Academic Checklist

There are many things you need to have done before you leave in terms of your education. We cover much of this in our , , and requirements for entry��sections, but here is a brief overview so that you can ensure that every single thing has been completed. If something has not been done, or you have questions, contact the university you seek to attend.

• Have you dealt with all of your financial ends? Do you have your finances in order so that you do not owe anything in terms of tuition?
• Did you schedule your classes? Do you have your books that you need?
• Are all of the applications and paperwork turned in and approved?
• When will you be arriving in relation to the first day of classes?
• Have you spoken with your advisor to ensure that you have the correct schedule and everything that you need for your program of study?

Living Accommodations

There are many things that you need to keep track of when it comes to your living accommodations; you can’t just arrive without somewhere to live, even though many people try doing that. It can cause you additional stress and waste a lot of time. Our will give you a lot more information about finding accommodations. If you need more resources, the international studies and/or admissions offices at your university of choice will have more information for you.

• How are you getting to where you are staying? Are you getting picked up by a university representative, a friend, or a taxi? Will there be a vehicle or public transportation that you can use? Make sure you have that in place,
• Where will you be staying when you arrive? Will you be able to move in to wherever you are residing right away, or will you have to wait a predetermined amount of time in order to get in?
• Have you paid any monetary deposits that you need to pay in order to get the keys to your residence hall or apartment?
• Many of the students who 51Ʒ�� will live as guests in a home with a family, as we discuss on our accommodations section. If this is the decision that you made, have you made the appropriate arrangements with the family that you are staying with? Do they know when you are arriving? Are they going to be picking you up at the airport when you arrive?

Entry into the Country

Of course, no matter where you are studying, if you aren’t a native of the country, you have to make sure that everything is in order so that you can enter the country without issues. Since you are required to be accepted to a university before you can even apply for a student visa, there are a lot of things that have to be in order once you get to that point. Here are some of things that you need to make sure of before you leave.

Have you spoken to the proper authorities in the New Zealand government to ensure that you have done everything correctly? Is everything with your visa settled? If you aren’t entirely sure, check out our page to double check and see if you’ve done everything we’ve listed there as well. Is your passport up to date, including one to three recent photographs of yourself?

Also, when you arrive at the airport, make sure that you have your visa and passport somewhere that they are easily accessible. Whether that means you have them in your hands or in your carry-on when you arrive at the airport, you just have to be able to grab them and show them whenever someone asks.

It’s always a good idea to double check everything with the before you leave for New Zealand. They will be able to help you and ensure that you have everything in order so that you don’t get sent back or detained while traveling to New Zealand.

Health and Wellness

There are a lot of things you need to understand before you arrive to New Zealand, which we discuss on our on this site. Everything will be different than what you know, and there are a lot of ins and outs that you will need to understand. More information can be found at the New Zealand government’s .

There are a lot of things that you have to have in order before you can even arrive in New Zealand. Here are some of the most important.

• Are you healthy and cleared for travel? If you have a particular ailment, you may not be able to travel. Talk to your physician in your home country and get a physical before you leave. You may also need specific vaccinations before you are allowed to enter the country.
• Make sure that you have at least a month’s worth of prescription medication available for when you arrive in New Zealand. Since your doctor cannot write a prescription to be filled in New Zealand, you will have to make an appointment with a general practitioner (family doctor) shortly after you arrive so that you can get your prescription medications without any gaps.
• Is the insurance that you have valid in New Zealand, or have you purchased insurance that can be used while you are in New Zealand?

Getting Ready to Roll

It’s hard to decide on what you want to pack when you are studying abroad. You will want to bring necessities, including anything that will give you positive memories and/or provide you comfort while you are residing in the country.

Before you start packing, make a list. There are plenty of lists online that you can use, but here are some of them that we recommend:

• ���ٳܻ�ⴡ�����Dz���.���dz�’s
• The Study Abroad Blog’s
• The Culture Shock Blog’s
• College Fashion’s

While you are making the list, take a look at the websites of the airlines that you will be taking. Make sure that everything you are packing is in compliance with what the airplanes and airports require in terms of safety and legality. You can also get a list from the immigration department or from the university that you are attending.

Talk to your university, the landlord, or the family that you are staying with as well. Sometimes, you can use the postal system to send your items for less than it would have cost for you to pay for luggage on the airplane. Consult with the organization in question and do some comparisons; sometimes it’s cheaper, sometimes it’s not.

There are some things that you don’t really need to bring, like toiletries. These items can be purchased upon your arrival to New Zealand, and many times for less than it would have cost to purchase them and transport them. So, make sure that you have some money available to you when you arrive so that you can make a shopping trip.

