When I heard about the chance going abroad during my postgraduate programme I knew that I definitely want to do it. I am from Germany, thus, studying at KI, I was already in a foreign country. Since I enjoyed it a lot, I was keen for new adventures. As a student in Bioentrepreneurship only one exchange programme existed. Hence, the decision going to New Zealand was made easily. For this reason, I handed in my application in February last year and fortunately, I was accepted. Hence, I spent my last semester (2015/01 – 2015/07) in Auckland and wrote my Master thesis on the other side of the world.

Full of anticipation I started the preparation, many things had to be done before departure. Luckily, I got much support by the international coordinator at KI and the University of Auckland. This was very helpful for the visa application. The forms were very confusing, but doable with the prepared guideline. I also registered at the University of Auckland as soon as possible. The student ID was necessary for all following activities at the University in Auckland, like getting an ID card, library registration, or applying for student housing. The application for the student housing opens at the 1^st of October for the fall semester, which starts in January/February the following year. I lived in a single apartment in the Unilodge on Beach Road. This is a new building with nice rooms and apartments. The building is close to the university, the city center, and the harbour. I enjoyed living there very much. However, there are many other student-housing opportunities, which can be check out on the homepage (http://www.accommodation.auckland.ac.nz/en.html)

Already in May, I booked my outbound flight from Stockholm to Auckland in January. Winter in Sweden means high season to fly to the southern hemisphere. Hence, tickets will get expensive soon. I booked the ticket with the travel agency Kilroy (http://travels.kilroy.se/kontakta?gclid=CMvtioaJx8cCFUrpwgodv6QLKA), which always has special student fairs that are often not visible in the internet. Since, I was not sure about date and route of my return flight, I didn´t book any.   

Within my study programme, I had to write my thesis together with a company. The partner programme at the University of Auckland offered support in finding an appropriate company. Companies are relatively small and it is difficult to apply without knowing anybody. However, I would suggest having a backup plan in case something will not work out. Search for opportunities yourself and ask former exchange students for any contacts.

What you can do before your departure as well is to open a bank account. I did not do it, but I can recommend it. It can take a long time until all paperwork is done and you can use the New Zealand bank account. If you fix everything before, a lot of time and effort can be saved. The name of my bank was ASB (https://www.asb.co.nz/).

The last important step before you leave is to pack you stuff. This can be challenging, because you need clothes for almost all seasons. You start in Swedish winter and you will arrive in New Zealand summer and go through fall and winter again. Even if the climate is rather moderate, it can get cold and it will rain a lot. Also, be prepared for a lot of outdoor activities, but don´t forget you can buy everything there as well.

On the 17^th of January, a classmate and I started the big adventure. With stopovers in Dubai and Australia, we arrived on the 31^st of January in Auckland. Since I could not move into my apartment before the 15^th of February, I spent the first days in a hostel and travelled for two weeks on the South Island. During the first days in Auckland, I fixed most of the administrative stuff, like getting a New Zealand phone number, meeting my host company and the responsible personnel at the University. Since I have written my thesis in a company, I was relatively independent from the University. I had a supervisor there who helped me with the academic writing. I also got support with the ethical approval of my project. In New Zealand exist strict ethical regulatory. The University helped me to receive ethical approval, which allowed me to interview people. This is a difficult and time-consuming process and should be done as soon as possible. After I moved into my apartment, I started working immediately. I spend almost all days at my company. All people I met where very friendly and helped me whenever I had a question.

Expenses

Living in New Zealand, and especially in Auckland is very expensive. The biggest part of my monthly expenses was the rent. I paid 1200 NZD (6.600 SEK) rent per month. Since I had a single apartment, it was a little bit more expensive, than shared apartments. You can also find private accommodations, which can be half the price. The public transport is also very expensive in Auckland. I had to take the train every day and for this reason I had to buy a monthly ticket, which costs 140 NZD (770 SEK). Since the public transport is poorly developed and it is easier to get around with a car, you should consider this as an option. As an island New Zealand imports most of their groceries, which increases the prices. However, especially fruit and vegetables can be bought on a lower price at Asian or Indian supermarkets. Going out in Auckland is still cost intensive, but less expensive than in Stockholm. You should also prepare some money to travel around. New Zealand is a beautiful country and there is much to discover.

Income

You will need a lot of money to travel and to stay in New Zealand. Think about how to finance the exchange programme as soon as possible. You will receive a KI grand, which will cover a one-way flight. KI furthermore provides a health insurance, which covers the study period. Inform yourself about any scholarships you can get from KI, Sweden, or your home country. Scholarships provided by Medicinska Föreningen and the Karolinska Institutet’s foundation grant exist. You can also try to get a work visa. It is easy to get a part time job in Auckland.

The university offered many activities. As an exchange student, I could join any sport course and as a resident at Unilodge I could use the big recreation area at the university for free. I met many other students during sport activities. Moreover, different faculties at the university contain different associations. Depending on what you are interested in you can join these associations. One association was especially created for exchange students. From time to time students organized trips during the weekend around Auckland. These trips were always nice and we had always a lot of fun. New Zealand in general is all about nature. Be prepared for outdoor activities, like hiking, camping, surfing, skiing, and so on. If you do not have a car, you can go around with the bus quite easy. The big agencies are Naked Bus or InterCity. Close to the city are amazing beaches, which are good for swimming, and surfing. The city itself has some areas with lovely cafes, restaurants, and bars. These areas are: Parnell, Newmarket, or Ponsby. Auckland is moreover called the ”City of Sails”. It is beautiful to go around with a boat and to enjoy the islands and their beaches. It took me a while to get used to the city, but once I explored the nice areas, I loved Auckland.