The Education Abroad Network

Community Photos

First time canyoning with some friends I made at uni - glacier water is cold!

New TEAN friends at the Skyline in Queenstown!

Journaling on the west coast of the south island at sunset! Mid road trip.

Graduation Day: KU (Korea University) had a cute ceremony to commemorate our experience. We got the cap and gown and everything!

The main street outside campus. Here I was able to eat at restaurants, coffeeshops, and more!

Visiting the Changdeokgung Palace. It was great learning about the historical times of Korea.

Sitting on the most eastern point on the Australian mainland!

Loch Ard Gorge, along the Great Ocean Road tour.

The sunset painted the wet sand with amazing pastel hues.

Relaxing at the highest point on Fiordland National Park's Kepler Track

This is a photo of the most popular temple in Chiang Mai, called Wat Doi Suthep. It can only be reached by a somewhat frightening ride up the mountain, but the trip is well worth it.

This is the most popular temple in Chiang Mai which can be found on the top of Doi Suthep mountain.

My last adventure of the semester! My friend and I squeezed this 3-4 day hike into a day and a half hiking 32 miles through knee deep snow in one day.

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About

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) is a full-service international education provider specializing in immersive study and internship programs throughout Asia Pacific. Creating close partnerships the best universities in Australia, New Zealand and across Asia over the past two decades has allowed TEAN to become experts at delivering unique programs in the region. Dedicated and experienced staff provide unparalleled individual service every step of the way and thrive on giving students personal attention, program preparation and quick answers to all their questions. TEAN's online applications, extensive pre-departure consultations, in-country orientations, on-site Resident Directors, included cultural excursions, and high quality accommodations make for the ultimate experience abroad. Check out one of the awesome programs below and visit TEAN's website to make your study abroad dream a reality!

Website

teanabroad.org

Founded

1995

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Reviews

I absolutely loved my time abroad. The TEAN staff were incredibly accommodating and helpful. Throughout the semester, our contact in Australia took us on trips around Sydney, from tours of the Opera House to surfing on Bondi Beach. Additionally, they contacted us often with lots of useful information before the program started. We also had the opportunity to go on excursions to other parts of Australia and the surrounding countries. I was able to take a weekend trip to Melbourne and a week trip to Fiji beforehand. There I made some amazing friends and lifelong memories. During the semester, I studied at UNSW in Sydney and had the most magical time. Studying abroad is definitely worth it.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

During our orientation week, there was an opportunity to try crocodile and kangaroo meat. I heard it was pretty tasty!

Thank you TEAN for giving me the experience of a lifetime! Four months after my study abroad I still think about Australia every single day. I dream about my daily beach walks and swimming in the aqua waters. Pretend that my drip coffee is as good as their lattes and make my own smashed avocado toast and wonder what they do different. I text my abroad friends daily and we reminisce on the good ole days. Somehow all the trips, beach days, classes, and movie nights in the apartment helped me develop into a more independent and open-minded person. None of this would’ve been possible without TEAN. They made helped every step of the way starting with helping find us deals on flights, organizing an orientation where we spent a couple days meeting everyone in the program, setting up the best housing, and even having fun events throughout the semester before helping us get back home. I have struggled to find a critique for TEAN but my only complaint is that I am graduating and can’t do it again!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

Skydiving, I was perfectly calm until I saw the girl in front drop. I had no choice and was pushed out the plane. Great experience 10/10 recommend.

I must start by saying that my time abroad in New Zealand was absolutely the best experience of my life. I stayed there for the full 6 months that my student visa allowed me to, and I am so grateful to have gone through TEAN's program. I met some of my best friends (from all over the globe), went on multiple road trips around the entire country, walked on a glacier, surfed, and so much more.

TEAN was absolutely AMAZING. They were always just a quick email or phone call away if I needed anything. My university did not have any courses pre-approved for the University of Otago, but TEAN helped me immensely throughout this pre-approval process. Additionally, I was very unsure about what university I wanted to study abroad at in New Zealand. I switched around three times before settling on the University of Otago! TEAN was so incredibly flexible and understanding and helped me ultimately decide on Otago (which was undoubtedly the right choice for me).

The TEAN representatives at the University of Otago were also outstanding. They were Kiwis (from New Zealand), and were a great resource for any questions about Kiwi culture, recommendations for travel, food, or just about anything! They went above and beyond to plan fun outings for their TEAN students. What I really appreciated was that they were there if we needed them, but they also let us explore and have our own individual experiences. Planned events were frequent enough to keep in touch and check in, but spaced out enough to let us explore on our own. I really can't say enough good things about how TEAN takes care of its students while they are abroad, while still allowing them to be independent with their experience. Thank you TEAN!!