Saying “See You Later”

The hardest part of studying abroad is saying goodbye to the people that you love and care about. Don’t leave without speaking with your social contacts in your home country; make time to spend with them before you step on that plane, because you may regret it if you don’t give yourself a chance to say goodbye.

Get an address book or use the ones provided with an electronic device. You want to utilize contact information as much as possible. You can use social media, like Facebook or Twitter; email addresses, instant messaging and VOIP contacts, phone numbers, and even home addresses should be included in this way. Get the information that you need in order to keep in touch with your favorite people.

With the internet, things have become much easier in terms of communication. As mentioned above, you can use social media, instant messaging, and video chat for free; you just need an internet connection. Another great way to keep your family and friends posted on your adventures while studying abroad is to start a blog. Blogs are incredibly popular, and you can update everyone at the same time instead of trying to contact everyone individually. Set it up before you leave and let people know where it’s located.

Last but not least, don’t get so caught up with getting ready to leave for New Zealand that you forget to say goodbye. Make time with your friends and family. Now, before you think that you won’t have time to visit with people before you leave, then start packing two to three weeks before your departure. That way, that last week can be spent with those you love. Throw a going-away party; go out with some of your friends. Just don’t make the mistake of secluding yourself during that last week, because that will make you miss your loved ones even more when you’ve left.

There are a number of things that we may have missed on this checklist, but don’t be concerned. The international studies office and/or admissions office at your university will be able to help you get ready for your time in New Zealand. They know everything there is to know about studying in New Zealand; they help thousands of students every single year. Always look to them first if you have a question or concern that you don’t quite know how to answer.

The also has everything that you need in order to study abroad. Kiwis are known for being welcoming people, and the information that they provide on their website and through your government contacts will help you get adjusted during your study abroad experience.

We sincerely hope that this checklist, as with everything else on this website, plays a large role in helping you prepare for your studies in New Zealand. As we’ve explained in other areas of the site, New Zealand is one of the most popular and most exciting countries to visit and study in the world. You need to make sure that you make the most out of your time there, and that starts while you are getting ready to leave. Thank you for using our resources while on your academic endeavor, and enjoy your time as an honorary Kiwi!

The post Your final Checklist first appeared on Education in New Zealand.

So why would you work while studying in New Zealand? Here are a few of the most popular reasons that you will hear from other people when trying to decide whether or not you should be working while you are studying abroad. Instead of just riding on loans and other aid, a job can provide you with the following benefits.

• You can ensure that you have the money available so that you can prove your eligibility for a to start with. Having a job secured can make the process of ensuring your funding when you apply for your student visa.
• You can use the money to enjoy yourself and sustain yourself while you are residing in the country, so you can alleviate any stress that may occur because of monetary reasons. Money can be stressful, so you may as well do something to help alleviate that stress so that you can focus on your studies and do better while you are earning your degree.
• Some studies suggest that if you work while you are in school, your grades are actually better, as long as you are working a reasonable amount of hours. That’s part of the reason why New Zealand actually restricts the number of hours that you work to 20 per week during the semester.
• You will get work experience, which can be valuable to you when you graduate. In some cases, it can even assist with your studies to a point. An important note to realize: if you are getting educational experience at your job, you may want to see if you can get academic credit for it. If you can, you can actually work for more than 20 hours per week because it is considered to be part of your program.
• You may even get to travel while working, depending on what you do. That way, you get to see more of the country and earn some cash while you are doing it.

There are a number of stipulations that you must adhere to if you are looking to work while you are studying in New Zealand. There used to be a number of things that you need to do in order to be able to work. You used to have to apply for what is called a variation of condition, which allowed you to work for 20 hours per week during the semester, and 40 hours per week during the Christmas and New Year’s break, which is equivalent to the summer university break in the northern countries. You were not allowed to work during the break in between semesters (June and July) at all. The exception, of course, is if you were taking an internship or apprenticeship as part of your educational program. If you breached this at all, or tried to work without permission from Immigration New Zealand, then you could lose your visa and be deported from the country.

Now, in January of 2014, these rules went through a very large overhaul. It became much easier for international students on a visa to be able to work while they are studying. Here are some of the ways that these rules changed.

• Full time students were allowed to work during any course breaks, even the ones in between the two semesters (June to July). They can work full-time during that break as well, which allows you to secure a little more income while .
• Those who are working on a doctorate or a research master’s degree will be allowed to work full-time at any type of job. No permission is needed in order to do so, as long as you have an eligible student visa.
• Those who speak English as their primary language will be allowed to work 20 hours per week during the semester. There is no need for you to get a variation on your visa or any other special permission in order to do so; it’s just part of obtaining your visa. Those who do not speak English as their primary language will still need to go through the variations process in order to obtain employment while on a visa.

