More Study Abroad Experiences
JILL UHROVIC IN NEW ZEALAND
Her Report from “Down Under”
Classes are going really well. The school (University of Auckland) is huge, something around 25,000 students. Lectures are about 100 students - - sometimes more, sometimes less. We attend tutorials once a week for each class with about 20 other students, and the tutors give us a more personalized lecture; this is also a chance for discussion.
I am staying about five minutes walking distance from campus and from the main downtown area of Auckland. I am very lucky because I was assigned an apartment with a view of the harbor and the volcanic island, Rangitoto. Things are pretty cheap here, considering the New Zealand dollar is about half the American dollar. Auckland is a beautiful city. It is very clean here, much cleaner than New York City, or even DC.
There is a large population of Asians here. (Apparently immigration was a big issue in the recent elections.) There are tons of little Asian markets and sushi restaurants everywhere; it’s actually quite nice. Before we came here they told us that there can be four seasons in one day in Auckland. I didn’t believe it, but now I never go anywhere without my umbrella. One minute it will be sunny and the next it will be pouring rain and windy. And I’m not exaggerating!
I have gotten to see quite a bit of New Zealand so far. During our three-day orientation, we went to Rotorua, which is on the North Island, about two hours south of Auckland. Rotorua is known for its hot springs and geothermal activity. We relaxed at a Polynesian spa and we hiked through a geothermal park that, though it was very beautiful, has an awful smell of sulfur…. We also went to a Maori village where we were entertained by the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, whose culture has begun to flourish again. It’s hard to describe their culture but it is something similar to the Hawaiian culture. The men and women tattoo their faces…. Learning about Maori culture is a big thing here, and it’s interesting.
We also went to Queenstown for a weekend. Domestic travel in New Zealand is expensive and tricky, so we had to fly to Christchurch, in the northern part of the South Island, and then drive six hours to Queenstown. It was the most beautiful drive. It was through the mountains, and the rivers and lakes were blue - - the cleanest water I have ever seen. Queenstown is a small city nestled between two mountains. The weekend we were there, there was a winter festival going on, so there were tons of skiers everywhere. We had the option to either go skiing or hiking. I chose to go hiking, since I was never much of a skier. It was a six-hour hike in the mountains up to these amazing waterfalls. It was so peaceful up there. Apparently the south island is much more beautiful than the north island, but the south island is also much less populated. Also while we were in Queenstown we signed up to all go bungee-jumping, but we were out on speedboats and missed our appointment, so we couldn’t jump…. On Wednesday I’m headed for Fiji for eight days before starting the second half of the semester.
Lauren McCartin in Ireland
Maryland native Lauren McCartin spent the fall 2001 semester studying at the University of Ireland, Maynooth Campus, located about 15 miles outside of Dublin. There she took classes in ancient Greek and Roman history, as well as in medieval Irish history. This is her summary account of that experience.
“I have always been interested in other countries and their cultures, and for that reason I had always intended on studying abroad in college. I decided upon Ireland because of my interest in my own heritage and in knowing more about where my family came from.
“The Irish system of education is somewhat different from MWC. Every student chooses three subjects to study before entering the university, so there is a lot less room to experiment with other subjects. In this way, it was very different from my experience at Mary Washington, where I am accustomed to taking classes in a variety of subjects.
“One of the best aspects of my trip was having the opportunity to see historical places that offered a significant glimpse into the past. For example, I visited Burren on the west coast and saw Neolithic tombs. Also, pretty much wherever you go in Ireland, you can find a castle, such as Bunratty or Kilkenny Castle, or other forms of medieval ruins. In fact, there were even castle ruins on my college’s campus.
“One aspect that stands out in my recollection of the trip is the study habits of the Irish students. They are either in class or the library studying throughout the whole day, and then go to a local pub every weeknight. Each weekend, which is when most American students have fun, the Irish students usually go home and do the remainder of their homework. They typically do not stay up late finishing work, which seems a more common practice among American students.
“Overall, this was the most amazing experience I ever had. I was able to travel around the country every weekend and not only see incredible natural beauty and historical sites, but also meet people in an atmosphere different from the university. Still, there was so much more to know about the Irish culture that I plan on going back after graduation and living there for a year so that I can learn even more.”