Exercise Science Student Jacquelyn Liebig
Abroad in Auckland, New Zealand
School
Program
Classes - City Campus
- History of the Pacific
- Kapa Haka - A Maori performing arts class in which we learned traditional Maori songs,
dance, and culture
Classes - Tamaki Campus
- Population Health: Research Methods
- Biomechanics
The Tamaki campus is a 20 minute bus ride to and from the city.
Classroom Environment
The classroom environment was very much different from Â鶹Æƽâ°æ classes. The lectures
were upwards to 500 people and 1-2 days a week with a tutorial once a week with a
smaller class size. Lectures were not mandatory and were rarely attended by most students.
Grades were all based on a midterm, final, and 1 or 2 papers. It made me appreciate
the small and close knit classrooms at Â鶹Æƽâ°æ where the teachers knew your name
and there was more interaction between the students.
Favorite Abroad Experience
The 10 day "South Island" was unforgettable and by far the best experience as
Marlee wrote about but I also loved our last minute, totally unprepared, but worked out
perfectly weekend trip south to towns called National Park and Taupo. Marlee and
I decided to rent a car Friday morning, Sarah Nino, from Â鶹Æƽâ°æ, and our new friend
Shyamali jumped on the opportunity. We left late Friday afternoon during rush hour
traffic and if that wasn't bad it was pouring and completely dark because of the late
fall/early winter months. We arrive at our hostel in complete darkness around 11pm,
with a note showing us our room and a paper with the weather forecast for the Tongariro
Crossing (Mount Doom of Lord of the Rings), a 7-8 hour hike that we were planning
on doing early the next morning. However the weather forecast of snow and ice on the
mountain scared us and left us unprepared. We woke up at 6am to get more information
about the hike and were told we were completely unprepared and we could rent equipment
(cramp-ons, boots, waterproof pants, hats and gloves) for the next morning. We changed
our whole plans all around and drove the hour and half to Taupo so Marlee, Sarah and
I could skydive (Shyamali had recently sky dove in Queenstown, so she was the photographer)
The three of us completed our sky dive from 12,000 feet on the most clear, crisp,
and sunny fall day in New Zealand over Lake Taupo. It was one of the most beautiful
360 degree views that I have ever seen. Completely exhausted, but packed full of adrenaline
we decided that if we could just jump out of a plan we were heading back to National
Park to do the Tongariro Crossing in the intense snow and ice. On the way back we
saw an amazing sunset and the next morning an even prettier sunrise over the snow
covered volcanoes. Fully prepared but unsure what to expect we headed out on the busses
at 7am and began out 7 hour journey through the fields, up the steep mountain, over
the snow, through the wind and ice, then down the mountain in the rain and through
the rainforest where were picked back up by the bus. It was the most enthralling and
exhausting, but completely worth it experience. That night we had to make the long
6 hour drive back to Auckland in the pouring rain.
Most Valuable Takeaways
I took a lot away from traveling abroad to New Zealand. I now have a love for traveling,
meeting new people and learning about different cultures and as much as I can.
Suggestions for Students CONSIDERING Studying Abroad Go abroad and do as much as you can while you are there! Travel every weekend, put
yourself out there, meet all the people you can, try new things that you would never
do. Make as much money before you leave so you don't have to work abroad and spend
it all! It is worth it you will meet amazing people and have no regrets!