Here is some advice from new students, kindly provided by current students at Languages International:
Attention new students! Here is our advice about how to enjoy your ‘early days’ in Auckland.
Food
Fahad and Douglas suggest: “If you want to Middle-Eastern style food, you should go to the Turkish cafe in the Metro building next to Sky City Cinemas on Queen St. Here you can eat ‘kabsa’ which is a dish made of rice, chicken, onions and tomatoes. It’s absolutely delicious! We also recommend Samba Cafe, which serves traditional South American meals. It’s not too expensive, but it’s a 20-minute walk from school.”
Places to visit
Sam, Samuel and Hussain recommend: “First of all, you have to visit Waiheke because it is a beautiful island which is only 30-40 minutes by boat from downtown Auckland. After you arrive, you can watch dolphins on a boat trip and buy local wine and olives. There is a cheap backpackers on the beach where you can stay. If we were you, we’d also visit Rotorua. Here you can see hot springs and go bungy jumping and sky-diving, and the landscape is very interesting. “
Improving your English
Mibu, Luciana and Ahmed say “If I were you, I’d study hard and do your homework every day. If you don’t understand, you shouldn’t be shy, but you should ask your teacher. Try to speak English to your friends who speak the same language as you. If you read many books in English, especially graded readers in the Learning centre, your spelling and vocabulary will also get better.”
Things you shouldn’t do
Mohammed, Joon and Zio say “You shouldn’t stay out at night without telling your homestay because hey will worry about you. Also, if I were you, I wouldn’t spend a long time in the shower in your homestay because hot water is expensive here. You shouldn’t forget your ID when you plan to go out to a bar. The bar owners are very strict!”
