Where to study abroad: Australia or New Zealand?

Applying to College
1

<p>Im from the US and Im looking to study abroad in either Australia or New Zealand for a semester. Ive been to New Zealand twice for poker tournaments (Auckland and Queenstown) and I loved it there. It’s a beautiful country and the people are super friendly and welcoming. Queenstown was amazing and I loved the small town, cozy feel of it and how everything was within walking distance. I didn’t really have the chance to explore Auckland too much while I was there and Ive never been to Australia. </p>

<p>Im looking for a school with nice warm weather where it doesn’t rain a lot, a good nightlife and preferably somewhere that’s not crazy expensive. I just want to be able to meet some cool people and have a good time while Im there. I have a list below of the possible schools I can choose from. If anyone has had any experiences with these locations/schools or a study abroad experience in general, Id love to hear your input. Thanks.</p>

<p>University of Auckland
University of Canterbury (Christchurch)
Victoria University (Wellington)</p>

<p>University of Queensland (Brisbane)
University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba)
Australian National University (Canberra)
University of Canberra
Deakin University
Victoria University (Melbourne)
University of Melbourne
University of Sydney
Macquarie University (Sydney)
University of New South Wales (Sydney)
University of Adelaide
Charles Darwin University (Darwin)
Southern Cross University (Lismore)
University of Western Australia (Perth)
Curtin University (Perth)
Bond University (Gold Coast)</p>

2

<p>Hey there,</p>

<p>I studied abroad in 2009 at AUT in Auckland, and I honestly can’t say enough amazing things about my experience and that city. As a study abroad student, one of the most important factors to me was being able to go explore. The convenience of being in the heart of the city, as well as having access to the best public transportation in the country was a huge perk when comparing my experience to other friends in NZ. Auckland is actually a pretty small city (1.5 million people), and there are SO many awesome places to check out around it. It’s super easy and relatively affordable to rent a car for a weekend getaway (especially if you get a group of people). I’d say the only downfall is that it can get kinda rainy in the fall/winter…but no snow and it never gets too cold! </p>

<p>I’d recommend checking out the study abroad review website Abroad101 to look into possibilities in other cities in Australia, since I’ve only been to Sydney for a week and can’t tell you much. But there are tons of reviews from other students who you can contact directly and I’m sure they’d love to give you a thorough response!</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision! (I’d definitely say New Zealand, though!)</p>