Anthony Ososki

Overall Experience

Studying abroad in New Zealand has been one of the best decisions I've made. I have experienced an entirely different education, culture, and landscape. New Zealand is the most beautiful place that I have visited. Living just a couple of miles from the beach, surrounded by mountains and hills, was so different than living in the Midwest. Throughout my stay, I have made friends from all over the world and learned so much from them. The university has been very accommodating to international students, and I have been able to connect well with my professors. I have found all my classes very engaging and have even been able to go on several field trips around New Zealand for my elective geography course. Overall, I've met many amazing people and have felt at home in the city and at the university.

Learning experience

The most valuable thing I've learned to do on my trip has been to adapt. Before this semester, I had never been faced with such a change in so short a time. When starting university, I knew what the coursework would look like, where to go for food in the dining halls, and even had some friends I had already met. But it was completely different coming here. Flying across the world to a small city in New Zealand was a big step I wasn't sure if I could handle. I was going into a city I had never seen, with people I had never met, and a university I knew nothing about. Walking around the city looking for where to buy groceries, stepping out of my comfort zone to meet new people, and integrating into a completely new education system were invaluable experiences that have given me the confidence to accomplish more in the future. Living in New Zealand, 8,000 miles from home, gave me the skills to adapt and succeed in a new place.

Memorable experience

During my semester abroad, my trip to Fiordland National Park was truly unforgettable. Nature was one of the big reasons that I decided to come to New Zealand, so the first club I joined upon arrival was the University Tramping Club. It brought about so many amazing opportunities to travel to the Southern Island and explore New Zealand's wilderness! Fiordland National Park was on my bucket list, and a month into my stay, I was able to go and spend three nights hiking and camping through the New Zealand Fiordland mountain range. Over those few days, I was able to swim in the glacier lakes, make burgers over a campfire, and make lifelong friends from all around the world.

What did you not expect?

I didn't expect how fast life would feel normal again. Leaving for New Zealand, I expected it to be a foreign place that would feel so weird to live in. I thought it would feel like I was far away from home or on vacation throughout my stay. But I was surprised by how fast it started to feel like home. After just a couple of weeks, waking up on the other side of the world didn't feel that insane; it just felt like another normal day. Yes, I still found it crazy that I was there sometimes, but I never expected it to feel so natural to live there.

What advice would you give?

My advice would be to take the leap. I was extremely nervous the last couple of weeks leading up to my semester abroad, unsure if I had made the right decision. However, these past couple of months have been some of the best of my life, and I have met so many amazing people from all around the world. Traveling to different regions of the world has been so eye-opening and has inspired me to travel even more! Studying abroad is a fantastic opportunity to travel the world, gain new perspectives, and meet new people. It is an amazing experience that you will never forget.

How has this experience impacted your life?

All of the educational opportunities I have had at the University of Otago have been eye-opening. The labs for my exercise physiology and performance analysis courses have definitely been the most interesting things I have participated in so far. I have had so many opportunities to conduct and participate in weekly research. From analyzing propulsion and body positioning in swimming, to playing a game of rugby with a GPS tracker and heart rate monitor. My ability to create reports and analyze research has improved significantly over the past couple of months. Having so many hands-on opportunities in areas that I am truly interested in has strengthened my passion for kinesiology.

How did you learn about this experience?

Studying abroad has always been something I have wanted to do since high school, so when I met with my advisors at the study abroad office, I was figuring out where I wanted to go. Talking with my advisors and hearing students' experiences at the study abroad fair who had gone to New Zealand helped me decide that the University of Otago was the best place for me!

International Connections