A great learning experience

From exploring a new city to embracing her newfound independence, Riley Sovie from Champlain College in the US is enjoying her time in Auckland.

Riley Sovie

Why I chose to come to AUT in New Zealand:

I chose AUT because I wanted to go somewhere that wouldn’t be as easy to come to after school, being from America. I had also been looking at the location due to family friends from Samoa, so I had heard about New Zealand and other Pacific islands that really piqued my curiosity.

AUT is also much bigger than my home university and the student population is incredibly different. It was a useful experience to not be in the same little bubble that I had been for the past two and a half years.

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

I got to do what I wanted to do! Usually when I go places it’s with family and what we end up doing is decided on by the older adults in the family so the kids, like myself, just have to follow along. Coming to New Zealand on my own, I was able to make my own experience for myself when not focused on classes. I especially loved meeting some of the animals when visiting the Auckland Zoo, such as Tohu, a kea or mountain parrot.

How I found learning in a different academic system:

It was absolutely a learning curve coming to AUT’s academic system, but that’s also because Champlain, my home university, has a pretty unique system itself. I found that being brave and asking earlier rather than later if I was confused about how to turn in an assignment or what exactly was expected of me was obviously the best course of action.

After I got over the basic hurdles of understanding Canvas here at AUT, it became very straightforward. I loved my classes, and I was one of the few students from Champlain who wasn’t grouped up with the rest of us, so I needed to figure out a lot of my assignments and what my lecturers wanted on my own – which was easy enough!

What I gained from my time in Auckland:

The Number 1 thing I learned personally is that I’m able to achieve whatever I put effort into. I came to Auckland and AUT with intentions that weren’t followed through, and because of that I needed to replan and adjust.

My time here helped me understand how to make plans that were bigger than just going to get dinner somewhere or to go shopping. As an introverted person, leaving the house isn’t exactly my go to thing. But while I was here, I didn’t want to just sit inside and play a game on my phone or watch shows; I wanted to get out and do something even if it wasn’t going as far as my peers. I learned how to find the right public transport I needed, how to correct a ticket person at a reception desk when they misheard me and how to make reservations for events. While all of those things may seem small to some, for me it was a huge stepping stone and now I know I can do it, especially because I did it in a completely new country.

This was a great learning experience for me in many different ways. The first time living completely alone, the first time needing to properly grocery and home shop, the first time needing to plan meals. It was daunting at first, but I value what I learned because now I know that I’m capable. Not to mention that New Zealand and Auckland are very different than what I’m used to back home. My time here has been unique and fun. It helped me learn that I’m super capable even when my anxieties coming to New Zealand were telling me otherwise. The people here, especially the Māori I met, are very happy and excited to share their culture with me which I was grateful for! I’ve always been someone who is curious about other cultures and learning about Māori way of life was unique and helps me feel further involved with people as a whole.