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Dealing with the temporary nature of studying abroad

July 20, 2023 emmacolsonnLeave a comment

By Emma Colson, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Studying abroad is so exciting for so many different reasons, but one anxiety I could not get rid of until I got here was the worry I wouldn’t make any friends. It seems ridiculous now, but it was a real thought in the back of my head – what if I’m on the other side of the world and I don’t really click with anyone? Fast forward 4 months and now my worry is that I’m not going to see those friends for an indefinite period of time after spending day-in-day-out with them for months. That is the temporary nature of studying abroad; your life completely changes for a period of time and then completely shifts back. With only a few more weeks left in Auckland, I thought I’d share how I’ve felt about my time in New Zealand, the change back to my UK life and how I’d approach a short time abroad having nearly completed mine.

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Insights into Student Life in New Zealand

May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 emmacolsonnLeave a comment

By Emma Colson, University of Auckland, New Zealand

For me, one of the hardest parts of the application to study abroad was choosing the 10 countries/ universities to put down and even harder, to choose a top 3. The University of Auckland was my third choice, but having been here for over 3 months, I couldn’t be happier that I was allocated here. Having said that, before coming, I had little to no knowledge about the university or the country, so for those interested in what New Zealand has to offer I hope my experience will help you.

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Study v Abroad: How I’m balancing university and travelling

May 5, 2023 emmacolsonnLeave a comment

by Emma Colson, University of Auckland, New Zealand

If you’re anything like me, the main motivation to studying abroad is to travel and explore another country. Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity to do this, but being a student, the commitment to studying means we can’t run around the country free rein as much as we’d love to. It goes without saying that university has to take priority, but that doesn’t mean you can’t free some time to appreciate the country you’re in without falling behind. So, I thought I’d share my experience so far of how I’ve balanced the two, and some tips on how to get the best of both worlds.