As you can see, there are a lot of things that you may have to do in order to ensure that you are able to work while you are in the country. But the benefits definitely outweigh the amount of time that you have to take in order to be able to work. If you need help updating your work visa, then you can contact or your international studies office for more information. They can help you out.

The post Working while Studying first appeared on Education in New Zealand.

1. The people

Kiwis are some of the most amazing, loving, and welcoming people that you will ever meet. If you are a stranger, a native New Zealander is going to treat you like you are a friend. They are used to meeting new people, first because they travel a lot themselves, and also because a lot of people come to visit New Zealand as well. The culture on the islands is quite laid back and easy going, as well. So you’re not going to feel tense like you would if you went to a large city like London or New York City to study. There are just over 4 million people who reside on the country, and it is one of the safest places to live in the world. Another cool thing about the people is that there are so many different kinds of people. For being such a small country, the diversity is greater than you see in many European countries.

2. The stability

Some people say that, because the country is in a small corner of the world that doesn’t really get bothered by anyone, that New Zealand seems to be secluded from the rest of the world. This isn’t true at all. As mentioned above, the people are really welcoming to outsiders. But, it can also be a great thing! The economy is actually incredibly stable, the cost of living is low, and the government is more stable (and less argumentative) than the governments that you will see in other countries. This is probably the reason that immigration is embraced, which we will talk about more in some of our later points.

3. The Weather

Nothing can get better than the weather in New Zealand. The winters are mild, with temperatures around 10ºC (50ºF) and slightly wet. In higher altitudes, you will see snow, but it’s not common in lower altitudes. In the summers, the climate is warm and dry with temperatures around 25ºC (77ºF). As you would expect in the southern hemisphere, the summer lasts from December to February; winter lasts from June to August. Spring and fall are similar, with cooler temperatures and little rain.

4. The educational system

This is the number one reason to go anywhere for school, but . First, the tuition is some of the lowest in the world. You get a British-based education (due to their British influences) for a percentage of the cost. The degrees are recognized around the world as being up-to-date and practical. You will get a high quality, hands on education that you deserve. The New Zealand even goes so far as to checking each and every course, program, and certificate for quality so that they can be recognized around the world as high-quality education. Not only that, but the support services for international students are among the best in the world. They have a lot of expertise and experience in helping international students so that they can succeed in their programs.

5. Never run out of things to do

This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who looks for adventure. In New Zealand, there are literally thousands of things to do. Do you like to hike? There are plenty of mountains for you to explore. Do you enjoy being a beach bum? Then you get to enjoy the beaches throughout the year. Want some excitement? There are always new things to do . The scenery is different depending on where you go; you could drive an hour and have a completely different geography. We’ll look at this more in our section.

6. Work opportunities

There are plenty of work opportunities available for international students. On a student visa, you are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week through the semester; during vacations you can work up to 40 hours. So, instead of having to worry about finances, you get to supplement your education with income. You may even be able to nab internships and other practical work. The international studies office at your university can help you find a job to sustain you during your time in New Zealand. Another great thing is that you can get a permit at the end of your degree program and work for 12 months in the country under a special “work permit” that is alongside your student visa, which is what we’ll look at closer in the last point.

7. Ease of visa acquisition and residency

The visa acquisition process is incredibly simple, and unlike many other countries, you will not be rejected right away. You get to talk to people and tell them your side of the story if there is something that may prevent you from getting a visa to come into the country. If you can explain why you’ve decided to go down there and your international studies program helps you to create a Statement of Purpose (a statement you give to the visa officer to tell them why you are coming to New Zealand to study), you will usually get a visa. The country is welcome to immigration, more so than almost any other country in the world. The last advantage is that, after you graduate, as mentioned above, you can work in the country for up to a year. If the job you are working at is related to the degree that you received, you can actually apply to get permanent residency, which you will most likely get within 6 months of your application. We look at visa acquisition and residency more in our .

Now do you see why there are over 100,000 people who go and 51Ʒ�� every single year? Will you join them and become an honorary Kiwi while getting your education in a beautiful and unique country like New Zealand? Then keep looking around our site; we can help you determine how to move forward with the application process and how to choose the right school for you. We want to give you everything that you need in order to help you to make the best decision on this site.

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Limitations of Student Visas

If you are a full time student, then you are given a student visa as long as your tuition is paid, which lasts for one school year. If the program is based on the New Zealand year (instead of the year that you will see in the northern hemisphere), your student visa will expire at the end of March of the following year, to allow you time to stay.

There are ways to get around this, of course. You can study with a particular education program that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Immigration office, which will allow you to apply for a visa that lasts as long as your program is going. You can also apply for scholarship(s) through the university you are attending; if you receive one of these, then your visa will last as long as the scholarship does (up to four years).

