Kelsey’s Semester Abroad in New Zealand

See the categories on the left side panel to see posts related to my travels in London and New Zealand!

I will be studying abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand at the University of Canterbury for the spring semester of 2018.  Going into college, I was pretty sure I wanted to study abroad.  The idea of getting the experience of living and studying in another country seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up.  As I looked more into study abroad programs, I kept being drawn back to New Zealand.

The more research I’ve done on this incredible country, the more I’ve wanted to visit.  From the pictures I’ve seen, the landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful and there is such a wide range in scenery that you can’t find anywhere else.  As I’ve been mentioning that I’m going to be studying abroad in New Zealand, it is surprising how many people I’ve talked to who have said that they have been there and absolutely loved it.  I’ve even heard from several people who travel a lot that New Zealand is their favorite place they’ve ever visited.  This has only increased my excitement around my study abroad experience and solidified that I have made the right decision.

As an Engineering Science major, I have a more broad background than many students who choose to major in one specific discipline of Engineering.  As I’ve gotten into my sophomore and junior year I’ve realized that I would like to focus on civil and structural engineering and take more classes in these fields.  The University of Canterbury has a great Civil Engineering department that has several interesting classes that I can’t wait to start taking. The city of Christchurch itself is also an exceptional place to learn more about civil and structural engineering.  Since the earthquakes in 2011 Christchurch has had to rebuild many of its structures, encouraging the use of new engineering solutions.  This makes the city a great place for any civil or structural engineering student to learn and see real work in this field as it is happening.

I hope that my time studying abroad in New Zealand will be one of the best experiences of my life where I will learn a lot, not just about engineering but about another culture and way of life.  Hopefully this blog will be a great way for me to document everything that I’m doing so I can look back on the great memories years in the future.  Stay tuned!