Miriam Reuschel

Miriam Reushel had always wanted to experience secondary education in a different country, and quickly decided that New Zealand would be best for her. New Zealand’s reputation for open and friendly people and an “unbelievably beautiful” country particularly appealed.

“This is exactly what I found. New Zealanders are totally friendly and I found it easy to make new friends. At first I thought such friendliness and helpfulness were just superficial; but I soon realised that the Kiwis were genuinely interested in individuals such as myself and really liked to be helpful. At school everyone was friendly and helpful, and if in difficulty, there were many adults whom I could turn to for help and advice.”

Studying at Edgewater College in Auckland, Miriam has enjoyed the quality of education offered by the New Zealand secondary system. “The choice of subjects in New Zealand secondary schools is wide-ranging and the layout of the classrooms is better than in Germany. The teachers too are friendlier towards the students – they are not so formal. During lessons there is more laughter, it is more relaxed and the teachers are always willing to answer questions – even after lessons!”

As an international student, Miriam has chosen homestay accommodation, living with a New Zealand family. This was worked out well – “right from the start I felt at ease and soon became one of the family.”

Part of the excitement of coming to New Zealand for Miriam was to experience a new culture. “When I first arrived I couldn’t help wondering about the different ways of life between New Zealand and Germany. For me one big change was the school uniform which leads to the girls being very stylish when not at school – especially the weekends…A pleasant surprise was the school ball. Everyone puts a lot of effort to make the evening memorable.”

For Miriam, her New Zealand education has been a life-changing experience. “I would advise any student who has the opportunity to go to New Zealand. It was for me the best and the most exciting experience of my life (to date!). Not only has my English greatly improved, but I have become a more open-minded person – having met a lot of new people and having seen something of the breath-taking landscape of New Zealand. I would not have missed this time for anything in the world.”