A review on CISabroad - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand

Other Reviews on CISabroad - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand

• B+

  CISabroad - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand A great experience that I'm glad I had

  Reviewed by Caitlin Reilly on June 29, 2012 .

  Overall, I loved being in New Zealand. The program had its faults and I wish I could have made some more friends who are actually from New Zealand, but I have definitely made quite a few friends that I will keep in touch with for years to come.

• B+

  CISabroad - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand New Zealand was the best experience of my life.

  Reviewed by Leann Lam on June 30, 2012 .

  Being able to travel to New Zealand was one of the greatest experiences of my life thus far. It opened up a whole new set of doors for me and my future. The only real annoyance I had was with the fact that the program did not do much in order to get us acquainted with others in our program. The advisors were very helpful but it would've been nice if we had the chance to meet students who were also in our program or even put a face to the emails from the advisors. Overall, a great experience and wouldn't change much except perhaps actual contact with any CIS staff and ability to contact other students in the CIS program.

• A-

  CISabroad - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand New Zealand = Awesome. CIS, not so much.

  Reviewed by Courtney Wemple on July 02, 2012 .

  New Zealand, Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud--call it by whatever name you wish, but overall "amazing" will forever be an understatement. If you like to have fun, this is the place for you. If you do it right, I promise you that you will never be bored. For one, you're surrounded by the most gorgeous scenery every single day and believe me, it does not get old. There are many places to travel to, hikes to hike, games to watch, things to learn, etc. The list could go on for a while. Not to mention Wellington's superb night life. I highly recommend NZ as a choice for study abroad students--although you may have a hard time keeping yourself on track with the enormous amount of distractions.
  While there is very close to zero chance of you having a horrible time here, I do want to offer up some advice. If possible, get yourself into a flat (house) with local students. The best way to start culturally adapting yourself is by living with the people whose culture has shaped this country into the wonder that it is. Also, I would suggest to save up as much money as you can beforehand because you will definitely want to travel and take advantage of all the activities that fill both the North and South Islands. In addition, make sure to bring appropriate clothing for the duration of your stay. I was unprepared for bipolar Wellington weather. It can be sunny at one moment and then windy and rainy the next, just make sure you know what type of weather you will be encountering throughout your stay.
  Lastly, I do not say this because I want to bash CIS, but upon talking to other American study abroad students, I found that their study abroad programs were way more involved and helpful than CIS. For me, CIS helped me register for classes, secure a place to live, and ensure a ride from the airport upon arrival. All of the other programs I learned about while there did all of that and much more. They also took their abroad students on frequent trips around both islands at extremely discounted prices as well as gathered together for dinners and other fun activities. I had no clue that there were other people in my program and it was only by chance that I met two girls who were also a part of CIS. Having a more involved study abroad program also helps you to make friends. If you'd rather go at it alone, then CIS is the program for you.

• A-

  CISabroad - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand My amazing study abroad trip on the North Island of New Zealand!

  Reviewed by Lauren Ricciardi on July 03, 2012 .

  Studying abroad in New Zealand was probably the best 4 months of my life so far. The first notable part of New Zealand was the beautiful and incomparable scenery and nature, everyday I felt lucky to be in such a gorgeous country. Most New Zealand people who I met were so friendly and went out of their way to help me in any way or just to chat. My house was located on Salamanca Road, a quick walk to Kelburn campus and right near the cable car that takes you into the city. I also lived near a bunch of other houses full of study abroad kids. Traveling to the South Island and Australia were highlights of my studying there. New Zealand is a great place to go when you are young as it is known for adventure sports/experiences. My parents visited me while I was there and were shocked at how much they loved their trip, it is a great place!

• B-

  CISabroad - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand I had an amzing experience, but I don't know how much I benefited from CIS.

  Reviewed by Benjamin Rapaport on January 07, 2013 .

  During my time in neNew Zealand i was able to experience nearly everything the country had to offer. Unfortunately, this came with some added stress, trying to find activities, not to mention organize all the trips and coordinate bus schedules, etc. At times it felt like I wasn't with a program. That said, CIS was able to get me very well prepared for this experience while before I left, and helped to give me the tools to create a great trip.