Study in New Zealand

New Zealand’s Education System

New Zealand’s education system is world-class, modern and responsive. It combines proven, traditional principles with innovation, creativity and fresh thinking to produce leaders and citizens equipped for the 21st century. Education in New Zealand is student-centred. It is focused on supporting students to problem-solve, process information, work with others, create and innovate. Students have the opportunity to develop their potential along a number of possible pathways, academic and/or vocational. In New Zealand, higher education focuses on the individual, challenges to traditional ideas are welcomed, and a climate of healthy, open debate helps you make your own discoveries.

College Fit

At the higher education level, students have a wide range of options when they choose a college or university. Although there are agencies that attempt to rank colleges and universities, the concept of "fit" is also important. The GPA* of admitted students are important, but majors offered, location, number of students enrolled, and campus culture are all factors in a prospective student’s decision. Some colleges and universities are publicly funded, while others are privately supported.

*GPA means grade point average. It is the average of all grades received.

Popular Student Destinations

The top universities in New Zealand are University of Auckland, University of Otago, University of Canterbury, Victoria University of Wellington, and Massey University (in no particular order). Auckland is the centre of all the renowned academic institutes. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Napier-Hastings. About 7,459 Indian students were studying in New Zealand during the academic year 2012-13. Engineering, Business Studies, IT/Computing, Tourism & Hotel Management and Visual Communications are the popular courses Indian students pursue in New Zealand.

Safety in New Zealand

New Zealand has a low crime rate, few endemic diseases and a great healthcare system. It is a safe place for students, however, you should take some care with personal safety and possessions. Take copies of your important documents, like your passport and credit cards, and keep them separate from the originals. In an emergency, dial 111 for help.

Weather

Both the North and South Islands of New Zealand enjoy moderate, maritime climate and temperatures. The country is located in the southern hemisphere. This means summer starts in December and winter begins in June. New Zealand has moderately high rainfall and many hours of sunshine throughout most of the country.

Auckland: The Auckland region enjoys a warm, coastal climate without any extremes. Summers in Auckland are generally warm with high humidity, while winters are mild and damp as it rains a lot in winters. The average temperature in summers is around 24°C to 15°C; in winters it’s around 14°C to 9°C.

Wellington: This region has mild weather, temperate marine climate and is well known for being windy. The best weather in Wellington is during October to April. The average temperature in summers is around 20°C to 13°C; in winters it’s around 12°C to 6°C.

Christchurch: This region has temperate, bright and sunny days. The climate is relatively dry with lesser rainfall than other places in the country. Temperatures in summer are often moderated by cool sea breeze. Snowfall is usually expected once or twice a year. The average temperature in summer season is around 22°C to 12°C; in winter season is around 12°C to 3°C.

Queenstown: During winters, Queenstown has snow-capped mountains and bright, clear days while during the summers, days are warm and weather is pleasant. Weather is the main reason why Queenstown is a popular holiday destination at any time of the year. The average temperature in summers is around 22°C to 10°C; in winters it’s around 10°C to 1°C.

Lifestyle Tips

Working hard and getting ahead is considered a virtue in New Zealand. NZ is a well-developed country which offers all sorts of opportunities to advance and broaden careers. Good life in New Zealand is about balancing a day’s hard work with socialising, spending time with your family and friends, and making the most of all the recreational activities. People enjoy the support of a great range of public services which includes developed transportation that makes getting around easier, and access to welfare support.

Indians Living in New Zealand

There were nearly 104,583 Indian immigrants living in New Zealand in 2006. Almost one-third of all Indian immigrants resided in Auckland, representing the second-largest immigrant group by country of origin, after China.

Accommodation

Firstly, you need to decide whether you want to live in university-managed accommodation or with a private landlord. Choosing university-managed accommodation can also give you a catered or self-catered option. Catered accommodation offers the benefits of having your meals cooked for you and a degree of certainty with meal costs.

If you have an idea about what you prefer, the accommodation office at your university will be able to tell you what accommodation they have available – so that’s the place to start. If you are thinking of renting from a private landlord or if your chosen university can’t offer you anything in its own residential facility, the accommodation office should be able to provide you a list of private properties and landlords in the area.

Wherever you choose to live, you should make sure that you know your contractual rights and responsibilities. In most cases, you will be asked to enter into a tenancy agreement, which you should read thoroughly before you sign.

Orientation

Orientation week is mandatory for international students so ensure that you arrive before it starts. This is the time where you will be introduced to the university and its services, as well as enroll in your classes. It is essential that you read your guidebook, which is provided by the college. The guide explains each part of the admission process.

Activities

Along with sport, colleges offer extra-curricular activities to offer students a wide range of experiences. Music, drama, science and literary societies are offered in all colleges, and there are opportunities for outdoor education and other leisure activities. Visits to theatres and concerts, to places relevant to the courses of study such as art galleries and museums, religious centres or historical sites, scientific companies and projects are all part of college life.

