Sometimes in life, perfect opportunities seem to present themselves breezily. For me, a situation like this has come to fruition: I've been accepted to spend a semester abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand.
My interest in going to school in another country began to take seed after my best friend spent a year in Argentina as an exchange student. She lived in a small town outside of Rosario, and her enormous personal growth inspired me to push myself to do something similar. When I came to college, I decided to do some research to find a program that would fit my needs.
New Zealand as a whole stuck out to me for various reasons. Breathtaking natural beauty paired with a friendly culture got me interested. The fact that language would not be a barrier to my academics also caught my attention. In looking for a specific program, I came across the University of Canterbury, and it looked perfect. Not only is it located on the scenic South Island, but it's also a solid school for engineers. As a civil engineering student, I already had a baseline interest in Christchurch due to it's continual effort to rebuild its infrastructure following the devastating earthquakes that leveled the city in 2011.
Throughout my application process for the University of Canterbury, I've come in contact with people who have traveled to Christchurch, and I've heard nothing but great things about it. My friend Emma was born there and flies back every other year. A current tenant of the house I will be renting in Oregon actually studied abroad at Canterbury semester. Another group of my friends took a field trip to New Zealand and had the best time both in Christchurch and hiking around Fiordland National Park. Christchurch was begging for me to come.
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I'm not in this lovely stock photo of students at the Universityof Canterbury, but maybe I will be in one this year! |
Every time I heard another story about what New Zealand has to offer, I realized more and more that studying at the University of Canterbury would be perfect for me. I am beyond excited to go this July, and I am ready to experience New Zealander culture, see the sights of the Southern Alps, and meet people from around the world. I've just scraped by in finding the finances to pay for my time abroad, and I've made my fair share of sacrifices both monetarily and time-wise, but I am sure that all of my efforts will be worth it in the end.
