I did 3 months of travel with MEI all throughout Asia and Australia. I was SO nervous when the trip started but after just a few days our group started to feel like a family. I met some of the best people and a couple I now consider my best friends. I promise you won’t find teachers that care as much as the ones on MEI. They are there for whatever you need. Not to mention they’re just amazing people. I noticed so much personal growth while I was on the trip. I really discovered who I was and who I wanted to be. I also feel like coming off of the trip, I know myself so much better. You get a chance to be super independent and manage a lot of your schedule. It taught me to use my time wisely and definitely prepared me for future schooling and university. The trip might seem a little scary but it will be the best thing you can do. Travel the world with your future best friends. I promise you won’t regret it.

This trip provided me with life long friends and memories. Throughout our travels from country to country we all bonded between students and with the teachers. The courses provided us with a lot of knowledge on the places we visited and the activities we did. Being able to experience these culture and cities really gave me a new point of view on my life and the world and I would do it again and again. From the people to the places, my MEI trip will hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.

I am completing the big year, I traveled to Asia and Austrialia for my first semester of senior year and I will travel to Europe for the second semester of senior year. This experience and opportunity is truly once in a lifetime. I had the most incredible time on my first semester and I can’t wait for semester two to start. The people who do this program are so open-minded and mature so it makes getting along with people very easy. The places I traveled to were so amazing, destinations such as Angkor Wat and the Great Barrier Reef are dream trips on the top of most travelers lists so I feel very grateful that I was able to experience all of it. The school work is demanding and it challenges you, but in the best way possible. I feel the courses have prepared well for university because we do assignments that have purpose, rather than loads of busy work I use to do at my traditional school. If you have the opportunity to do this program I would not turn it down, it is an incredible experience that I will no doubt remember for the rest of my life.

I can hands down say that studying abroad with MEI was the best decision I have ever made. Coming from a traditional high school, my preconceptions of studying abroad were pretty standard. I expected to experience, fun, community, and knowledge. What I couldn't have planned for was how just three months would drastically expand my views on the world we live in and at the same time grow my confidence and internal reflection of what it means to be a cog in the greater machine of society. With MEI you are given all of the tools and guidance to challenge yourself as far as you wish. What makes this program so unique is the self-led investigation that is encouraged throughout. The teachers would cover the required curriculum while at the same time encouraging and supporting me and my peers when our curiosity sparked by something specifically. For example, when I expressed an interest in learning how to write a proper professional email, an English assignment was adapted so I could have time set aside to explore that writing format. Or when I expressed an extreme desire to trek across Beijing to the Summer Palace, the teachers celebrated my passion and gave me the time and resources to do it. The people I met and places I visited shaped the way I think of the world at present and my views toward the future. Studying with MEI has redefined what learning means and I am so grateful for my experience on the Term 1 and 2 programs.

I was a shy kid growing up. I never did anything that would force me out of my comfort zone. I would surround myself with my best friends. So, when I saw the MEI Fall semester online I knew I needed to apply. I needed to do something for myself. I needed to do something that would change my life. The MEI Fall Semester was incredible. There are no words to describe how amazing this experience was but I’m going to try to explain it in a few paragraphs.

First you step into a room with a bunch of people you’ve never met before in your life. Immediately you feel comfortable around them, because these will be the people you spend your next three months with. You switch roommates every location so it’s impossible not to get close with everyone on the trip. As cliché as it sounds these people will become your family. I shared so many secrets that I have never admitted to anyone in my life.

From climbing the Great Wall of China to Hiking in the Blue Mountains every experience pairs with an amazing scenic view. We walked through night markets in Beijing and Hong Kong and explored the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City. There is not one memory that I can say was better than the rest because each day was a rollercoaster of events. In Australia we would wake up early in the morning to do an hour workout. It would drain us all of our energy, but we would rejuvenate in our beautiful three-bedroom apartments treating ourselves to homemade breakfast and showers. Next, we would have a lesson normally at a luscious green park and write in our morning notes about experiences, memories, and writing prompts provided. Afterwards we would have free time to explore the streets of the location we were in. Normally stopping in coffee shops to have our lunchtime latte while getting some work done. Later on, we would reconnect with everyone for a sport tournament or an activity. Everyday ran like this in Australia and Bali, and even though Asia was a bit more chaotic it ran the same way as well.

We developed such a common routine on the trip and got so used to the physical activity we had to partake in each day. Now that I’m back at home I miss the vigorous workouts. Even the academics were a challenge but so rewarding with every assignment we completed. We were required to present in front of the class to develop our public speaking skills, like our climate change debate in Mui Ne. Each of our presentations and book chats allowed everyone to have an equal voice. After every essay I wrote or short story I presented it felt gratifying. I knew all of my assignments broadcasted the best of my abilities and they helped me improve my communication skills.

If I can tell you anything that will convince you to come on the trip, is just know these people you meet: will be your friends for the rest of your life. As I am back to the real world, we are already planning reunions to see each other again. This trip is meant for you if you have a will and wanderlust. Everyone on this trip loved to travel, and we cherished each experience so much. The academics and physical activity may be challenging, but you can get through it and achieve your personal goals. Before I went on this trip I was lazy, I would watch TV when I woke up and watch it when I got back from school. After being on an incredible journey I don’t even think of wasting my time staring at a screen, I now am much more productive and have an even greater will to achieve everything I set my mind to.

Never did I think I would look forward to going to class or go seeking out new opportunities to learn. MEI gave we a desire for knowledge and the techniques to obtain it, the idea that learning doesn’t necessarily have to happen within the confines of a classroom and within the borders of a curriculum. From sitting in Tiananmen Square to biking to Siem Reap, and to scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, my Mei adventure was the experience of a lifetime. It allowed me to make many meaningful connections with both passionate teachers and like-minded students, it allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and it shaped me as an individual. I would recommend Mei to anyone looking for the adventure of a lifetime, it is truly a life-changing experience

I have previously been on two trips with MEI and I can’t emphasize enough on how amazing the experience was. I wish I could explain to others how life-changing, eye-opening, and adventurous the trip really is but one would just have to experience it for themselves to really understand how spectacular traveling with MEI really is. I’ve traveled many times before I went on MEI but its very different since you really get to learn about the country you are in and experience the culture as well. Not only was my two trips with MEI amazing but it also taught me that school does not have to be a drag because for once I was always excited to attend my next lecture. Unlike regular school, the teachers are passionate about what they teach making each lesson exciting and engaging. Confidence, leadership, happiness, and friendship are just some of the things you’ll find when traveling with MEI, its an experience like no other and I wouldn’t want to have my high school experience any other way. MEI has brought happiness into my life and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to study abroad.

MEI gave me the opportunity to study in some of the worlds coolest classrooms. From learning about communism while sitting on the Great Wall of China, to learning about the Great Barrier Reef while sitting on a boat right above the Great Barrier Reef! It is amazing being able to learn about things while being immersed in them. I will never forget the things I learned and saw while travelling throughout Asia, Australia and Fiji. It was the trip of a lifetime that I would highly recommend to everyone!