Requirements

These vary between study programs and levels. For each course, Indian students will need to meet a minimum English language requirement. Along with that a minimum academic record of 65% and above in Class XII will be required. Foundations and Diploma programmes are available for students who have secured below 60%. Students should have completed 18 years of age before joining a degree programme.

It is important to note that these numbers are just for reference purpose, the actual numbers may differ from university to university.

The following documents also need to be submitted:

• Attested copies of mark sheets of Class X, XII, and Bachelor’s degree (if applicable)
• At least, two academic reference letters from professors who have taught you most recently
• If you have work experience then two letters of recommendation from the employer/manager who know you well and can comment on your professional abilities
• Statement of Purpose
• Resume
• Photocopied score reports of GMAT / IELTS / TOEFL
• Portfolio (in case of students applying for art and design courses and architecture programmes)
• Others (Certificates / achievements at the state and national level and extracurricular activities)
• Proof of funds

Timeline

Most of the colleges in New Zealand accept online applications. You will have to visit each college's website to apply. In most cases, you will have to make an account on the college website to provide your basic information, submit the scanned version of your documents, and pay application fee. You will be informed about the application process and stages through this account. Please refer to the website of the colleges of your choice to know the process of applying.

Application fee

All colleges require that you pay an application fee while applying. The fee amount will differ depending upon the college and course being applied to, so check with individual colleges about their application fee.

Steps

The common steps to applying for admission are given here:

1. Search for colleges and courses
2. Contact schools and visit websites for information
3. Narrow down your list of schools
4. Take the entrance exams like GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS
5. Write SOPs and ask for LORs
6. Apply to the colleges which fit your interests
7. Appear for video interviews for the colleges that shortlisted you
8. If accepted, apply for student visa

Intake seasons

New Zealand generally has two intakes i.e. January and July, with few universities offering multiple intakes in September and November. You should start your admission process around six months before the application deadline. Typically, most universities have three deadlines during one intake. It is up to the convenience of the students which deadline to aim for. You should be done with your language and aptitude tests by three months before the deadline. The last three months should be dedicated to filling out the application form properly.

It is essential to ensure that the 'complete application process' along with appearing for interviews and visa application process should be complete by Oct-Nov for the February intake.

If you are looking to get admission into vocational courses, then some courses may have admissions open even in March, April, May or July.

Language exams

International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Pearson Test of English (PTE) are all standardised language tests, which are required to be taken for the purpose of getting admission to colleges. These follow different formats, structure and result bands. These tests are all different in various ways but many colleges ask for any one of the results. So it's up to the student to decide which exam to appear for.

Repetition of exams

IELTS can be taken unlimited number of times. TOEFL can be retaken as many times as wished, but cannot be taken more than once in a 12-day period. It’s the same with PTE; it can be taken as many times as one wishes to. You must wait to receive your scores before you can book your next test.

Time to apply

Ideally, if you are aiming at the January intake you should appear for these exams by June, so that you can apply before the first deadline. The universities you will be applying to will mention which exam results they will accept. But if they give a choice to go for either of these, then the choice depends on you. The time required to prepare for IELTS/TOEFL/PTE would depend on the existing English language proficiency. You may require two to four months of preparation before the exam date.

General exams

GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is used to measure the abilities of the potential MBA aspirants to undertake higher education in the field of business or management. It measures mathematical, English, and reasoning skills of the candidates.

GRE – Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is another test required to be taken by students applying to graduate schools to pursue MA or MS. Increasingly, many business schools are also accepting GRE scores for the purpose to granting admission for MBA.

Repetition

You can give GMAT unlimited times, subject to five times a year and a gap of 30 days between two tests.

Average Scores

The average GMAT scores accepted across universities is 520. Average GRE score is 145 for Verbal, 160 for Quantitative and 4.0 for Writing.

It is important to note that these numbers are just for reference purpose, the actual numbers may differ from university to university.

Language exams

International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Pearson Test of English (PTE) are all standardised language tests, which are required to be taken for the purpose of getting admission to colleges. These follow different formats, structure and result bands. These tests are all different in various ways but many colleges ask for any one of the results. So it's up to the student to decide which exam to appear for.

Repetition of exams

IELTS can be taken unlimited number of times. TOEFL can be retaken as many times as wished, but cannot be taken more than once in a 12-day period. It’s the same with PTE; it can be taken as many times as one wishes to. You must wait to receive your scores before you can book your next test.

Time to apply

Ideally, if you are aiming at the January intake you should appear for these exams by June, so that you can apply before the first deadline. The universities you will be applying to will mention which exam results they will accept. But if they give a choice to go for either of these, then the choice depends on you. The time required to prepare for IELTS/TOEFL/PTE would depend on the existing English language proficiency. You may require two to four months of preparation before the exam date.