Many times, you have to be a full time student in order to apply for a visa, but part-time students can too. If you are coming to the country for one school year (9 months) and meet all of the visitor requirements as set by the government, or if you are finishing a degree program during your part time semester that will help you become a “skilled migrant” as defined by the immigration department, then you can apply for a student visa as a part-time student.

Who will not be approved for a student visa?

As we mention in our “” section, most people who apply for student visas will receive them. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but there are very few. Here’s a brief list.

• If you have been convicted of a crime that led to jail time for five years or more ever; or, if in the past 10 years, you were imprisoned for a year or more.
• You have to go under prohibition when entering New Zealand.
• If you have ever been deported or excluded from a country.
• If you are considered a terrorist or a terroristic threat that will risk security, order, or public interest.
• If you are currently in New Zealand illegally, and they know about it.
• If there is specific health issues or character issues that you have, which are determined by the immigration department upon your application. Character issues can include trying to stay in the country illegally or breaching your visa conditions.

You can also lose the right to have your student visa. You will then be deported. This could be if you don’t attend classes, you work more than your visa allows (we will discuss work restrictions in our section), if you switch your program without contacting the immigration office, or your funding stops for some reason.

How to Apply

There are a number of different visas that you can end up applying for, but they all have the same process. Here is a basic, step-by-step layout of the process.

• You have to fill out an application, which you can find on the immigration website .
• You need to get any and all medical certificates required by the government, which you will see on the application or the .
• If you live in Australia or New Zealand, you don’t need a visa.
• You need to meet any and all requirements set by your school.
• There are a number of requirements that you have to meet in order to get approved for your visa. You have to get an offer of place or confirmation of enrollment (the latter is for those who already have a visa and need it to be renewed. You need to provide evidence of funding and that you plan to leave, and have a passport that extends at least three months after your stay will be ending. Learn more .

If you need more information about the visas and immigration requirements that New Zealand has, then contact the . They have all of the information that you need. You can also get help with the paperwork from the international office of the university that you are looking to attend. Your international office does this with hundreds of students every single year, so they will help you with all of the ins and outs of the system.

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The New Zealand Qualifications Framework

The New Zealand Qualifications Framework, referred to as the NZQF, was developed in July of 2010 in order to ensure that all educational endeavors in tertiary education are under the same framework. It basically works to make sure that schools are meeting these standards and are beneficial in a number of ways, including the following:

• The NZQF works to convey and determine the skills that a university student should have upon completing their education.
• The organization also sets standards for the knowledge and any other attributes that a university student has once their degree program has been completed.
• It helps to enable and support any university that works to provide a quality education, no matter what type of education that that may be. It also helps universities develop programs that fit with their own standards.
• The NZQF helps to give potential students and employees a certain level of confidence in the education that people obtain while they are in university in New Zealand.
• The NZQF works to help the native Māori people by providing them with a quality education and helping them to attain their educational goals, no matter what they may be.

As you can see, the NZQF actually plays a very large role in ensuring that the money that you pay is going toward a high quality education. The organization as developed to make sure that, no matter where you attend university in New Zealand that you are getting the best quality education that you can get in the world.

The rest of this section will focus on the eight major universities that are located throughout New Zealand. This will not include information on technical schools and/or other tertiary education institutions that are not considered to be universities.

The Auckland University of Technology, also referred to as AUT, is a university that was developed back in 1895, but was renamed and redeveloped into its current incarnation at the beginning of 2000. The name change was due to the Auckland Institute of Technolgoy being granted status as a university, instead of just being a technological institute. Its main campus is in Auckland’s Central Business District, but it also has a number of different campuses throughout New Zealand.

Currently, there are over 27,000 students enrolled at the Auckland University of Technology every single year, with about 2,500 of those students as international students. The international student population is varied, with students from over 85 different countries around the world, giving it a very diverse student population. Obviously, most of the students are native Kiwis, but you’ve also got Asian, Maori, and other Pacific Islanders that attend the university every single year. You will also see that there is a high population of non-traditional aged students (over the age of 25). They offer a number of different educational programs, from traditional liberal arts degrees to more advanced post graduate degrees. There are currently about 2,000 graduate students.

Lincoln University was started in 1990, when the University of Canterbury split into two different universities based on the campus. It was formerly known as Lincoln College, Canterbury, and is located about 15 km from the center city of Christchurch, in Lincoln, Canterbury. It has a very large campus, with over 50 acres of land, which points back to its origins as an agricultural school (when it was first built in the late 19^th century).