What would you improve about this program?

Honestly can't think of anything! TEAN was amazing.

Dunedin is amazing. I've been home for a few months and I'm ready to go back. TEAN made the transition to New Zealand go smoothly and relieved a lot of my (and my parents') arrival stress. TEAN's orientation sets you up for success and the continued events during the semester showed me attractions in Dunedin that I did not know existed. The outdoors were incredibly accessible and close and every place that I visited was my new favorite location. The whole country is right out of an adventure blog. I traveled as much as my class schedule would allow for, but still have a massive list of everything that I still want to see. Dunedin and New Zealand will always hold a place in my heart.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Please take advantage of all the nature surrounding you. There is no other place that allows you to be able to drive 15 minutes in one direction to hike a volcanic cone, then be able to drive 15 minutes in the opposite direction to lay in the sand at the beach. You don't have to go far to find adventure in Dunedin.

Deciding to study at the University of Queensland in Brisbane through TEAN was by far the best decision I have made. Throughout the process of deciding on which school I wanted to study at and looking at classes, TEAN was extremely helpful. My experience in Australia began in Cairns with TEAN orientation. This was a great opportunity to meet other students and begin to embrace the Australian culture. Orientation also included a snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef, white water rafting, skydiving, and a trip to Hartley's Crocodile Zoo where we got to see koalas and kangaroos. Brisbane was such a beautiful city and always so many things going on such as farmers markets and concerts and festivals. Our Brisbane TEAN advisor also scheduled various events and check-ins for us throughout the semester to make sure we were adjusting smoothly. I loved all my classes at the University of Queensland and also had lots of opportunities to get involved and join clubs. Studying abroad through this program I have also met such awesome friends that I know I will have the rest of my life. I highly recommend this program, I only have positive things to say about it!!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

Australia

9.80 •15 reviews

TEAN's study abroad offerings in Melbourne, Australia offer students...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because Thailand sounded like the perfect adventure country for me.

I knew I liked Asia, and Thailand looked like it had so much to do that 5 months wouldn't even be long enough to spend there. The courses eliminated many gen-ed classes that I needed, which was important for me to graduate on time.

The cost of living was another factor because studying abroad is notoriously expensive.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I found the program through my university's portal. Once I decided that I wanted to go to Thailand, I met with a study abroad advisor who pre-approved courses for me to take. TEAN's staff did most of the rest.

Picking classes was a breeze. Transitioning into the country was seamless because TEAN guided us until we were ready to go off on our own. The only thing I really had to do on my own was to book a flight. TEAN made a Facebook group of the people in my program, so I messaged some people and picked the same flight to Thailand.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Do your research. If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. There are many tourist attractions that seem cool and would make for a great Instagram photo. However, they might not always be ethical, especially ones involving animals. Research cultures other than your own, and learn how to be a sensitive traveler, especially in how you dress in northern Thailand.

On a different note, if you are abroad for an extended period of time, or traveling within a country, rest stop bathrooms are minimal. Bring toilet paper along with you or packaged wipes. Feminine hygiene products are harder to find so bring them with you on any weekend trip or longer. Birth control that limits periods is a great option as well.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

On Monday-Thursday, we went to class in the day. Breakfast was usually a muffin and coffee from 7-11. Lunch would be from the canteen. Dinner would be street food with friends, or on special nights, we'd take a grab to the old city, and sit down for a fancier meal.

The weekends are what you make of them. Staying in Chiang Mai usually involved going to the club, Zoe, at night, and finding a coffee shop or body of water to hang out at in the day. It was easy to travel, and for three days, you could go anywhere easily.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was afraid of making new friends in my program. I went in not knowing anybody. The best advice I received was to be a yes man for a few weeks at first. You can catch up on sleep in December. Meet people and see who you vibe with. Many Thai people are reserved when it comes to speaking to westerners because they are not confident in their English. Starting a conversation can go a long way.

What was your favorite experience while studying abroad?

Every day things are so much scarier when you're abroad. The first time I got sick, I went to the hospital. I was talking to my brother and he told me not to worry because everything's funnier when you're abroad. I'd be laughing about it in no time. It wasn't the advice I wanted to hear when I felt so sick and scared.

He was right, though.