General exams

GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is used to measure the abilities of the potential MBA aspirants to undertake higher education in the field of business or management. It measures mathematical, English, and reasoning skills of the candidates.

GRE – Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is another test required to be taken by students applying to graduate schools to pursue MA or MS. Increasingly, many business schools are also accepting GRE scores for the purpose to granting admission for MBA.

Repetition

You can give GMAT unlimited times, subject to five times a year and a gap of 30 days between two tests.

Average Scores

The average GMAT scores accepted across universities is 520. Average GRE score is 145 for Verbal, 160 for Quantitative and 4.0 for Writing.

It is important to note that these numbers are just for reference purpose, the actual numbers may differ from university to university.

The cost of living

The cost of living depends heavily on what part of New Zealand you will be living in, along with how much you will socialize. Some of the basic elements for living as an international student in New Zealand are:

• Accommodation rent (on-campus or off-campus)
• Groceries and food
• Utilities like power, water, gas, internet
• Phone bills
• Text and reference books
• Airfare for traveling back to India

Other elements that may differ from person to person would be:

• Dining out
• Travel and vacation
• Car rent and car insurance
• Cable TV connection
• School expenses

The tuition fee varies according to different universities, courses, and the city. The tuition expenses in New Zealand might be up to NZ$ 10,000 to NZ$ 18,000 per year for an undergraduate course. And if you are thinking of applying for a post-graduate course, the cost would be approximately NZ$ 14,000 to NZ$ 24,000 per year.

Living expenses

With your application for a student visa, you must provide evidence that you have sufficient funds to support yourself throughout your stay in New Zealand. If your program of study is longer than 36 weeks, you require NZ$ 15,000 for each year (40 weeks) of study. For a single student, this would translate to approximately NZ$ 300-350 per week for general living expenses.

Particulars Cost

Pizza	NZ$ 16
Milk (one litre)	NZ$ 2.4
Coca Cola can	NZ$ 2.5
Coffee	NZ$ 3.50–5
Lunch from campus café	NZ$ 7–12
Meal at a restaurant	NZ$ 15–40
One minute cell phone call	NZ$ 0.6
One way bus fare (depends on the distance)	NZ$ 0.50–10
Monthly bus pass	NZ$ 123–240
Movie ticket	NZ$ 15
Doctor’s consultation fee	NZ$ 45–85

Health insurance

You are required to hold appropriate and current medical and travel insurance as a condition of your visa regardless of the length of your stay in New Zealand. The New Zealand government’s “Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students” requires all international students to have health and travel insurance during their period of study.

Most of the times universities provide the health insurance to students and the cost is included in the first semester fee. Studentsafe is the most popular insurance provider in New Zealand.

Scholarships

Merit-based and need-based fee waivers are awarded to international students. Candidates with strong academics, good performance on standardized exams and extracurricular achievements would be eligible for scholarship awards and financial assistance. To benefit from these opportunities, one has to make sure to send all the required documents by particular deadlines. In addition to this, the presentation of the application is also important because one is judged by the image one projects.

Loans

Student eligibility criteria

The first thing is to be aware of whether you are eligible to apply for the loan or not. The general eligibility criteria that are followed by all the banks are:

• You should be an Indian national
• You must have a strong academic record
• You must be seeking admission to a professional, technical or other course of studies. Most banks maintain that the selected course should be job oriented
• You must have secured admission to a foreign university institution

Pre-departure list

• Book airline tickets
• Arrange accommodation in New Zealand
• Arrange transportation to/from the airport to home in New Zealand
• Arrange your banking requirements – consider buying traveler’s cheques
• Check baggage and customs limitations
• Clear all paperwork with your home educational institution
• Get your documents in order and make photocopies to store in your baggage and keep at home, including:
• Passport
• Airline tickets
• Travel insurance certificate
• Letter of Acceptance (LOR) by the educational institution
• Important addresses and phone numbers
• A bank statement showing proof of funds
• Prescriptions for any medication you are carrying
• Traveller’s cheques—if applicable
• Medical and immunization records
• Academic history and university transcripts

Placements

Indian students are accustomed to campus placements and on-campus recruitment for securing jobs. However, in New Zealand, unlike many other foreign countries, the concept of placements does not exist. Most universities in New Zealand have a Career Services Centre, which assists students in job hunting and interview preparation. On-campus recruitment is typically driven by student interest.

Companies recruiting through universities often offer internships rather than direct job placements. They prefer to assess candidates' work over a few months before considering full-time employment.

Work Visa

If you are a student with an offer of employment relevant to your qualification, you may be eligible for a work visa for up to two years. To qualify, you must provide evidence of the relevance of your job offer to your qualification and proof of successful completion of a qualification in New Zealand that meets the Study to Work qualification requirements.