“The grass is literally greener here”

First-year American student Ali Cook was in London when she received a welcome phone call from Victoria University of Wellington in March. After starting her university study online due to the New Zealand international border restrictions, Ali had become eligible to apply for a NZ Government border class exception, as part of the third cohort of international students who would be welcomed into NZ under the government scheme. Ali jumped at the chance—“I think I flew back to the United States pretty much the next day,” she says. Approved for the border class exception to transition to in-person study at Victoria University of Wellington, Ali arrived in Wellington less than two weeks after receiving the news in London.  

Choosing New Zealand, and Wellington’s global-civic university 

Ali Cook had dreamed of going to New Zealand from an early age. She started researching university options in her sophomore year of high school, amidst a COVID-19 lockdown in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. “Now is the time to live out my dream and go to New Zealand,” she remembers thinking. 

Sight unseen, Ali was instantly drawn to Wellington. “Since I’m studying politics, I figured the capital would be the best place to go,” she says. “I fell in love with the Wellington atmosphere and everything it has to offer, even though I hadn’t been there before.” In applying to a capital city university, Victoria University of Wellington appealed to Ali for its diverse international community, with students and faculty from all over the world and a global-civic approach to education. Inside and outside of the classroom, Ali wanted to “have that community of people who know what it’s like to be so far from home, and have a shared experience.” 

Being able to fund international study at Victoria University of Wellington with the support of US Federal Student Aid also influenced Ali’s decision. The fact that Victoria University of Wellington is a full participant in the US Federal Student Aid programme “had me come here specifically, because the interest rates are better on federal loans than privatised loans. Also, with the US Government announcing loan forgiveness for federal loans, I'm glad I took out a federal loan.” Comparing the cost of study in the United States to New Zealand, Ali says, “There are definitely ways in which it could actually be cheaper to study internationally!” 

Ali received her acceptance to Victoria University of Wellington while the NZ international border was still closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. She started Trimester 1 online, and combined her studies with a whole new adventure—she backpacked around Europe and moved to London to stay with a family friend, waiting for news about when she could travel to New Zealand. In the meantime, Ali found that online study went “really smoothly,” with opportunities to connect with other students in the smaller format of tutorials.  

Discovering Wellington 

On arriving to Wellington in March, Ali's first impressions only strengthened her enthusiasm for New Zealand’s capital city. She says: 

Ali’s favourite Wellington activities include exploring the waterfront and going to the weekly farmers’ market next to New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa. The shops on Lambton Quay and vibrant Cuba Street are great places for spending time with friends and discovering local events. Ali describes Wellington as being “very accepting and very colourful. You can wear what you want to wear, you can be who you want to be, and nobody’s going to judge you. You never have to worry about someone’s opinion, because it doesn’t really matter—everyone’s doing their own thing. Everyone’s relaxed and laid back, and genuinely cool.” 

Discovering the University 

As she continues studying towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and philosophy, Ali follows a regular weekly schedule of lectures and tutorials that provide “a good work-life balance.” Compared to lectures that may have hundreds of students in attendance, “it’s really nice to have that tutorial space to be able to ask one-on-one questions, meet people in your classes, and get more in depth about what you’ve learned in your lectures,” says Ali.  

Overall, Ali’s impression is that Victoria University of Wellington supports students to make positive change in connection with the surrounding city. “Wellington is such a small community, it’s so easy to get yourself out there and be able to make a change,” she says. 

Outside of the classroom, Ali talks about how friendly and welcoming her fellow students are. “Once you meet one person, you get to know everyone,” she says. On moving into her hall of residence, Ali recalls how she met one of her friends: on hearing that a new student had just arrived from the United States, he’d knocked on every door on Ali’s hallway until he found her so that he could say hello—“which was the nicest thing, to this day, that anyone has ever done for me.”  

Why change can be scary—but “also kind of beautiful” 

In making the change from studying offshore to studying in NZ, Ali emphasises the support she’s received from lecturers and staff at the University on her journey so far. She appreciates the many people who “took me under their wings,” from the lecturers online who were supportive and flexible as Ali manoeuvred time zones during offshore study, to the International Student Advisor who was Ali’s under-18 advisor when she first arrived at the age of 17. Ali says, “You knew you could go to that person immediately for anything, and she always said her door was always open.” 

Asked what she would say to a prospective student who’s considering international study at Victoria University of Wellington but isn’t sure if they’re ready for such a big change, Ali’s advice is to make the most of the opportunity to have a fresh start in a supportive environment. She says of her experience: 

“In my high school, I knew everyone, and everyone knew me. Then I come to Wellington, and I know nobody. And for some people that’s really scary—because change can be scary. But it’s also kind of beautiful, because you can highlight aspects of your personality that you haven’t before. You can become the best version of yourself, with no preconceived notions of who you are. There are people here who are going to love you, and take you in as their own family—and you really can build your own life from here.”  

Looking towards the future, Ali is excited to continue to grow her roots in the Wellington region. “I want to stay in Wellington—I really do. I love the city and everything here. I would love to get involved in the PhD community here, so that is something I’m looking at.”  

While forming new connections and friendships in Wellington, Ali stays in frequent contact with her family and friends back home. She encourages other students to dream about what could be possible with international study. “There is a possibility for a life in other places, even if you can’t picture it because you haven’t had it yet. And what’s meant to be in your life will follow you here—don’t let anything hold you back.”  

Interested in hearing more about international students’ experiences at Victoria University of Wellington? Reach out to one of our International Student Ambassadors.