International Student testimonials about studying abroad at Massey University in New Zealand
- Gregor Cork, U.S.A
- Mariel Hagen, Norway
- Nadja Doth, Germany
- Martyn Hann, England
- Michelle Cenci, U.S.A
- Martina Hefele, Germany
Student Name: Gregor Cork
Home University: University of California, U.S.A
Massey Campus: Palmerston North
A keen outdoor enthusiast, Gregor chose New Zealand as his study abroad destination for its renowned natural beauty and outdoor culture. "I really love the feel of the environment here, the numerous national parks and friendly people." During the mid-semester break he found time to travel around the South Island, and took on some of the adventure sports such as bungy-jumping in Queenstown and skydiving in Taupo. Gregor also joined the rock climbing club at Massey, which was a great chance to meet New Zealanders, and also involved scaling the exterior wall of the Vet Tower on campus.
"Living in the Halls of Residence is really recommended, as there is a good community of students and it is a great way to make friends with both Kiwi and other international students, who you can travel around with."
In the USA Gregor is a sculpture major with an interest in indigenous art, so he jumped at the opportunity to enrol in Massey’s Maori visual arts class. Through this class he has been able to gain a unique perspective on the Maori culture, and begin to understand the importance Maori people place on history, tradition and family lineage and community. Being the only ‘Pakeha’ or Caucasian person in this almost all Maori class presented Gregor with numerous challenges in terms of examining his way of thinking when approaching his artwork. "I will certainly continue to be influenced by the Maori style in my artwork after I return to the USA".
The year-long exchange at Massey has allowed Gregor to deepen his new friendships and his understanding of the NZ culture and people.
"Studying abroad has definitely been a great experience and allowed me to be reflective on my own country. New Zealand is a truly beautiful country and I would love to come back someday."
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Student Name:Mariel Hagen
Home University: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Massey Campus: Palmerston North
Mariel Hagen originally chose New Zealand as her study destination, because of "the novelty of being just about as far away as I could get, yet being able study in English, within a similar cultural environment"
Arriving in NZ for the first time from a cold Norwegian winter was a great start to Mariel’s travel and study adventure, and like many visiting students, she and best mate Lisa wisely decided to get here a couple of weeks early, to take full advantage of the NZ summer.And with a different adventure almost every weekend since, whether tramping with Massey’s Alpine club, a trip to the coast with the Surf Club, tandem sky-diving or catching some of Wellington’s colourful night life, there’s always something on!
Coming from a comparable university town, Mariel identifies many similarities, particularly in terms of the student-friendly local culture, facilities and services.Asked what has struck her most during her stay, Mariel immediately mentions New Zealand’s "positive cultural pride and integration".
A psychology student studying at post-graduate level, Mariel has been particularly impressed by the level and quality of personal contact with Massey academics and staff, which she describes as "a perfect balance of friendly and approachable, yet professional".She’s also a firm advocate of Massey’s teaching system, in which assignments throughout the semester typically contribute towards around 50% of overall assessments.
Mariel adds that Massey’s private room/shared hall, on-campus accommodation arrangements are "a great way to meet international and domestic students", further enhancing a sense of true community, belonging and support.
Asked if she has anything final to add, she quickly replies "Only that I’m soooo not ready to go home!"
Student Name: Nadja Doth
Home University: University of Applied Sciences, Augsburg, Germany
Massey Campus: Wellington
Nadja had always dreamed about going to New Zealand and now studying at Massey’s Wellington campus, her dream has come true. "I simply love the beaches, sea views and the picturesque bays around Wellington. I chose Wellington for its compactness, because I didn’t want to live in a large city, and Massey’s design programme was fortunately based in Wellington."
This semester, Nadja is studying visual communication design and really likes the after hours and weekend access to University buildings. She has found the academic staff very helpful, especially at the beginning of the semester when she decided to change a number of her pre-approved classes. "It isn’t always easy to find out everything you need to know about the paper’s content until you get here and speak at length with someone, but thankfully the staff were very accommodating regarding the changes I wanted to make".
"The support I have received since arriving at Massey has been great, the airport pickup service was convenient and took me straight to my university apartment. There is no need to buy furniture as the apartments are fully- furnished, and living in the University housing is a great way to make friends and meet people. I really enjoy being in New Zealand and studying at Massey University."
Student Name: Martyn Hann
Home University: University of Exeter, England
Massey Campus: Palmerston North
"Studying and living in New Zealand for a year was quite frankly the most fun I've ever had and was without a doubt, life changing. I met some amazing people, both the Kiwis I met in class and from travelling, as well as all the people from around the world who I lived with in the Massey halls of residence. The scenery throughout the country is so spectacular I could spend the next 10 years tramping around and still want to go back for more. One year was definitely not enough!"
Martin studied physics while at Massey and really enjoyed the close interaction with academic staff.
"Studying in Palmerston North turned out to be a lot more relaxed than back at home in England, with smaller classes leading to a more personal relationship with lecturers. This was accomplished while still keeping the lecture content both interesting and challenging."
Student Name: Michelle Cenci
Home University: The Evergreen State College, U.S.A
Massey Campus: Palmerston North
Michelle enjoyed her semester at Massey Palmerston North so much, that she decided to stay for a second, and is now coming back more permanently to live in Palmy.
"One of the greatest things about Massey Palmerston North is the variety. I took classes such as NZ Society, Language & Culture and Psychology as a Natural Science. Some classes were large-sized and taught in a lecture-style format but I also took smaller-sized classes where I got to interact with the lecturer and my classmates. There is variety in the housing options as well and I enjoyed living in apartment style housing at Atawhai Village, which was predominately international students. I know that a few of my friends liked living in the McHardy Hall of Residence as well, which consisted mostly of first year Kiwi students. There were also plenty of clubs to join, such as the Alpine Club and UniQ, which put on fun activities and field trips throughout the year.
Palmerston North is a college town full to the brim with young people aged 17-25 years. With all the young people around there are a variety of pubs to choose from and, if pubs aren’t your thing there is always live jazz or cheap movie nights. Palmerston North is a great place to live and Massey is a great university to attend, especially as an international student.
Studying abroad has been one of the greatest things I’ve done in my life. I’ve learned so much and made lifelong friends, I even met my current partner while abroad, which is why I am returning to NZ to start a new life back in Palmerston North."
Student Name: Martina Hefele
Home University: University of Erlengen-Nureberg, Germany
Massey Campus: Auckland
Martina decided to study abroad in an English speaking country as it is very competitive to get a good job in Germany unless you are able to speak fluent English, and having watched a documentary about New Zealand she was convinced it was the place to come to study.
Martina chose Massey as she wanted to study in Auckland, and only Massey University had the graduate business classes, including Essentials of Marketing and Supply Chain Optimisation, that she needed for cross-credit back to her home university degree in Germany.
Since arriving, Martina has found that because the class sizes are smaller than in Germany, students are able to interact with the professors more, and notes that "The professors have been in the industry for a while and therefore are highly experienced in the field in which they are teaching and are very enthusiastic and present students with challenges." She also likes the structure of the classes, with assignments throughout the year which monitor student’s progress, and a final examination at the end.
Martina also enjoys the lifestyle Auckland offers students studying at Massey.
"I like the way Auckland seems to be like a lot of small cities in one, because of all the suburbs, for example, the North Shore where the Massey Albany campus is based. I also like the accessibility to the countryside and beaches within minutes of the city, and also the advantages of a big city to do something new every weekend. Albany offers a less expensive option to living in central Auckland with less distractions, which means I can concentrate on my studies. Everything you need is on, or around campus and the Recreation Centre is great."
