Why I chose to study abroad at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand

One of the reasons why I applied to Otago was because it offered so much for both general student life and the epic New Zealand immersion.  My accommodation is called UniFlats and it’s where I stayed for my semester abroad. UniFlats offers international students the chance to stay in one of their designated flats where I met other exchange students, making it a lot easier to make friends. They also offered frequent trips (for free) to places close to Dunedin like the Otago Peninsula to see rare, yellow-eyed penguins, the Royal Albatross Centre, Puketeraki Marae (a Māori Meeting House), and many more. This just added to my experience abroad and allowed me to really immerse myself into New Zealand’s culture.

Whilst exploring a new country is awesome, studying also plays an integral part of the experience (as you can guess). As a Journalism & Creative Writing student, Otago allowed me to continue learning subjects that would support my degree whilst also being given the opportunity to explore newer academic areas. To ensure all my credits would be transferred back home, I had to choose three classes (called papers in New Zealand), so I went for one media and one creative writing class. For my third option I decided to try out a songwriting class, which was wholly different to my usual studies but ended up being a fun insight into the music industry. This balance was a significant factor in choosing Otago as it meant that I got to continue my learning from Falmouth whilst working on something new and equally exciting that would develop skills unique to my CV! 

Being in the South Island also meant I’d have easier access to some of the country’s most beautiful national parks and cities like Queenstown, Christchurch and Fiordland. Going to and from the North Island would be easy as well as there’s frequent public transport in New Zealand which would give me an even greater opportunity to explore other parts of the country such as the capital, Wellington. And just like Falmouth, there are beaches near Dunedin that only require a short bus ride, so I felt right at home.

Māori culture is also so important to New Zealand and Dunedin is especially renowned for its Māori and Pacific historical backgrounds. I was really interested in learning more on this and coming to Dunedin would allow me to explore something beyond what most of us know about Kiwi culture, especially as the city has its own museum showcasing Māori heritage and artifacts of the nature in and around Aotearoa New Zealand.

There is so much to gain from studying abroad and for me, Dunedin allowed me to venture outside of my comfort zone whilst being given a fantastic education at the same time. And whilst New Zealand is quite the distance from Falmouth, I think travelling across the world has given me a sense of newfound adventure and let me experience the thrills of living in a small city where I’ve created memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Find out more about Study Abroad exchanges