There are currently 4500 students that attend Lincoln University, and their degrees are still based in agriculture and other related fields, like environmental preservation, forestry, horticulture, landscaping, and recreation. Since their designation as a university, they also have degrees in more technological fields, like computing sciences and engineering. The campus has a very lively student life, which includes a number of different organizations that support a number of interests and lifestyles, including religious organizations, cycling groups, sporting clubs, sexuality organizations, and agricultural education organizations.

Massey University is one of the largest universities in the country of New Zealand, with over 35,000 students that are attending the school. They have one of the largest distance learning programs in the country, with over half of the population of the university taking classes via the internet and other distance learning techniques. There are currently over 3000 international students that study at Massey as well, representing more than 100 countries from around the world.

There are several different campuses that Massey University currently oversees. Two are in Palmerston North, one is in Wellington, and the other in Auckland. It is known for its quality business program, but it is also the only university in the country that offers aviation dispute resolution, nanoscience, and veterinary science degrees. Other universities may soon follow suit, but Massey is the first to pursue adding those programs to its roster.

Massey started as part of the University of New Zealand (which then split into many of the universities listed here), as an agricultural school. It was named after a former Prime Minister (William Massey) who passed away in 1925. They started accepting women in 1932, and in 1963, it split off from being part of the University of Auckland and became its own university. Since then, the population of the university has exploded and it has become a very popular educational institution, both for those who are from New Zealand and those who are coming from overseas.

The University of Auckland is located in Auckland, and is larger than any of the other university in the country. It is also ranked number 82 in the World University Rankings from QS, making it the highest ranked school in the country. It currently has six different campuses, and has over 40,000 students that attend the university every single year.

One unique thing about the University of Auckland is that it has over 50 programs that are known as conjoint programs. These degree programs are unique because they allow a student to earn multiple undergraduate degrees (usually in related disciplines) in less time than it would have taken if you tried to get both individually or if you took a “double major” at a different university.

This university was founded in May of 1883 as a part of the larger University of New Zealand, and was located in Auckland. The university stared with just a few degree programs and only 95 students. As time went on, enrollment continued to increase, most students attending the university were looking to become law clerks or educators. The research part of the university did not really expand until about halfway through the 20^th century.

Now, the University of Auckland is one of the best known research universities in the world, with hundreds of well-known researchers in multiple fields graduating from the university every single year.

The University of Canterbury, usually called “Cant,” is the second-oldest university in all of New Zealand. It was founded in 1873 and is currently located in Ilam, which is a suburb of Christchurch. There are a number of degrees that they offer, from liberal arts to fine arts, forestry to health sciences and social sciences. Education is also incredibly popular at the University of Canterbury.

The University currently has over 16,000 students attending every single year, with about 12,500 in undergraduate studies and 3,500 in graduate studies. The campus is quite large, with over 190 acres of land that has many of the colleges and six halls of residence. Approximately 1800 students reside on campus every single year, and the six halls of residence have a number of different activities for students to enjoy, along with high-class facilities.

The University of Otago is the oldest university in New Zealand; it is located in Dunedin and has over 21,000 students enrolled in the university every single year. The research program is one of the best in the country, and has some of the best research staff in the country (only behind the University of Auckland). The University was started in July of 1871 and is known for its active and enjoyable student life, which offers attractive options for housing and a number of activities for students to enjoy and indulge in throughout the year. Otago is well-known because it was the first school in the country that actually allowed women to study to become lawyers, which was also well before many other countries allowed women to study any sort of

The University of Waikato, in Hamilton, was started in 1964 and was the only university that was not a break-off from the University of New Zealand. It currently has over 13,000 students enrolled in the university every single year. It started as a teacher’s college, and is still well known for its educational programs, even though since it became a university, it has expanded into a number of different educational fields and has provided a well-rounded education for a number of people. There are seven different schools, and is actually considered one of the top 500 universities in the world; it is also considered to be one of the top 50 “young” universities in the world.

The Victoria University of Wellington was started by the New Zealand Parliament in 1897 as a part of the University of New Zealand. It was (and still is) known for its degree programs in law, humanities, and life sciences. The Victoria University of Wellington is actually very unique, because it admits pretty much anyone that applies for the first year of general classes. When you are looking to apply for the second year in the more vigorous programs, you have to go through a special application process due to the restricted nature of these classes. It is actually considered the best research university in the country, and is 225^th in the top 500 universities in the world.

