr. Pepper and A&W rootbeer soda, which doesn’t exist in NZ. We all started to laugh because she was really excited to have American soda for us. Rachel was a blast and I am so glad I met her.
Everything else is still going well in NZ. Final exams start in June. Most of my final exams weigh 50 percent or more of my final grade and last three hours... so I am a wee nervous.
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