GlobaLinks - Study Abroad at Bond University
Study in Australia at Bond University with GlobaLinks Learning Abroad (formerly AustraLearn)! Located in Queensland, Bond University is considered Australia's leading independent university; with a wide variety of study abroad subjects available for international students. You will experience the lowest staff to student ratio among any university in Australia; and receive personalized attention to ensure academic excellence during your Australia study abroad experience! Over 3,000 subjects are available for study: from law to medicine to business, so you can make the most out of your time in Australia. Visit the link above to learn more about how you can study abroad in Australia with GlobaLinks!
Reviews
100%Overall
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100%Overall
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I absolutely loved going abroad, it definitely was the time of my life! Putting my entire experience of about 6 months into a paragraph or two is nearly impossible for me to do - I could talk about this for weeks. In short, I met so many great people from all over the world and since I have been back in the United States its been fun traveling to visit some of the people I met in Australia and even hosting a few Aussies at my home University!
I've also grown as a person which became more clear to me when I returned to my home University the following semester. After going abroad I am more independent and confident in nearly everything I do! This is because while I was abroad I was completely on my own which sounds easy but it was a bit overwhelming at first. I was in control of my money and had to maintain a budget to last me until I came home (nearly a whole 6 months!), I made my own flight arrangements - picked something that I wanted to do and went there. I even rented a car and learned how to drive on the other side of the road! And even simple things like learning how to take the city bus and go food shopping were all things I had to figure out how to do (Woolworths definitely was a life saver, a grocery store that delivers! I wish my home University had that!).
Overall experiencing life in another country was amazing. Everyday was exciting and something different I was always busy and thrilled about simple things that many of the locals take for granted. For example, walking to the beach was really interesting because I liked passing by houses and seeing how different they were to ones from my hometown and I loved riding the bus because I would be able to make small talk with locals and learn about a cool spot to see or event that was coming! And its even the same with everyday things like cars, street signs, buildings, clothing, foods - everything was new to me and I loved exploring!
Alumni Interviews
Interview with Melissa Carroll, AustraLearn alum
GO: Why did you decide to study abroad with AustraLearn at Bond University?
Melissa: I decided to study abroad with AustraLearn because of the preparation that they provided me with. Living in a foreign country, even for just a brief time, can be a complex process. I was glad to have been assigned one person with AustraLearn that I could (and did!) contact at any point before or during my experience.
AustraLearn's relationship with Bond University was also a deciding factor. Bond's flexible year-round and expansive class schedule helped me have a life-changing experience without disrupting my graduation timeline at home.
GO: What made your study abroad experience unique and special?
Melissa: My experience was unique and special in so many ways. I have so many memories of traveling all across Australia and New Zealand, experiencing things I had only ever seen in photographs. I loved meeting people that I still have relationships with. I had no idea that I would make lifelong friends, not only with Australians, but also with people from across the world. There's something really amazing about sharing a once-in-a lifetime experience with people!
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Melissa: My experience studying abroad is still impacting my life today. Without the classes that were offered at Bond (and not at my school here in the US!) I would not be in the graduate program I am. The experience gave me confidence- if I can book international travel, hike a glacier, and figure out a foreign city's bus schedule while hauling a 40 pound microwave home to my apartment, I can do just about anything.
Interview with Chelsea Campbell, AustraLearn alum
GO: Why did you decide to study abroad with AustraLearn at Bond University?
Chelsea: I chose to study abroad at Bond University first because I loved the location. My home university is located in New Hampshire and for the majority of the school year it is freezing cold and snowing so I wanted a change. I also love the beach and Bond University is minutes away from some of Australia's most popular beaches like Surfers Paradise.
However, there were other schools in the area. What set Bond apart is their course offerings, large amount of international students, prestigious reputation and extracurricular activities. I knew that if I went to Bond I would have a great experience in and outside of the classroom.
I chose to go through AustraLearn because I heard many great things about them and I really liked their overall program. My favorite part was their orientation program, everyone who was a part of the AustraLearn Bond group met in Cairns Australia for 5 days before flying to Bond. In Cairns I was able to make friends (many of whom I still keep in touch with) and get acquainted with Australia.
The AustraLearn leaders gave us a crash course on Australia when we first arrived about their laws and customs and then in the following days we traveled to the rainforest where we got to hold a koala. Later in the week we even took a giant catamaran to the Great Barrier Reef and went snorkeling! I did a great deal of research about what program to go through and I never found anything close to the program that AustraLearn offers!
GO: What made your study abroad experience unique and special?
Chelsea: Everything about my study abroad experience was unique and special. The experience as a whole definitely changed me; I grew up and matured while I was abroad because for the first time I was on my own 100%. I think the unique part of my abroad experience is that I was able to travel after my semester was done!
My best friend and I took a road trip through both islands of New Zealand and then went to Fiji before heading back to the United States. I feel that the extra traveling I was fortunate to take part in makes my experience unique because many students who go abroad are only able see the area that their school is in but along with going up and down the east coast of Australia I also got to experience two other countries - it was an amazing experience!
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Chelsea: Going abroad has had a huge impact on me. Personally, I am more independent and confident. While abroad I did everything from making my own travel arrangements, to learning how to surf, to jumping out of a plane 14,000 feet above Byron Bay and even more. All of these events in my time abroad proved to me that I can do anything if I work hard and put my mind to it and I will definitely never forget that.
Academically, going abroad made me a better student. Bond was very different from my home university and I had to adapt to the different classroom settings and even some language barriers. The classes at Bond were also all centered on group work which is something that will definitely help me professionally. In most of my classes I was put into random groups with people from all over the world and we would have to work together to complete a project.
Those experiences helped shape me into a stronger group member. Finally, since going abroad to Australia I now want to see the rest of the world and I am hoping that my experience abroad will help me land a career where I can travel!
Further Info
About GlobaLinks
GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, originally titled AustraLearn, was created by Cynthia Banks in direct response to requests from an Australian university to assist U.S. students who wanted to study abroad in Australia. They have been in operation since 1987. Since then, AustraLearn became the largest provider of study abroad programs to more than 25 universities in Australia and added new partner institutions in New Zealand and Fiji.
In 2008, AustraLearn expanded its reach to more regions of the world. EuroLearn and AsiaLearn were created as additional programs of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad to accommodate an increasing demand from students and advisors for structured, well supported, and affordable programs in destinations worldwide.
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I know it seems cheesy that I rated this program 10s all across the board, but Globalinks Learning Abroad deserves it. I attended Bond University from January to the end of April and I loved every minute of it. Like the other reviewer, I grew as a person. I was able to step outside of my usual comfort zone and welcome a new society into my life. I learned to surf, mastered the bus system, travelled to Ayer's Rock and Sydney, held a Koala, jumped around with the Kangaroo and made many friends to go along with it.
The staff of GLA is phenomenal as well. They will help you every step of the way, from answering your simplest question of, "Where do I want to go and how do I get there?" to the most complex, "We've just started getting charged for our electricity usage, is this included in what we already paid for?" (I definitely asked both!)
I loved the small campus of Bond University. You got to know your professors on a far more personal level than you do on a large campus. Each professor is more than willing to discuss a topic with you so you can earn the best grade possible.
Study abroad. It doesn't really matter where you go, just do it. It'll be the best decision you could ever make.
Critical Feedback:
Bond University had enforced some new rules when it came to classes. It was a nightmare to go back and forth from my university to GLA to Bond and back again. No fault of GLA, but it was a hurdle for us to overcome with Bond.