Hitting the nail on the head with this one. Here are 10 things you should know before you move to New Zealand
- There are only 8 universities in New Zealand. Find out here
- Maori culture is very important.
Don’t mix Maoris up with other Pacific Islanders. When you visit museums, you will see them call numbers like 8 million years ago etc etc. Well by estimate, the first Maori settlers arrived Aotearoa about 1200-1300AD. When the colonisers came, the British colonisers, just like every other country they’ve colonised the Maoris saw shege in their hands despite the agreement they signed. Read about the Waitangi treaty. Maoris only got their right to speak their language in early 2000s, let that marinate. So, these are some of the reason that they celebrate their culture by all means necessary by having things like te reo Maori week, using Maori names together with English ones. Although this new govt is looking at making some amendments to that and the person even championing it is Maori ooo. Oh well, take every opportunity to educate yourself about Maori culture. You will be surprised at how similar it is to your culture. - Seasons are opposite or flipped.
New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere together with Australia so down here seasons are flipped. I’ve discussed this in my 20 interesting facts about New Zealand. In summer, temperatures go as high as 26°C. It’s warmer in the north than in the south. It doesn’t snow in the north except in high altitudes like mountains, but it snows in the south island, South Island is an experience sha, that’s why tickets there expensive. Regardless of when you arrive, pack for all seasons ‘cos the weather here experience what we Nigerians call brain touch. In simple terms, you can experience 4 seasons in 1 day. - Getting a student job is possible – you can get a job as a student. Just be conscious of the working hour restrictions on your visa. Watch these videos to know how much hours per week you can work as a student.
- Secure accommodation before you arrive.
…to get off on the best possible start. Having a base for your studies as asoon as you arrive is important. As much as possible, get an accommodation before you arrive. Watch these videos on my channel to know the types of accommodation available to you as a student. - There are 13 banks but only 10 of them provide personal banking in New Zealand. These 10 can be split into 4 major banks, 4 regional and community banks, 2 foreign banks with New Zealand operation.
- What you can bring into New Zealand?
Now if you’ve been following me for a while now, you know New Zealand have very strict laws on what people can bring into the country. To avoid stories that touch, what these videos on my channel then also consult the MPI website (linked in one these videos) and NZ customs website to learn more. - Get the NZ ready tool from INZ – NZ Ready is a free online tool to help student and migrants plan their trip to New Zealand, ensuring they know how things work here and have a hassle-free trip. Everything from pre-departure to post-arrival is all there. And it’s free
- Language -English, Maori and Sign language are spoken here as official languages. However, you will feel like the country is an extension of China or India depending on the suburb or city you find yourself. That is becauses there are so many Chinese and Indians in New Zealand. Next level to those two demographic are Phillipines, United Kingdom, United States of America, South Africans, Italians French..the list goes on.
You’ll see a lot of Indians work in government agency and anything tech, and you will find many Chinese in real estate, finance and entertainment and construction. - Wifi is slow here. Ofcourse not compared to Nigeria where maximum download rate is 10mbps. Ten ooo but they will be shouting…SOO FAST! I’m comparing it to other countries. The max download rate here is approx. 1000mbps.
Bonus points –
- Rugby is a big deal. Period! My best part of the game is the opening haka. The rest just goes over my head.
- New Zealand is the 4th safest place in the world (1.313 GPI score) Australia is 22..just stating facts
According to the Global Peace Index, New Zealand is the 4th safest country in the world. It dropped by two places due to a spike in teenage crimes, ramp raids etc in the last two years. Let’s blame that on increased cost of living. But is that a serious reason? No! Regardless, you will feel secure in New Zealand. Of course, there will be some randy suburbs and people here and there so be aware of your surrounding and flee from dangerous situations. I didn’t say run. I said flee. But overall, people are generally nice here and the country is relatively safe. - Kiwis love the outdoors – so there’s an 85% chance you will get invited for a hike during your stay.
- Tipping is not mandatory (unlike in one country that begins with U).
- Cuisine – if you’ve lived in United Kingdom before then you won’t have issues with the cuisine here. If you enjoy your flavour and spices, you may struggle a bit. But that’s where Indians and Chinese, Thailand Malaysians…briefly put, Asians come in. There’s also the Italians and Nigerians.
For tips to make your study abroad experience a good one, watch this video. In the meantime, it is I, the Sassy Engineer, stay blessed.
