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When a Highland Cow becomes a Kiwi: My Semester Abroad in New Zealand

By Peyton Williamson ’27

Cherry blossom trees bloom beneath the University of Otago's clocktower on a bright, partly cloudy day
The University of Otago’s famous clocktower in spring.

This past semester, I’ve been fortunate enough to be studying abroad in a place that I’ve dreamed of visiting since I was very young: New Zealand! I still vividly remember opening a National Geographic magazine when I was around six or seven in my local library and becoming enraptured by the wild beauty of the country, by the full page pictures of places like the Fiordlands, the volcanic wonderland of Rotorua, and every famous filming location in The Lord of the Rings, of course. When it was time for me to start thinking about places to study away, I knew Aotearoa was where I wanted to go without a doubt.

Mountains are shrouded in low-hanging clouds in front of a lake
Milford Sound in the Fiordlands!

Since the seasons are swapped in the Southern hemisphere, my semester actually began back in the first week of July, so while I did have to give up most of my summer, it does mean that I finished with classes in the beginning of October and now get to spend time exploring as much of the country as I can! I’ve spent the semester studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin, in the southern region of the South Island. I share a flat with a wide range of international students and Kiwis (slang for New Zealanders) right on the banks of the beautiful Leith River that runs through the city center. I took four classes this semester: two literature classes, plus one Māori language and one Māori society class. Dunedin is actually a UNESCO City of Literature and houses the second-largest collection of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the Southern hemisphere (which I did get to peruse for one of my courses!), and while it was tempting at first to study somewhere that could be more major-affiliated, I actually enjoyed being able to take classes more centered around New Zealand’s indigenous culture and fully immerse myself in the country.

Four Kororā waddle up a field of grass towards some rocks
The kororā (or “little blue penguins”), the world’s smallest penguin species, returning to their nests from a day at sea.

Overall it’s been a semester of incredible growth for me, in so many different ways. I did my first multi-day backpacking trip, learned a new language, made friends from all over the world, immersed myself in a culture vastly different from the one I’ve spent my whole life in, and (most importantly!) got to see the world’s smallest penguins! I can’t wait to see what the rest of my time has in store!