Road trips and new experiences

Being able to see the New Zealand outdoors inspired him to do a Study Abroad semester, says Cole Marco, who came to AUT from the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering.

Cole Marco

Cole Marco

Why I chose to come to AUT in New Zealand:

I wanted to see the New Zealand outdoors, and as an American I’ll basically never get the chance to spend that long in New Zealand ever again.

What I enjoyed most about spending a semester in New Zealand:

I enjoyed meeting amazing friends who I'm going to visit when I go abroad again!

How I found learning in a different academic system:

It wasn’t really that different to be honest. My classes were very easy to manage, and the homework load was much less than I'm used to in the US.

And talking about problems or simply how you perceive the studying part with other students or friends is very helpful.

What I gained from my time in Auckland:

Lots of friends, and an appreciation for realising I don't have to spend my life in the US – there's so much more to experience!

Top tips for other students

  1. Force yourself to go out and do things! I made the mistake of doing what I normally do some weekends (rot in bed, lol) and now I regret that and wish I had spent it going to Coromandel or seeing more of the city. It feels like you're dragging yourself out, but I promise you'll look back on the time and be so grateful you got to see so much
  2. Rent a car and go out for the weekends with your friends. I was lucky enough to have friends who wanted to take road trips to places and stay in Airbnb’s in cool towns. Would highly recommend Raglan if you like surfing, or fly to Wellington if you can afford a round trip
  3. The restaurant Ahi has some of the best fine-ish dining I've had anywhere. Unique locally sourced ingredients, and it gave me inspiration for some of my own recipes
  4. Remember to wear sunscreen – you’ll burn super easily in New Zealand
  5. Go check out Devonport. There's a hill there with an old military fort; super cool and expansive and I spent hours discovering new things at that fort. There's also a really secluded beach over there
Cole Marco in Nz
Cole Marco in Nz
Cole Marco in Nz

About Cole and his Study Abroad experience

Home university:
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (near Boston, MA)

Home country:
USA

Courses studied at AUT:
Emergent Origins, Introduction to Psychology A, Investment and Portfolio Analysis, Professional Wine Studies

5 favourite things

Favourite place in Auckland:
Eden Noodles Cafe. So cheap and amazing food. I probably went 12 times in the semester I was there

Best dish/food I tried:
The pies at Mt Eden Deli are the best pies in Auckland hands down

Most useful thing I packed to take with me:
My 1/2 gallon water bottle! Also a lot of sunscreen

Favourite thing about AUT:
Campus culture had so many things going on; really cool clubs and activities all the time

Best trip I took outside of Auckland:
A two-week road trip around the South Island where I saw Christchurch, Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Mt Cook, Lake Wanaka, Hokitika Gorge, Fox Glacier

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