As you would expect, the university is named after Queen Victoria. This is because it was opened during the year of the 60^th anniversary of her coronation. It is currently located in Kelburn, in Wellington. There used to be another campus based in Palmerston North, but it merged with Massey College (as discussed above) in the mid 20^th century. There are other campuses laocated in Te Aro, Pipitea, and Karori, all in Wellington. There are currently over 21,000 students that attend the university every year.��

Did you get all of that? It’s a lot of information to soak in, but it’s good for you to know about each of the colleges so that you can make an informed decision that will benefit you in the long run. As you can see, we provided you with links to each of the different universities so that you can take a look at each of them on your own. Make sure that the university that you attend will meet all of your expectations and will help you achieve the goals that you are seeking to achieve during your studies in New Zealand. Good luck on applying (which we discuss more in our section) and get ready for the adventure that waits for you when you decide to 51Ʒ��.

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There are a number of different undergraduate degrees and certifications that you can earn, all of which vary depending on where you attend school. These degrees and certifications will have different distinctions, and will grant you different privileges when it comes to furthering your education later on.

Professional Certificates and technical schools

There are over 600 tertiary training schools located throughout the country of New Zealand, each of which provides a different type of education depending on the field of work that you plan on going into. These programs put you right into practical classes, and can take anywhere from 2 to 18 months to complete. These can include internships, apprenticeships, and other types of educational experiences that can help you go right into the work field when you complete your program. These programs can include civil engineering, electricians, plumbing, secretarial jobs and duties, and a number of other technical jobs that usually do not require a bachelor’s degree, but they do require specialized training that you will need in an educational context like a training program.

Associate’s Degrees

Associate’s degrees are a level of tertiary education that is a step above the certificates and technical school programs. These offer a number of classes; many of them are theory based, but some of them will be practical like in a professional certificate program. Many people who go for associate’s degrees go in because they don’t know if earning a Bachelor’s degree is for them. Instead, they will take courses and receive an associate’s degree, which will allow them to go into the workplace immediately after they complete their degree or they can decide to finish up and earn a bachelor’s degree with only a year or so of extra time. Most associate’s degrees are in liberal arts fields; some of them may have technical aspects.

Bachelor’s Degrees

Unlike countries like the United States that take four years to complete a bachelor’s degree program, New Zealand actually lets you finish within three years. This is because there are very few, if any, general education classes. You may have to take classes that are not directly in your major (nursing students may have to take an algebra class, etc), but every single class you take is geared toward your course of study. You aren’t wasting any time with classes that are not directly related to the major at hand. These degrees will give you a well rounded education that will prepare you for the work world or for higher education pursuits.

If you are looking to enroll in an undergraduate program in New Zealand, there are plenty of places to look. Most undergraduate programs are at the 8 main universities in the country, which we discuss in our of this website. You can also find more information at��the Immigration Department , and the Tertiary Education Commission’s .

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Athletics

If you are someone that has enjoyed athletics throughout your life, then athletics is a possibility for you to pursue. You can enjoy exercise, you can join a club or team on your university campus or you can join community sports. Kiwis love sports, so we’ve dedicated a whole section of the site to helping you understand the . You can also take the time to exercise. Your health is a very important part of your university career, and you won’t do your best unless you take care of all parts of yourself, including your physical health. Take advantage of exercise

Social clubs and special interest organizations

Many universities in New Zealand have a number of different clubs and organizations that you can join. What are you interested in? What hobbies do you enjoy and what do you like to do in your spare time? Whether you like board games, are interested in a particular genre of movie, or want to get involved with student government, you have the ability to do so.�� You can find religious groups, groups related to the degree program that you are studying, or even groups that can help you to learn a new skill or take up a new hobby. Just ask your international studies office and they will point you in the right direction.

Residence life

If you live in campus-based housing (halls of residence, etc), take advantage of the activities that your wardens are doing. They may take trips, play games, enjoy sports, or even splurge on pizza or make you a homemade meal, depending on the size of your dorm. Interact with the other people in your dorm, and you will not regret it. You are in that close space for up to four years; you may as well advantage of it and make friends with both native Kiwis and those who are studying abroad, just like you. You may make some of the closest friends you’ve ever had, just because you decided to branch out a little bit and enjoy your residence life experience.

Arts and culture

There are literally dozens of ways for you to enjoy arts and culture, right on your college campus. Many universities have musical groups, dancing groups, social events, cultural events, and a number of other activities that are going on. As an international student, this could really help you to round out your experience and learn more about the world that you are staying in. Enjoy the arts and culture experiences that are available both on and off campus, and you will feel like your time has been well-spent.

Travel and explore

There are a number of places that you can travel while you are studying in New Zealand. If you have weekends or a holiday free, make sure that you take the time to go look at all the sites. Nowhere else in the world can you drive two hours and find a totally different geography than where you started. If you love the mountains, drive to the North Island and check out the beautiful mountains. If you like the beach, drive to the Southern part of the South Island and see what there is to see. There are usually a number of different discounts and such for students, if you know how to utilize your resources. You may also be able to take trips with the university; many universities offer trips throughout the year.

