Choosing a country and a program
We had been planning to move for a long time. We first tried Canada, but they rejected our visas for a ridiculous reason. Then we turned our attention to New Zealand. We didn’t make it in time before COVID. Later, we found out about the joint Master of IT programme and decided to give it a try.
Studying
Studying at SPbPU was intense and interesting. It helped me refresh old knowledge and learn new things, but already in English language. That really made it easier to understand New Zealand teachers. The move to New Zealand took a whole year, but we got our visas — and here we are. I’m grateful to Kiwi Education and Serj for that.
When studying at WelTec, it’s important to carefully choose your subjects so that the course load isn’t overwhelming. A lot of classes are online. Offline classes make up no more than 30%. You spent a lot of time on self-studying and completing homework and lab assignments. But after living here for just two months, you start getting used to the peace and slower pace of life. Despite the academic workload, there’s still time, energy, and desire to relax and go for walks along the beach or on one of the many hiking trails.
Adaptation in New Zealand and Wellington
When we first arrived, there was definitely a culture shock in terms of the lifestyle and mentality. Despite all the information available online and in social media groups. You want to do all the important things quickly (like opening a bank account, finding permanent housing, converting your driver’s license, etc.), but things don’t happen quickly here. No one is in a rush. Everything will be done, you just need to accept the pace. And within that unhurried lifestyle, everything happens with a spirit of kindness and friendliness, which is truly disarming.
For all questions I’m available through my [email protected]
