The University of Otago is not the first foreign university that I have studied at, but the one I love most. As I said, I was lucky to get a New Zealand ASEAN Scholars Awards which gave me a chance to study in New Zealand.
There were 30 Vietnamese students who got this scholarship to study masters and PhDs. However, only I chose to study at the University of Otago. The reason is that Otago is good at health sciences and humanities, while most of the other students study TESOL, finance, and applied for social work.
I have a lot of people ask me why I chose to study here and I have 8 reasons. Here are the first 4:
Reason 1: Because it is beautiful
Otago the most beautiful university in New Zealand and one of the top 10 most beautiful universities in the world. I am so proud of that.
In any season, the school looks romantic, lovely, and peaceful. Students can lie on the green grass and relax, while other students can study under big trees. The school seems to be a big garden where students can enjoy the beauty of nature while studying on campus. Yes, it is so lovely!
Reason 2: Majors in my school
I chose the University of Otago to study because just in here I can study my desired degree which is Master of Entrepreneurship. There will not be any university other than the University of Otago which can provide me good study environment, knowledge, and experiences about entrepreneurship.
During the past 4 months, I have obtained lessons from four professors and doctors as well as guest speakers who are already successful with their businesses. Thus, I can get not only knowledge but also good advice and business relationships. It is interesting to study from successful entrepreneur’s sharing rather than study only from books. In addition, if you have a business idea and want to ask for advice to make it come true, they are here to help you. School also has the Audacious business idea contest where students can have a good network, opportunity to learn and share as well as to get $40,000 prize. It sounds really interesting, right?
Reason 3: Quick reply and fast admission process
When I was in Vietnam and prepared for admission, I emailed the international office many times to ask for procedure and documents. Surprisingly, all of my emails got replies within 1-2 working days which was really helpful. In addition, at that time, I was in a hurry to apply for a scholarship so I needed admission as soon as possible.
Amazingly, I met Ms Victoria McEniery at an information day in Vietnam. With her support, I got admission to school within 3 days which was really amazing to me. Thanks to that, I could apply for NZ government scholarship in time and got it. It looked like an adventure for me
Reason 4: the University of Otago is located in Dunedin, South of New Zealand
It is true that there are more beautiful landscapes in the southern part of New Zealand than in the northern part. Thus, anyone who loves adventures, camping, and travelling like me would like to study here.
In addition, in winter, it normally has snow. I love snow and geographical location of other universities cannot satisfy my favourites. Finally, you should choose to study in Dunedin if you love yellow-eyed penguins and sea lions like me!
In my next blog, I will give you the next 4 reasons why I love to study here. See you then!