You don’t have to go far

Remember, you’re studying abroad; this isn’t where you’re from. You don’t even have to leave the part of New Zealand that you are in. You can look around your local area and take a walk. Check out the areas of town that you’ve never been to; try a new pub or restaurant that you’ve heard of but didn’t get to yet. Just go out and get some fresh air while checking out your little pocket of the world; that’s enough to get you going in the morning.

Get a Job

You are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week on a student visa, so take advantage of it. There are plenty of jobs both on and off campus, and you may meet a lot of interesting people while working too. Try and find a job related to what you are studying, too; it can give you invaluable experience that you couldn’t get any other way. Want to learn more about working in New Zealand? Check out our section on .

Socialize

This is probably the top tip that we have for you. The best thing about New Zealand is the people, no matter what part of the country you are studying in. People are friendly and loving, and many of them will be willing to chat with you. Find ways to interact with native Kiwis; they will be able to give you valuable information, unforgettable experiences, and a number of other things that you wouldn’t ever get if you just stayed in your flat and did work.

Studying is, of course, the most important part of student life while you are in New Zealand. But don’t let your studies get in the way of enjoying the time that you have in the country. When you 51Ʒ��, you will never run out of things to do. Whether on campus or off campus, student life is meant to be enjoyed and you will get to see parts of the world that you would have never experienced otherwise. No matter what your interests are, there will be something for you to enjoy while studying in New Zealand. So, if you decide to 51Ʒ��, step out of your comfort zone a bit and see what there is to do. You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

The post Student Life first appeared on Education in New Zealand.

The most popular sports in the country are rugby, cricket, netball, sailing, basketball, football, golf, tennis, any and all water sports, and winter sports. Obviously some of these are universal, but others are not quite as known. We’re going to look at some of those in more detail.

Even though it is popular throughout the world, a note does need to be made about “football” if you are coming to New Zealand from a country like the United States. The sport that is known as football in the United States is referred to as “American football” in other parts of the world. The sport that is referred to as “football” is usually soccer, even though “rugby football” can be used for rugby from time to time. Make sure that you know which sport is being talked about when you are talking to natives from New Zealand.

Cricket

Cricket is considered to be the national sport of summer in New Zealand. There are a number of countries out there that enjoy playing cricket, and they compete in something known as test match cricket (four innings games are played over 5 days). Cricket is a game that involves using a bat and ball, and is played with two teams of 11 players. Similar to baseball, players have to hit the ball and attempt to score runs. They take turns (switching when 10 batters have gone “out”), and each turn is known as an innings. The difference is, instead of using a baseball diamond, the field is the center of a 22 yard long pitch. You run from the batting area to the other end of the pitch to score a run.�� It helps to watch practices and games in order to better understand the ins and outs of the sport, especially because the way that innings are calculated can be confusing.

Netball

Netball is actually taken from the earliest forms of basketball that developed during the late 19^th century. Netball has over 60 teams around the world. Like basketball, the games are on a rectangle shaped court that has a ring on each end; the players have to get the ball into the ring in order to score. The game has a much different pace than basketball, because a player can only possess the ball for three seconds before passing. But, at the same time, it may seem slower because players are only allowed to stay in certain areas of the court during play. Games are only an hour long, and the team with the most goals wins the game. Even though the sport has world-wide appeal, it is not as popular as rugby and cricket in New Zealand. Variants have been developed for netball to help increase the pace so that there is more interest from various audiences.

Rugby league

New Zealand plays both types of rugby; in this section, we’re going to look at Rugby league, which originated as a break off of rugby union, which we’ll look at in the next section. This game is much faster than its union counterpart, and it is considered to be one of the most physically difficult and demanding team sports in the world. You have to be tough to be good at rugby. Each team has 13 players, and the field is a rectangular shape.

You can either carry or kick the ball in rugby; you are trying to score “tries,” which are the points that you earn when you cross the opponents’ goal line and touch the ball to the ground. Tackling and other ways of preventing your opponent from getting the ball to your side of the field. You can also earn points through tackling and kicking a “try at goal” (similar to an extra point in football after a touchdown) or by kicking a field goal.

Rugby union

Rugby union, which is the more well-known and universal form of rugby played around the world, is also popular in New Zealand. It started in the 15^th century and only allows you to carry the ball (in rugby league, you can also kick it). The most common type of rugby union has 15 players per team; the ball is oval and the field is rectangular. Like it’s league counterpart, it has a lot of similarities to American football.

Games are split into 40 minute halves, with a short break in between halves; the teams also switch ends of the field. Even though the scheduled time is about 90 minutes, it usually lasts longer due to stopping the game for penalties and injuries. When time runs out on the clock, the players can keep playing until the ball is considered to be “dead,” which the referee will declare with the blow of the whistle. There are also times that extra time needs to be put in, like in cases of ties.

