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Christy Aubert

Student Profile

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Christy Aubert

cma5003@psu.edu

Victoria University, New Zealand, Spring 2007
Biology

Even before I came to Penn State , I knew that I wanted to make study abroad a part of my college experience. I have always loved to travel, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to live abroad, but because I am a science major (general Biology option), I wasn't sure how the classes would transfer. After doing a little research, I realized that even though I had not saved up my general education requirements, I was still able to go abroad and take classes that directly relate to my field. So, spring of my junior year, I made the 23 hour trip to Wellington , New Zealand to study at Victoria University .

When I arrived, I was placed in university sponsored housing downtown. The complex was filled with almost all first year Kiwi (New Zealanders) students, with single or double apartments. I requested a double apartment because I thought it would be easier to meet people that way. It turned out great. My roommate, who was from a town 6 hours north of Wellington, and I got along perfectly, and I was able to meet so many interesting people from my host country. I believe that one of the most important aspects of study abroad is getting to know people from outside of the United States .

Most students take three to four classes a semester, depending on the amount of "points" each is worth. While I was there, I took: Biol 222 - General Ecology (PSU Biol 463 + 499), Biol 242 - Field Ecology (PSU Biol 450W), and Maori 123 - Peopling of Polynesia (Anth 297). I was particularly interested in learning about the culture and history of the area while I was there, and the Maori course I completed taught me so much about a region of the world generally overlooked. The general ecology course was a classroom and laboratory class during the normal semester and was set up much like the core Biology courses here at Penn State . Field Ecology, however, was a completely new experience from anything offered at PSU. Our class of approximately 80 people traveled to Nelson Lakes National Park in New Zealand 's South Island to carry out a week long experiment of our own design. My group designed a project to study the effectiveness of the recovery efforts of a local conservation group that helps to eliminate species that have been introduced to the ecosystem from other countries. It was an amazing way to get hands on experience, view New Zealand 's amazing landscapes, and get out of the classroom.

During the four and half months that I was abroad, I took the opportunity to travel around most of the country and discover just a few of the things it has to offer. New Zealand is an amazing place for outdoor activities, and I took full advantage of it, from hiking a glacier, to crossing a volcanic crater, to white water rafting a 23 foot waterfall. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and I believe that study abroad is an opportunity that more students should take advantage of.

Hiking Franz Josef Glacier

Lake Rotoiti - Nelson Lakes National Park

Hiking Tongariro (Volcano in N. Island)

White Water Rafting near Rotorua