Now, social etiquette is one of the most important things to know before studying in USA. After all, you’ll be spending years in your new destination. In terms of social beliefs, the USA is a very relaxed country to be in since it has a huge pool of international people leading to a potpourri of beliefs and behavioural patterns. However, there are certain things that you should know:

Tips all the way:
One of the vital things to know before studying in USA is that you should have your dollar bills stacked in your pockets because tipping is a regular affair in the country. Make sure you are ready with tips at restaurants and for bell boys at the hotels you would be putting up at. Usually, restros fix around 15 to 20% of the bill for tips, but of course, it all depends on you!

Turn right:
Among the vital things to know before studying in USA you should remember that traffic in the USA runs on the right hand side of the streets. So, if you are from a country which drives from its left, and plan to take up driving in the USA, make sure you adjust yourself to this position first. Also, honking is prohibited in many states unless necessary.

Clothes cost beyond the listed price:
Yes, if you thought your tee costs $30 because the label says so, you are wrong. You see, the label price doesn’t include sales tax. So, get ready to fish out at least 4 to 6% extra for the clothes that you buy.

Underage Drinking:
This is perhaps one of the most important things to know before studying in USA for students. For all those international students who are going for their undergrad or below, drinking is a strict no in most places if you are under 21. And yes, they’ll check you IDs at the door.

Food:
Like your food. Well, the US is the right place for you. Having people from all over the world means that Americans are well oriented with a diverse food culture. So, name any cuisine- Chinese, Mexican, Indian- you would definitely find a good restaurant somewhere serving these foods. However, if you are a vegetarian, it could get a bit difficult for you. Though with veganism becoming a trend in the country, many places do serve vegetarian food, you need to make sure what you are ordering as in some places, especially, if you are located, in the outskirts, purely vegetarian food is hard to come by.

Take the subway:
Most of the cities in USA are huge so transportation could not only take up a lot of your time, but also a lot of money. In New York, citizens consider 2 hour travels to be mandatory to reach anywhere. However, the cab system in USA can be wildly costly, too. There’s a general saying that if you are late, avoid the cab. So, what do you do? Take the subway. It is one of the most important things to know before studying in USA. It will not only take you to your destination faster but your entire journey will be covered in half the cost

Get a library card:
This is a must for international students. Most universities charge you a library fee and give students a card at the start of the semester. So, make sure you have one. Because books like other items in US can be very expensive.

1. The best place in the world to live
For the second year running, Wellington (New Zealand capital) has topped Deutsche Bank’s list of 50 cities with the best quality of life, making it the most livable city in the world. Wellington was ranked as the least polluted, the fourth best for property to income ratio and commuting, and fifth best for its climate – earning it the top spot overall.

2. Safe and secure city
Wellington is New Zealand capital ranked as the 16th best city in the world for safety by the Economist 2017 Safe Cities Index. Wellington also ranks 2nd in the world for personal security.

3. Amazing education systems
New Zealand has the best education system in the world according to the Legatum Prosperity Index Institute. This index is based on household income, economic growth and quality of life.

4. Compact and walkable city
Le Cordon Bleu is situated right in the heart of the city, while other tertiary providers and schools are an easy 15-30 minute walk away. Traveling around Wellington is very efficient, due to its well-structured public transportation system. Which is why Wellington has the highest public transport use per capita in New Zealand!

5. Breath-taking views and outdoor spaces
Wellington enjoys over 2100 sunshine hours per year so you can take advantage of the stunning regional parks and 497km of coastline near you. Have breakfast in one of our city's amazing cafes, shop on Lambton Quay or Cuba St, kayak in the harbour, hike in the bush or go for a dip in the ocean.

6. We are in the middle of Middle Earth
We are the home of New Zealand film, as well as to one of the most significant post-production houses in the world – Park Road Post Production. The Hobbit, Avatar, Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Man of Steel, X-Men: Last Stand, The Wolverine, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, District 9, Prometheus, Tin Tin plus many more were filmed in Wellington or had visual effects created here.

7. Vibrant and diverse
One in four people from all over the world choose to live in Wellington, making it a diverse and exciting place to be. 25% of people that call Wellington ‘home’ were born in another country. We are a melting pot of different cultures.

8. Wellington is the culinary capitalEat, play, love - We love food! Wellington reputably has more restaurants, cafes and bars per capita than New York City. Missing food from your home country? Don’t panic as we will most likely have it. Want to try something else? We will have that too! If you really like food, Visa Wellington on a Plate, the premier food event in Wellington and New Zealand brings together over 100 food events in August each year.

9. Festival mecca of New Zealand
Check out the New Zealand Festival, The World of Wearable Arts Show, the International Film Festival, Homegrown, Toast Martinborough and The Summer City Festival Wellington just to name a few of the yearly events that make Wellington an exciting place to live.

How much will I be paid? 
You will be paid at least the minimum wage of NZ$16.50 an hour, though you may earn more than this.

Fees for International students
Institutions in New Zealand are permitted to set their own tuition fees. This means that what you pay will be different depending on your institution of choice. International students can expect to pay between $22,000 and $32,000 for a bachelor’s degree, and between $26,000 and $37,000 for a postgraduate course. However, if you choose a course such as medicine, engineering or veterinary science, your fees are likely to be higher. All PhD students pay the same, which is $6,500 to $9,000 per year.

Public transport
All New Zealand cities and most towns have buses, and Auckland and Wellington both have city-suburban rail services.