Study in New Zealand
Geography
New Zealand is a country of snow-capped mountains and beautiful landscapes stretched from north to south. It comprises of two big islands (North Island and South Island), Stewart Island, many regional islands and hundreds of coastal islands. The country is located in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean with nearest neighbour being Australia. It is as large as U.K. or Japan in size.
New Zealand was agriculturally dominant for many decades. Due to the longstanding concessionary dependence on the British market, the economic growth of the country was restricted. But in the last three decades, the country has acquired industrialized free market economy on a global scale and that has resulted in the vast economic development. The currency of New Zealand is Dollars but is competitively lesser than U.S. dollar value. Though the country is now developed it is smaller when placed on the global market. The government offers free treatment for patients visiting public hospitals along with other monetary benefits.
The land of scenic beauty experiences four seasons. Winter starts from June and ends in August with cold weather sometimes extending till September and October. Summer lasts from December to February, March being warm. New Zealand also has varied micro climatic conditions due to the changes in temperate climate. The north of New Zealand is frost free that makes it suitable to grow tropical fruit whereas the south witness perpetual snow and glaciers on the Southern Alps.
New Zealand has English and Maori as the official languages of the nation and many public documents are translated in Polynesian. The community has mix of different religions dominated by Christians, mostly Roman Catholics. More than 50% of the population is religious. Kiwis are few of the most loving, amazing, and welcoming people that you they don’t make you feel like a stranger in their country. They like meeting new people and learn new things from them. Unlike your visit to large cities like New York or London, your visit to New Zealand will be soothing and feel-at-home. It is also one of the safest places on earth. Another best thing is the diversity of population which is quite rarely seen in European countries.
New Zealand has 12 years of compulsory education which starts from five years of age. The academic year starts in January. The country has no illiteracy among the age group of 15-24 years. The degrees are recognized all over the world as they are practical and provide quality learning. At New Zealand, you will get U.K. quality education but at affordable cost. The government of New Zealand recognises eight universities and provide support services for the international students studying in them. The universities have lot of experience. Besides, New Zealand has many colleges and the University of Waikato has its own school. Even the tertiary sector has 20 educational institutes offering technical and polytechnic courses.
The transport facility in New Zealand is convenient with public transport in urban areas but people mostly prefer to drive on their own. Especially, in rural areas self-driving is the only means to commute. There is bus transport within the city and Auckland and Wellington also has city-suburban rail services. As New Zealand is low populated with wide open spaces it becomes difficult to provide transport service to all the places of the country. Kiwis also like to drive on their own as they believe that it reflects their independent streak. The bus service is linked with ferries that also take cars with passengers between North and South Islands. For longer trips, flying is popular mode of transport. Air New Zealand and Jetstar are the two main domestic carriers along with few regional operators. Rail services between the cities is largely restricted to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Greymouth.
The government of New Zealand recognizes eight universities to provide quality education and complete support to the international students:
1) Auckland University of Technology
2) Lincoln University
3) Massey University
4) University of Auckland
5) University of Canterbury
6) University of Otago
7) University of Waikato
8) Victoria University of Wellington
The visa acquisition for New Zealand is simple and the chances of getting rejected is less. All that the consulate ask you is for reasonable explanation which can convince your intentions of travelling and studying in New Zealand.Almost all colleges / universities in New Zealnd accept three-year graduation qualification as a pre-requisite to any master program. For examples, Indian bachelor degrees like B.Com, B.A., etc. can make you qualify for post-graduate programs in New Zealand, Along with education, another criteria is to possess IELTS/ PTE/ TOEFL score and GMAT scores for MBA in universities.
The quality of education in New Zealand universities is higher than the fee they charge. Fee for social sciences and art subjects is less compared to science and engineering subjects. Dentistry and medicine are the most expensive degrees in New Zealand. The average university fee starts from NZ$9680 to NZ$25,000. The medicine being expensive is around NZ$75,000. Unfortunately, there are less scholarships for degree programs and the Ph.D. education is highly recognized.
There are number of things that you must adhere to if you want to work in New Zealand while you are on a student visa. You should apply for variation of condition which will permit you to work for 20 hours a week during the semester and 40 hours during holiday time. You are not allowed to work during the short-term holidays between semesters. If anyone try to breach this contract or work beyond the permission granted, then there is a possibility of losing your visa and getting deported back to your country.
Students are entitled to stay and gain international work experience for 2yrs post their studies .