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Postcard from... Hamilton, New Zealand
QS Topgraduate speaks with Wei Lou on her experience of studying abroad in Middle Earth.
It may seem like the end of the earth for some students but Wei Lou has found studying in New Zealand a multi-cultural experience.
“Immigrants and overseas students bring their own cultures to New Zealand which makes my overseas experience in Hamilton very interesting.”
Wei Lou, an international student from China, is currently studying for her PhD in Screen and Media Studies at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Her city of choice – Hamilton - has a population of 120,000, a big difference from the more than 20 million people who live in her home city of Shanghai.
“Here, overseas students can have an international standard of education”
“New Zealand is an ideal country to study and travel in. It has a gorgeous landscape and a well-protected natural environment. Here, overseas students can have an international standard of education, enjoy lots of outdoor activities and make many friends from different countries.”
Wei Lou hopes her PhD will propel her into a career in film-making. She’s chosen to study in a country where the film industry is growing – movies like The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, King Kong, and the Chronicles of Narnia have put New Zealand on the movie directors list. Yet despite this growing industry, there are only four free to air TV channels in New Zealand, and Wei Lou says the popular media hasn’t been as exciting as she had expected.
That hasn’t stopped Wei Lou from becoming a member of the Hamilton Film Society, watching films with a group of art house movie lovers in the city or participating in the annual international film festival, which has been ‘one of the most exciting events to be involved in’. She’s also made the most of her time at the University by joining the Waikato Kendo Club (Japanese Fencing Club) and the Waitaiko Drummers, a Japanese Drumming Club on campus.
“My PhD keeps me busy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week”
Wei Lou will spend three years at Waikato University studying towards her PhD which she says keeps her busy ‘24 hours a day, 7 days a week’. The large part of her monthly living cost is spent on accommodation between $80-$120NZD per week.
“I found my accommodation through local newspapers and information sheets provided by the accommodation service on campus, but there are also plenty of advertisements on billboards around campus and on New Zealand’s most popular online trading website TradeMe.”
Food costs Wei Lou about $30NZD a week but she cooks at home most nights, which saves her money.
On her nights off, Wei Lou can head to one of the many delicious Asian restaurants and food courts in the city centre and when she’s not behind a camera in the studio she enjoys visiting the Hamilton Gardens and Hamilton Lake.
“Hamilton is a great place for studying and living. It has an easy life style, a good public transport system, relatively low living costs and a good location. It is also convenient to travel to many famous tourist spots and to the South Island.”
Tourist spots where hobbits roam, orks wander and the journey to middle earth begins.