If you are looking for more information about these sports and any of the other sports that are popular in New Zealand, you can get everything that you need at the . They have all of the resources that you need to get involved, understand rules, and get in touch with the sporting organizations that you will find throughout the country of New Zealand.

The post Sports first appeared on Education in New Zealand.

There are a lot of opportunities available for students who are coming from other countries so that they can further their education and get proper opportunities that will help them bring their education home. Here is a brief look at those ones; you can learn more at the of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• New Zealand Pacific Scholarships and New Zealand Regional Development Scholarships, which are specifically for those in the Pacific regions of the world. It is available for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. There are also Short Term Training Awards, which are for those who are coming from Pacific countries to study a trade skill in New Zealand.
• New Zealand Development Scholarships, which were developed for those pursuing postgraduate 51Ʒ��. These scholarships are from those who are coming from parts of Central America, South America, Africa, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Mongolia, and a small number of Chinese provinces.
• ASEAN Scholar Awards, which are for students from Southeast Asia that performed well academically during their secondary schooling and are looking to attend university in New Zealand. These scholarships were developed to nurture diplomatic relationships with those countries and New Zealand.
• Commonwealth scholarships, which are available to students in a number of different countries in Africa, parts of Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. These are, essentially, scholarship programs that are shared across these regions so that people in the countries listed are able to go to other schools in this commonwealth organization. The list can be found .

Depending on the country that you come from, you may also be eligible for scholarships from your home country. That will depend on a number of factors, including the program that you are looking to pursue, where you attended high school, what your grades were like in high school, scores on any tests that you took for university admission, and other factors. Getting scholarships for studying in New Zealand really isn’t that much different than getting scholarships in another country, you just may need to do a little more research in order to find the ones that you are eligible for.

If you would like more information about scholarship programs in New Zealand, the international studies office at your university will also be able to help you apply for appropriate scholarships and other financial aid that you may need in order to attend university in New Zealand. The New Zealand government also has a number of resources that you can use over as well.

The post Scholarships first appeared on Education in New Zealand.

As you likely know, postgraduate education is only available for those who have completed at least a Bachelor’s level degree at an accredited institution. These studies are much more focused than the ones you will find at the undergraduate level, and the classes are usually much, much more intense as well.

There are many different options that you have when you are looking to obtain a postgraduate degree in New Zealand. Let’s take a look at all of your options.

Professional Master’s Degree

These degrees enable students who earned a liberal arts degree or some other type of nonspecific or non-specialized degree to take classes that will allow them to work in another field of study. For example, if you went to school for sports medicine or biology and decided that you wanted to become a physiotherapist, you could get a professional Master’s degree to obtain the proper training in order to do so. Those who have a bachelor’s degree in a social science, mathematics, or any other field could get a professional master’s degree in education and be able to teach the subject(s) that they trained in. It takes approximately 2 years to complete your coursework for you to earn a Master’s level degree.

Traditional Master’s Degree

These degrees, as you would expect, are traditional degrees that help you to expand your knowledge in a particular area of work. They are usually research based, and result in you obtaining a Master of Arts or a Master of Science degree. They are meant to either give you the capacity to go on past your Master’s to receive a doctorate, or you can stop there and get a job in a research field or another field related to the subject that you did your coursework in. It takes approximately 2 years to complete your coursework for you to earn a Master’s level degree.

Graduate Certificates

Graduate certificates take approximately one year of extra coursework after completing your Bachelor’s degree. These degrees have a few roles. First, you can take them instead of going for a professional graduate degree. They take less time and will get you out into the workplace much more quickly than you would have if you’d gotten a professional degree. Another reason is because it’s an easy way to transition between fields. If you earned your undergraduate level degree in sociology, then decided that you wanted to study communications instead, you could go for a graduate certificate in communication studies so that you could take the required coursework before working on a full Master’s program in it.

Doctorate Degrees

These degrees are the highest level of education, no matter where in the world that you take them. These can include a number of different titles, including Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), law degrees (J.D.s, etc), and dental degrees (DClinDen). When you earn a doctorate degree, you are considered to have the highest level of expertise that you can in the field that you studied. Most people who hold a doctorate will work in medicine, research, or education. It can take 3 to 6 years to complete your doctoral education, depending on where you go and what field of study that you are in.

If you are considering going for your graduate degree in New Zealand, there are many places that you can look for more information. can help you out, or you can look at the individual websites of the eight different universities that are located throughout New Zealand, which we explore more in our section.

The post Post Graduate Studies first appeared on Education in New Zealand.