First Year as an International Student in New Zealand

Hi friends! It’s been a while since my last article. The past few months have been filled with excitement, uncertainty, and much more. I’ve now been studying for my PhD for almost eight months and living in Auckland as an international student for about nine months. It’s hard to believe the first year is almost over. How has my first year as an international student in New Zealand been so far? Let’s explore my story in Auckland.

The First Months in a New Country

For those who don’t know me: Hi! I’m Rianita, but most people call me Tata, from Indonesia. I’m currently living in New Zealand pursuing a doctoral degree in education at the University of Auckland. I arrived here in late autumn, greeted by a bright blue sky contrasting with the golden brown leaves. The air was crisp and quite cool.

Sharing an apartment with two other Indonesian students was my choice for my first year. The room wasn’t spacious. It only had a single bed, a wardrobe, a desk and no chair (I bought a gaming chair after that lol). The rent was a headache, around NZ$200per week, or around 2 million rupiah! (Note: NZ$1 is around IDR 10,000, at this moment.) That doesn’t include electricity and internet costs 😭. Is living in Auckland that expensive?

Honestly, yes! In the first few weeks, I almost always converted NZ$ to rupiah, which made my heart beat faster when buying things 😂. For example, a kilogram of rice costs between 2 and 4 dollars, or around 20,000-40,000 rupiah, and avocados were around one dollar, or around 10,000 rupiah each. Furthermore, eating out costs around 10-20 dollars, which means a minimum of almost 100,000 rupiah. Eventually, I stopped converting currency when shopping.

Okay, enough about the ‘wow’ cost of living in Auckland. Let’s talk about transportation options. While living in Auckland, my transportation choices have changed. In Indonesia, I used to take online motorcycle taxis. In Auckland, I walk more often. At first, it was only about a kilometre, but now I can walk more than three kilometres! If it’s too far, there are buses, trains, and boats. There’s also Uber and electric scooters. You can choose according to your needs.

If you’re interested in reading more about apartment living, shopping, and transportation during my time in Auckland, please leave a comment on this article!

Family Isn’t Just Blood Related

I’m grateful to my flatmates, Ayes and Marsha, who found me a place to live and helped me adjust here. From random chats in WhatsApp groups (even though we live in the same apartment), to planning trips (which often don’t go as planned), to hunting for halal restaurants in Auckland. Thank you also for the midnight birthday surprise! And then there are Prima and Thu, fellow PhD fighters. We can do it, girls! Now, I can call them all my family here.

I found family far away from home in Indonesia. But the most enormous thank you goes to my loved ones at home: my mom, Bang Kiki, Bang Rendi, my dad, and everyone else. Even though we’re separated by distance, we stay in touch almost daily through chat and phone calls. Thank you for your support, trust, and understanding. I love you all! Hopefully, one day they can come to Auckland.

I’m sure my mom will really love the nature here, as she loves flowers, and there are so many beautiful ones here. My nieces, Kenzie, Tisha, and Gazi, also love Auckland. They love playing on playgrounds, and Auckland has tons of themed playgrounds for kids (and adults, too, of course).

Life as a PhD Student

As a PhD student, I don’t have many required courses, aside from Academic Integrity and Writing Research Reports. The first one is about academic integrity. You can read more about it in the article Embracing Academic Integrity: Lessons from my first PhD Course. The second is about academic writing.

Based on my English test results (required for international students), I need to improve my writing and listening skills. Listening can be practised through the radio or by participating in activities with local residents. As for writing, this course has been invaluable in improving my technical skills and critical thinking. Thank you to Ian Fookes, the lecturer in the Writing Research Report course. He is smart, funny, and a good storyteller. Thank you also for my very satisfying final grade!

Another interesting thing is that as a PhD student, I have a dedicated desk in a room with other PhD students. It’s a desk I rarely visit. Sorry. But my favourite places are my bedroom in my apartment or the library. Sometimes I study outside when the weather is nice. I plan to explore more study spaces, including using a desk in the office (not sure yet).

Research Update

Research is my primary focus as a PhD student. My research journey hasn’t been as smooth as my personal adjustment process. Initially, I was hesitant, even changing my research topic during my third meeting with my supervisor. I struggled to develop research ideas. I also found it challenging to hone my critical writing skills. Thankfully, the academic writing course was invaluable, as were my two supervisors, Marek and Kiri.

At the end of my first year, I must submit two documents: a research proposal and another academic paper (e.g., a literature review), each with a maximum of 5,000 words. Currently, I’m writing the introduction and research methodology, weaving together theory, analysis, and personal experiences. One of my supervisors said, “Bring your research to life through storytelling. It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it.“

Finally…

Finally, my first year as an international student in Auckland has been both exciting and challenging. I know more challenges lie ahead. But all I can do is try my best and pray, right?

Have you had any enjoyable experiences as an international student? What are your most memorable memories? Finally, what topics would you like to see in the following article? Leave a comment! Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one!

Auckland, 26 January 2025.