Both Julie and Maxence only had a short time before they head back to La Sauque School in Bordeaux so we asked them a few questions about how they have found the past two and a half months in a new country.
What made you want to come to New Zealand?
JA: I recently visited England to see family but my English did not improve as I was only there three weeks so I decided on New Zealand. I thought it would be a good opportunity to work on my English.
MH: My teachers recommend this programme and my parents liked the idea of New Zealand. I have been to England, the United States of America and Spain for my studies so far so this was something quite different.
What are your thoughts on King’s College now?
JA: I found the experience really good!
MH: The students are very nice and so are the teachers. I have made a lot of friends in my House.
What is your favourite part about being a student at King’s College?
JA: The classrooms are a lot smaller and a there is a great sense of community. The House system is my favourite as we have nothing like this in France.
MH: It’s very different to my school because we don’t have the House system. Also in France, we don’t get to change class every lesson, only at the end of the year.
What have you learnt while living in New Zealand?
JA: My House was really involved in sports and that was fun for me to be a part of.
MH: I love the All Blacks and the rugby culture. The College field is really cool as we have nothing like that back home.
What advice would you give to other international students thinking about coming to King’s?
JA: You need to expect things to be different. Learning here seemed a bit stricter so it was hard at the start but it does get easier. Also, high schools in France don’t normally have fields and gardens so you will be very surprised by how green it is here.
MH: If you are thinking about doing an exchange to King’s College you should do it! You don’t need to be shy as the students are very friendly and outgoing. They teach you how things are done here and I learnt a lot about Kiwi traditions from my friends.
How did you find your homestay family?
JA: I stayed with Holly Soar (Year 11, Taylor) and her family and I loved it. They took me to Queenstown for two weeks over the term holidays which was beautiful. Holly is going to come to visit me in France so I can hopefully show her around Boudreaux.
MH: I spent a lot of my time hanging out in the Major House Common Room with my friends but also had a homestay family that showed me around Auckland.
What do you want to do when you finish school?
JA: I would like to either join the military or study Commerce.
MH: I would like to study Veterinary Science or maybe Medicine.
