Field of study in Wageningen: Bsc Nutrition and Health
Study period exchange: 14/02/2023 – 21/06/2023
Country (exchange): New Zealand
City (exchange): Wellington
University (exchange): Victoria University of Wellington (VUW)
Faculty (exchange): Health
2. Motivation for exchange
Why did you choose to go on study exchange?
Going abroad for study was something I wanted to do during my Bsc. Being able to live in another country while also still learning and earning credits is a surreal experience that I really wanted to have. I wanted to learn how to rely on myself, while also exploring another country and making friends from all over the world.
What is the reason you chose for this country/university?
For my exchange experience I wanted to go as far as possible. In my opinion, if your going to live in another country for half a year, better make it a country that you would otherwise not visit so quickly! I always wanted to visit New Zealand for its nature and culture. Being able to do this while also studying and living there was a really nice opportunity.
3. Accessibility to reach destination
Do you have any tips to reach your exchange destination?
If you’re going to New Zealand, you have to take a lot of planes :). Timewise, it doesn’t really matter of you fly east or west. One of the better flights is Amsterdam->Singapore->Auckland->Wellington. This takes about 30 hours. My tip is to arrive a couple days/weeks in advance of the start of your exchange so you can get used to the time difference and the new country/place you’re in. Partying during the introduction week while having a gigantic jetlag is not really a vibe. Also, if you arrive early, you can take the Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington instead of another plane. This train ride is about the same price as a flight and it’s the most beautiful train ride I have ever had!
4. University and studying
Could you provide some general information about the followed courses?
How is the study formalized
Study material consists almost entirely of lectures and essays. No groupwork at all. Academic level about the same as Wageningen University, or a little bit easier. Midterms and final exams halfway and at the end of the 12 week semester. Essays and assignments deadlines vary and are throughout the whole semester. There is a lot of freedom on how you plan your study (rewatching lectures, visiting tutorials or not, etc.).
What is the culture of the university?
At this university everyone is really easy-going. Lecturers are easily approachable and people are generally really nice. Making engagement with local student can be quite hard, since there are pretty much on their own. Generally, you spend most of your time with other exchange students.
What does the university offer the student additionally?
There is a cheap but really nice sport centre on campus. Also, housing is offered by the university, so you don’t have to worry about getting a room. Also there are a lot of (sport)associations to join that offer a lot of different fun activities.
5. Housing-travelling-living
What are the possibilities for housing?
Housing is available through the university for about 800 euros a month. All exchange student are put in the same neighbourhood so it is really easy to make friends. Also, it is really close to the university. I stayed at Kelburn Flats, which I would definitely recommend. It’s 5 minutes from campus and pretty close to the city centre. You could rent cheaper by not renting through VUW, but finding a room at the other side of the world is kind of difficult, and it is going to be a lot harder to get to know people this way.
What is the culture of the country like?
In NZ, people are pretty easy-going and not in a hurry whatsoever. This can be really chill since deadlines are pretty much optional at VUW, but also annoying because no one is ever in a hurry. If you need a certain document do not be surprised if it takes a couple weeks. Cuisine is Asian infused so you will find extremely tasty take out. Also, since Wellington is the coffee capital of the world, you will find amazing coffee everywhere at a really good price :).
Could you give a general price indication of the place of residence compared to living in Wageningen?
Most places rented through university are around 1600 NZ dollars a month. This is about 800 euros. If you rent with catering this will be about 150 euros a month extra.
Could you give some information about public transport infrastructure?
Public transport is extremely cheap in NZ. A 50 minute bus ride will cost you about 1 euro. However, the bus is really slow and there are not a lot of trains in NZ. Also, cheap Ubers are available throughout the whole of Wellington. You pay for public transport with a ‘snapper card’, which is their version of our OV card.
6. Free time
What are must-sees in the area?
There is so much to do in Wellington. You can do hikes everywhere, go to the movies, visit a restaurant, go for a coffee, go thrift shopping and go on. If you want to go outside of Wellington a car is advised since the public transport is not really good outside of the cities. Also, all the hikes are not really reachable by bus or train.
What does not appear in the travel guide, but is worth a visit?
My favourite places in Wellington are coffee place Qilin Tea house, the te papa museum, the light house cinema, cuba street or the sky stadium to see a rugby match. The best hikes in Wellington are stairway to heaven, red rocks, mount Victoria, and mount Kaukau. Also Somes island is definitely worth a visit. Try out as many food places as you can!
Do you have general tips and tricks about leisure time?
Courteney place is the going out centre in Wellington. You can find all the bars and clubs there. My personal favourites were the sports café, circus bar and the rooftop bar. Most people go out on Friday and Saturday. Going out in the middle of the week is possible, but often really quiet.
7. Challenges & best moment abroad
What was a challenge you have experienced?
The biggest inconvenience of living in NZ is that your so far away from the rest of the world. Mainly the time difference is huge (10-12 hours). Because of this, you can only text or call friends and family at home early in the morning or late at night. This can make you feel quite isolated at times.
What was your best memory abroad?
Halfway the semester there is a two week study period (=holiday)! I travelled by car around the south island with some friends. NZ is beautiful and driving around and hiking is the best way to actually feel like your actually abroad. Sharing this with friends you made a couple weeks ago from all over the world is absurd but amazing. During trips like this you get to know each other better than you know some friends at home. Definitely recommend driving around NZ and visiting everything!
8. Contact Details
Would you like to ask Robin more questions about his exchange?
Send him a mail: robin1.smits@wur.nl