Hi! My name is Lina and I study Marine Biology with Oceanography, and for my semester abroad I chose to attend Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) in New Zealand!
For someone who considers themselves pretty indecisive, I made the decision to go to New Zealand within a speedy half an hour, and I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I hope my experience can help you decide where you want to go for your semester abroad, and even if you don’t choose VUW (big mistake), I hope you enjoy reading about some of my adventures! 🙂
Accomodation
While in New Zealand I stayed in Glen Eyre Halls of Residence, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly! Firstly, they arranged for a minibus to pick up international students from the airport, and even though I’d forgotten to sign up to the service, they brought me along anyways! A good start.
Once we arrived, the halls manager (and her dog) gave us a tour of the place – and even though it was the dead of winter, it was gorgeous! The trees attracted native birds, herbs grew in the communal garden, and later in the year the area was full of flowers.
As for ammenties – they had a pool table, air-hocky table, and video games room. They had a ‘donations’ table where you could scrounge some pillows and blankets for free upon arrival (I’d recommend not buying the ‘linen’ package for this reason), they had a study room and even a free counselling service if you signed up through the Uni. My flat had views over the ocean, and was only a 10 minute walk away from Uni and the city center. There were weekly fun activities organised by the halls (such as looking for glow worms in the botanical gardens), and everyone who worked there was beyond lovely. I made some wonderful friends and always felt I had someone to go to for support when I needed it.
Having been to some of the other accomodations, Glen Eyre was by far the best one (in my totally unbiased opinion).
The onnnnnly downsides I can think of are the steep hills (although you won’t be able to avoid these anywhere in Wellington – the notoriosly hilly city) and the cold living rooms and kitchens during the winter (the rooms themselves had wonderful heating, so just pack warm!)
The Uni Experience
Uni began with a week of introductions for international students, which I found helpful for making a few friends and getting my bearings around campus. They had some wonderful talks by Maori people which I’d highly recommend attending, as I think it really set the tone for how much New Zealanders value their culture!
As for my actual uni courses – I won’t bore you with all the details, but I will say that I found them extremely enjoyable, interesting, and well structured. I took 3 classes: Behaviour and Conservation Ecology (Biol328), Applied Marine Bio (Biol372), and Applied Statistical Modelling (Stat293). If you want to learn some fascinating things about bird behaviour and intelligence, and if you want free entry into the Wellington Zoo and the Zealandia bird sanctuary, I’d highly recommend the first course. Applied Marine Bio was also super fun – with weekly labs and a tour of the NIWA institute where I was able to meet people working in the fields I wanted to pursue. I arranged a meeting with someone there, and they gave me the contacts for my masters supervisors! I’d highly recommend making the most out of this networking opportunity if you take the course. Lastly, I know many people shy away from taking elective maths courses, but I’d highly recommend the Stats course I did – it takes you through everything step by step, making it very easy to follow and providing you with invaluable skills for planning experimental designs and processing data. If you put in the work, it’s definitely worth it.
Apart from my courses, the Uni life itself was super inclusive and fun! There were innumerous student organised events (eg. free clothing give aways, free waffles, etc.), a weekly newsletter written by students (to which anyone can give submissions), and a weekly wellbeing event with therapy dogs (I’m not kidding – there were dogs every week). The student health service was also phenomenal, with free counselling avaliable through your accomodation. There is a small fee for GP appointments though, so just be aware of that.
Overall, I could not recommend the Uni highly enough. Simply from an academic point of view it was wonderful, and if you add onto that the wellbeing support and sense of community, you can’t go wrong with your experience at Victoria Uni of Wellington.
Life as a Kiwi
Depending on your interests, this section may or may not be of use to you – if you enjoy climbing, hiking, and outdoor adventures, then I’ve got plenty to tell you about!
At the start of term, I joined the Victoria Uni of Wellington ‘Tramping’ Club (‘tramping’ being what they call hiking), and everyone was immediatly very welcoming! With several trips and activities planned each week, there was plenty to get involved in straight away; My first trip took me on ‘Snowcraft’ – an annual trip which involved hiking on the snowy Mt Ruapehu, where I learnt how to use ice axes and crampons. We had snowball fights, went swimming in waterfalls, and found an igloo!
Other trips I went on included a two day hike in the very windy, very cold, but very very beautiful Tararua mountain range, and a lovely overnight ‘mid winter Christmas’ trip which included a potluck feast, a hike through some beautiful river valleys, and even a secret santa gift exchange (presents included, but were not limited to, an unpealed orange, a rubber mallet, and a nerf gun).
Weekly socials were also organised by the club, which made it super easy to meet people and make friends 🙂 If you’re into climbing like me, you’ll be happy to hear that they also organised weekly indoor bouldering and rope climbing nights!
Overall, the club was a godsend for me – friendly people who just wanted to be outdoors. My experience would have been completely different if I hadn’t gotten involved, so all I can recommend is that you also find a community that suits your interests! 🙂
In terms of other things to do around Wellington – there’s definitely something for everyone! If you’re into music there are plenty of live events every week, ranging from funky flute bands to cool dj sets (follow theimage04 on instagram for weekly schedules of what’s on). The bar scene is also pretty cool – my fav bar being The Library – and for alternative outdoor activities you can get involved in sailing, windsurfing, diving, and snorkelling. The beaches and hikes around the city are absolutely stunning, and if you want a nearby swimming spot you can even get in straight off the harbour.
Travel
Now, for arguably the most important section – the travel. New Zealand is probably most famous for its 11 Great Walks, which are spread across the two islands and require advance bookings (make sure you book in time, the summer gets extremely busy!)
After completing my semester of studying, I was lucky enough to have a friend from home come visit and travel with me. Together we trekked the 4 day Tongoriro Northern Circuit, which brought unbelievable barren volcanic landscapes and blue sulphur pools that were unlike anything I’d seen before. If you do any of the Great Walks while you’re here, the Tongoriro would definitely be my recommendation.
After that, we trekked the coastal Abel Tasman, which brought lush forests, sandy beaches, and evil ‘bush chickens’ that steal your snacks if you’re not careful! Also absolutely stunning, and many people’s favourite area of New Zealand.
Although we didn’t get around to doing any of the Fiordland Great Walks, I’d highlyyyy recommend them. These walks book out extremely early – so make sure you’re organised! From what I’ve heard and seen from friends, these walks are truely unforgettable.
Last words
Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful experience studying abroad. From the friendly people, beautiful culture, and absolutely stunning landscapes, to the excellent teaching and course structure, there isn’t a single thing I didn’t enjoy about New Zealand. Regardless of where you go, I hope you have a great time! And if you decide to go to Victoria Uni of Wellington, I hope you found this blog helpful 🙂