New Zealand
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Arrival in Auckland
By Thomas Chapman (University of Auckland, New Zealand). I’m here! The world. Oceania. New Zealand. Auckland. So far my reception of New Zealand has been great. The campus is right in the city centre and everything is right on hand. Things like setting-up mobiles and banking could not be more straight-forward, which is great when coming to the other side of the world (literally). I suppose it’s just the amount of smaller tasks and their time-consuming nature that is a little ‘boring’, but once you’ve done them then you’re free to begin a 6-month adventure and to study. The hardest task of all by far though, has got…
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Semester 2 weekend adventures
By Vanessa Maloney (University of Auckland, New Zealand). I’ve just had my last exam and realised I should probably upload a blog about all the fun I’ve been having this semester. This semester has been incredible. I feel like my first semester was good because everything was so novel and such an adventure as I was getting to know the country and meeting new people. However, this semester has been a whole different experience as I feel like I have been living more like a local and less like an exchange student – especially as I have a job and am no longer living in halls. I feel so settled…
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A Bit of Advice
By Vanessa Maloney (University of Auckland, New Zealand). I have decided to dedicate a blog to some advice and information for anybody who is planning to come to study in Auckland (but it might also be useful for anyone visiting New Zealand in general or anybody doing study abroad). It’s just a few nuggets of information that I would have liked to have known before I came here. Hopefully it will be useful to someone. So here goes… 1. Academics/ University life I’ll start off by getting some of the practicalities out of the way. Auckland Uni is a really good university which is pretty similar to Manchester but also…
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An Upside-down Christmas
By Vanessa Maloney (University of Auckland, New Zealand). The last three months or so have made up a new and exciting phase in my New Zealand adventure. I finished semester one in December and I’m just starting semester two now. Most year-long exchange students have to at some stage answer that nagging question – will I go home for Christmas? In my case I decided to stay down under. It certainly wasn’t an easy choice, especially as I miss my friends and family so much, but in the end the cost of flights and the desire to make the most of my time here won me over. Part of me…
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Australian Summer Part Three
By Megan Hitchcock (University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia). Well, Sydney for new year was definitely something I’ll remember forever. Dad and I joined some of my friends and found a spot on the beach appropriate for a good view of the fireworks. The new year was seen in sitting with a drink in knee high water watching the spectacular fireworks from the Harbour Bridge – wow. I’d definitely recommend adding that to the bucket list if you haven’t already been there for yew year. Also Field Day on New Year’s Day – festival next to the harbour, another fun addition to my new Year. The rest of our few…
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Kiwi adventures: Part 2
By Vanessa Maloney (University of Auckland, New Zealand). Part two: Road trip, All Blacks and Fat Freddy’s drop! The two-week mid-semester break gave me a well-need break from the stress of catching up with essays. Me and a couple of friends decided to head off around north Island on a road trip which ended up being one of the best parts of my kiwi experience so far. We started off going to my friend’s holiday house (or ‘bach’ as the kiwis call it) on Lake Tarawera near Rotorua. The trip had a bit of a bumpy start as a wallaby jumped out in front of our car, resulting in the…
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Kiwi adventures: Part 1
By Vanessa Maloney (University of Auckland, New Zealand). Greetings from the land of the Kiwis! I’ts been a long time since I posted so I’m going to split this update into two parts. Here is part one… Hills, Hobbits and hospitals… My first month or so in Auckland after the semester started was up and down to say the least… I settled into the routine of classes quite easily as all of my lecturers are really approachable and interesting and I definitely chose the right courses. It is very hard work doing four modules of mostly 3rd level courses, especially as a couple of my courses had postgraduate level students…
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First impressions of New Zealand
By Vanessa Maloney (University of Auckland, New Zealand). Having finally sorted out my flights, accommodation and visa it still hadn’t really sunk in that I would soon be moving on my own to the other side of the world. I was so used to thinking of New Zealand as some far-off dream that as my departure date drew nearer I was still in denial that it was actually happening! In the busy days before leaving I managed to pack in a few emotional goodbyes and then suddenly it was time to go… The plane journey was long and uncomfortable but I was so excited about arriving in Auckland that the…
