Program Reviews

As an individual who had never left the United States before going to Australia, I believe that I chose the most responsible and exciting team who could help me explore. This program allows deep connections to grow and new friendships to form while also taking you on the time of your life, all the way from Down Under avoid-the-crocs at all costs to the don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-a-lifetime Great Barrier Reef. Choosing a good study abroad program is crucial, The Education Abroad Network provides simultaneous stability and independence, modern and cultural interactions and more importantly, equal amounts of work and play!

Overall, the Education Abroad Network provided everything I wanted out of a study abroad experience. The staff were phenomenal before and during my trip and helped with everything from taking me to doctors to pointing out good restaurants to logistical paperwork help. The other students on the program were great, and the Thai roommates assigned to else helped us acclimate, learn basic language skills, and show us around our new city. The program is structured enough to give you all the support and resources you need to have the most enriching experience but its lenient enough to give you wiggle room in making independent travel plans for spring break or long weekends. TEAN provided several excursions as well such as a tropical weekend beach getaway or a hiking trip in Doi Inthanon. The classes were all eye opening and took often included field trips that tied into what we were studying in class. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in studying in Southeast Asia.

I went on the TEAN Wollongong program in the Spring of '13. I started with the comprehensive orientation in Sydney provided by TEAN, which was an awesome way to meet people and explore all of the highlights of the new city. After the orientation I went on the TEAN Cairns trip to the Great Barrier Reef. The trip was amazing and gives you the opportunity to engage in all kinds of fun and adventurous once in a lifetime activities. The University of Wollongong is a top tier university in a great location. The housing was just a few minute walk to the beach, and a quick bus ride from town and school. The program gives you lots of opportunities to travel and immerse yourself in the culture. It provides you with so many once in a lifetime activities while making lifelong friends in a beautiful new place.

TEAN's New Zealand program was fun and well-organized. It provided an extensive pre-semester orientation program, allowing for immersion in the culture and meeting other students studying there. It allowed me to make friends that I have kept even since coming home, and to adjust to be abroad.

During the course of the semester, TEAN offered support and activities that were both fun and helpful. I enjoyed activites offered, such as meet-ups and going to see an Alll Blacks rugby game. The staff were all friendly and knowledgeable.

Wellington is a vibrant and exciting city to live in. There are many museums and things to do, as well as fun night life. Massey University had a great international students program that offered activities and support throughout the semester. I felt very welcome in all of my classroom and university environments. Wellington was a good central location from which to travel to other parts of the country, as flights to the south island and buses to other parts of the north island were cheap and readily available.

The Education Abroad Network did a great job teaming with the UNSW in Sydney to put together this summer course. What is unique about this program is the fact that I was able to travel to different places in Australia! We went from Darwin, to the Blue Mountains, to Sydney, to the Daintree Rainforest, to Cairns. The professors were great and really cared about teaching us about the ins and outs of Australian culture. We had some great excursions including tons of beautiful hiking trips, white water rafting, scuba/snorkel at Great Barrier Reef, shows at the Sydney Opera house, etc. I would highly recommend this program for those who are interested in traveling while studying abroad in Australia!

Choosing to study abroad was one of the best decisions of my life. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to live and travel to New Zealand. Thanks to TEAN I was able to fulfill my dream.

My study abroad experience would not have been the same without TEAN! They have provided me with one of the best experiences of my life. The programs orientations are amazing. One of the best parts about going abroad with TEAN to New Zealand is an included pre-semester trip to Fiji. After Fiji, TEAN has an in-country orientation in Auckland where they provide cultural and adventure activities to start the semester off with a bang! TEAN also offers mid-semester trips during holiday breaks which is extremely nice. I went on a 9-Day South Island Adventure with TEAN for my Spring Break and on the trip I met other TEAN students that were studying in Australia. The only thing I had in common with some of them was that TEAN brought us together and it was due to that binding fact that we became so close and still to this day (months later) we still communicate.
The TEAN staff is also extremely friendly and one of the best aspects about the program is that they are very person; they know who you are before you even meet them.

