UOA: University of Auckland
Abbreviated as UOA by AbbreviationFinder, The University of Auckland, with a total of 42,000 students, of which about 6000 Internationals, the largest university in New Zealand and is also regarded as the largest research organization in New Zealand. The “City Campus”, where most of the courses take place, is, as the name suggests, in the center of the city and can be easily reached on foot from almost anywhere. At the same time, it is also right next to a large public park. In addition to the lecture rooms, study and computer rooms and the library, there is also a large fitness center, various catering options, a bank, a pharmacy and a doctor on campus. The university’s infrastructure is generally of a good standard.
The University of Auckland attaches great importance to international students, which is mainly due to the good support service. In addition to a lot of information on the Internet, there is also a support team available on site that only takes care of international students. This will help you with every concern. Before the actual semester begins, there is also an orientation week for all new students, during which you can find out everything relevant about the university. The special event for international students that takes place during this orientation week is not compulsory, but is recommended. On the one hand you get helpful information and on the other hand you can make first contacts. In order to make further acquaintances, the university also offers a large selection of associations that present themselves with their stands in the first few weeks of the semester.
I have attended the following three courses:
MAORI 130: Te Ao Maori: The Maori World (7. 5 ECTS)
I chose this course to learn more about the history of New Zealand. However, one should be aware that this course is held from the perspective of the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The course was credited to me in the focus area.
The course was led by a young doctoral student. However, the weekly lectures (two hours) were mainly given by visiting professors. There was also a weekly tutorial (one hour) in which attendance counts as five percent of the overall grade. In the tutorials, the content of the lecture is discussed and summarized again and for the exams you can orientate yourself to the tutorials. It is therefore advisable to visit the tutorials, also because they are not recorded. The exams consisted of two in-class exams (one hour each in weeks five and 12) and a three-hour final exam.
I would definitely recommend this interesting course to anyone interested in learning more about New Zealand’s history and culture. In addition to the Maori, this course is also very popular with international students.
POLITICS 346: Special Topic: Terrorism (7. 5 ECTS)
This course was offered for the first time this semester and is credited to me in the focus area. The course was incredibly exciting and instructive and the professor was very committed and helpful. The course includes the definition of terrorism and various related aspects such as the role of women, organization, financing, right-wing extremism, etc.
The examinations consisted of an essay, two quizzes and a final examination. The essay accounted for 40% of the overall grade and was divided into three essays that were assessed as an achievement. We had to hand in the essay before the semester break. The two quizzes each contributed ten percent to the overall grade and each contained 20 multiple-choice questions. The quizzes were taken in the first ten minutes of the lecture on weeks seven and 12. The two-hour final exam made up 40% of the overall grade and two of five questions had to be selected and answered in essay style.
I would definitely recommend this course.
ECON 783: Energy Economics (7. 5 ECTS)
This course at the master’s level was credited to me in the business administration / economics major. The course consisted of a three-hour weekly lecture, in which mainly the theory was explained and then tasks were solved. The event focused on the electricity market.
The course services were three assignments, an exam and a wedge simulation game. The course therefore did not include a final exam. The assignments made up between 20% and 25% of the overall grade. In assignments one and three, tasks had to be solved that were very time-consuming and demanding. Assignment two consisted of an essay and an accompanying presentation followed by a discussion. In addition, each student could choose a topic in the field of energy economics or economics of climate change, which one way to a low-carbon economy shows or supports. 40 students have registered for this course. Since the lecturer did not expect such great demand, the presentations started in week nine. The many presentations and the subsequent discussions were rather tedious, as the free choice of topics meant that no real basic knowledge was available for the discussions. Due to the early start of the presentations, no more theory could be imparted for assignment three. The wedge game counted ten percent of the overall grade and was solved as a group. The in-class exam in week six counted 25% of the overall grade and was closed book.
Under the same circumstances, I would not recommend the course to others, because with the many presentations it was rather tedious rather than instructive. However, I found the subject of the course very exciting.
Visa, immigration and airport transfer
A visa is required to enter New Zealand, which can be applied for online at https://www. immigration. govt. nz/new-zealand-visas. A lot of information is asked for. Among other things, either the return ticket must be enclosed or proof must be provided that you have NZD 10,000 to leave the country. After my visa application I got a response pretty quickly and as soon as I had submitted proof of payment of the tuition fees, the student visa was issued to me.
When entering New Zealand, it is important to bring clean clothes and not to bring any food. The New Zealanders are very careful to protect their fauna and flora from the outside world. In case of uncertainty, it is better to declare a little too much, otherwise you could face a fine of NZD 400.
There is a free airport transfer from the airport to the university accommodation. You can register for this by email a week before arrival.