At the moment, things can be scarier, but after they pass, they're that much funnier. My go-to story is when I was in the hospital one time (I got sick a lot; I was an anomaly, not the norm), I asked a nurse, who seemed to speak English very well, for the results of my blood-work. She told me that I had bacteria in my blood. I freaked out, thinking I had blood poisoning. I called her back to confirm and she calmly told me the same thing - bacteria in my blood. My mom was about to book a flight over.

2016 Alum

Karina Hunstein

2016 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Alice is based in Sydney and manages the TEAN Internship programs in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. She is originally from the UK and loves to travel. She has covered the majority of Europe, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in her travels.

What is your favorite travel memory?

I am very fortunate to have traveled to over 30 countries so far, but one of my favorite travel memories was two months of travel across New Zealand with my mum during a school break. There is probably no point arguing with me on the note that New Zealand simply is the most beautiful country in the world.

We traveled both the North and South Island during the New Zealand Winter and it was absolutely freezing but this automatically made it even more beautiful because of all the stunning scenery being lit up with snow and twinkly lights in all the streets in the evenings.

As much as I love to travel, and as much as I would love to go back tomorrow, there is still lots of magic in a home that we can treasure every day. Yet saying that, I often visit New Zealand and get to enjoy its beauty on a regular basis and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. The mountains of middle earth are particularly stunning and I would encourage anyone to hop on a plane and go and explore this beautiful country full of beautiful people and culture.

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How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have grown substantially since working for TEAN, both personally and in my career. I started out at TEAN managing both the Australia & New Zealand Internship Program and am now managing the Internship Programs across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kyoto, Shanghai & Bangkok.

My TEAN journey has developed quickly yet I am continuing to love and grow my role within this organization more and more every day. Personally, I have changed in terms of some of the approaches I have adopted due to TEAN’s sustainable ethos – for example, I no longer use plastic bags at the grocery store and am taking more and more steps each day to contribute to helping save our planet.

I have also developed even more of a bucket list of travel locations, which is almost impossible not to do when you work in this industry.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Just recently, one of my return students shared the extremely exciting news with me that he had been accepted into the internship program for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in the United States!

The work that he completed during his TEAN internship in Australia allowed him to be published in multiple national media platforms and I am so excited that his experiences in Australia are now able to take him to such exciting places to now learn from the best of the best in the United States.

Films from Sundance include Boyhood, Donnie Darko, Saw, Little Miss Sunshine, Napoleon Dynamite, The Blair Witch Project, and more. I couldn’t be more proud and delighted for him that his experience in Australia has got him to this place in his career and I can’t wait to see some of the films that he will be responsible for in years to come.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

If I could go on any program that TEAN offers I would go to Massey University in Wellington to study Visual Arts & Design. I fell in love with Wellington and its atmosphere earlier this year and it felt like home to me.

For anyone who is artistic, there is so much inspiration in every street that it’s not surprising some of the world’s most famous cinematography, film crews, fashion designers, and costumers have stemmed from this location.

Having been fortunate enough to work closely with Massey University throughout my career, I have seen the outstanding facilities that they have on offer for their students. If I could turn back the clock, I would have told myself to study abroad in this location.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

TEAN is like a family to me. TEAN is unique in its approach to so many different things such as its sustainable ethos and choosing the earth to the unique student approach. Being a part of the TEAN family has encouraged me to make lifestyle changes to ensure we are taking care of this planet and it’s wonderful to know that everyone shares these same values.

Everyone in the organization is so passionate about what they do that we achieve some incredible & innovative results for our students. I love that our students are a name and not a number at TEAN and that we can get to know them on a personal level and establish what they want to achieve from their time studying or interning abroad from the outset.

My team is consistently making me proud and on a daily basis are accepting new challenges and striving towards having the best possible opportunities available for our students.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe that the biggest factor in being a successful company is in the staff that are a part of that company. When your employer invests in your development and your growth as an employee, it speaks volumes and allows staff to excel. Peer support is essential to growth and success of a company and opportunities for staff to explore your creativity as well as your skillset to complete tasks can be very inspiring and can lead to new and exciting developments.

This is one of the main reasons I find internships to be of such value to our students as well – by being able to grow with a company, you contribute to their success and learn a lot along that journey as well as taking away essential strategies for your future career.

I also think that company success stems from staff success which can be seen through passion and dedication to a role whilst having & developing expertise in the work that you are doing.

Lily Andrules

Assistant Program Manager

Hannah DeMilta

Marketing Manager

Community Awards