Palmerston North is a great place to study. It is a rural area; but there is so much to do around the area. There are a ton of hiking trails around the area, Wellington is only a 2 hour bus ride away, and Tongariro National Park is only bus ride to the north a bit.
Generally I'd hang around Palmerston North during the week days, taking advantage of the activities offered at Massey and within the town. Then during the weekend (after I made sure all my work was done during the week) I'd take off to Wellington (the capital city of New Zealand), which was a great point to meet other people from TEAN and go on trips to either the South Island, or somewhere on the North Island.
Another nice thing about TEAN is that they have in-country staff that always send out monthly updates telling us about different activities occurring throughout New Zealand, and they would plan some sort of activity two, or three times a semester. It was a great way to meet up and see how everyone was doing.

Overall, my experience in New Zealand was incredible and one of the best experiences of my life; however, it would not have been the same had it not been for TEAN.

Studying abroad with TEAN in Australia was more than worth it! I gained more in 5 weeks then I have throughout my whole life of schooling. Not only did I learn about wildlife and culture, but I gained a better perspective about life and taking things one day at a time. Life is full of endless possibilities, but if you put your mind to it, you will achieve them. That is exactly what I did by studying abroad in Australia. From climbing over 1,200 stairs up a mountain in the Blue Mountains to exploring Kakadu National Park and searching for wildlife during night walks. The adventures never stopped and the days only got better. Even the excursions were amazing! I did the wine tour in Sydney, Scuba/snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, and Bungee Jumped at A.J. Hackett's in Cairns! It is definitely a once in a lifetime experience and would do anything to do it all over again. I also never expected to meet so many new people, whom I would consider life-long friends. We already have winter break plans visit one another across the states! And don't forget to go out and enjoy the nightlife, eat any different foods that you can, shop the markets, and overall make unforgettable memories.

No matter the cost, flight, or country... get out there and study abroad! You will NOT regret it!

I studied at the Univ. of Wollongong through TEAN in Spring 2012. UOW was about an hour south of Sydney and it was the greatest 5 months of my life. TEAN was a great program to go through because they were super helpful every step of the way. They also provided great oppurtunities to see the country, between the Sydney Orientation and Spring Break Excursions. I loved that TEAN put me in campus housing, I lived with four Australian students and it really helped me get an inside perspective and to experience the culture; something that not many people truly get to experience. I would highly recommend looking into TEAN if you are interested in studying abroad, they really helped me to make the most of my experience abroad!

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. And studying abroad with TEAN made it even better. I made some amazing new friends and of course I had many amazing experiences. Living overseas really increases one's awareness of other cultures, more than simply reading about it.

Education Abroad hosts an amazing orientation program before the semester begins, allowing all the students to get to know one another, in addition to getting to know the country in a safe and enjoyable way. The staff there stayed in contact with us throughout the semester, hosting cultural tours in our various host cities as well as an end of semester dinner to check in with us before we departed for home. The TEAN staff is extremely friendly and genuinely interested in getting to know every student. They want to make sure that everyone enjoys their time abroad.

While at Palmy I lived in the on campus hostels and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hostels there are pretty similar to dorms here except that the rooms are single rooms with a large common room. I loved this setup because it really allowed people to get to know one another. I knew everyone in the building, that was upwards of 50 people! Here I don't even know my own neighbors. Massey also has flats available to the students, each flat with 5-6 individual rooms sharing a common living room, kitchen, and bathroom. I enjoyed all of the housing sites that I visited while there.

I enjoyed the food at Massey as well. The setup of the dining hall was a little unsatisfactory, making it difficult to actually get the food in a timely fashion, but the food quality was certainly better than any dining hall food I've had in this country.

The really great thing about Palmerston North is it's proximity to a lot of surrounding locations. It only takes 45 minutes to get to the beach, two hours to reach Wellington, the capital city, and a 10 minute free bus ride from campus to town. There are a lot of cultural, educational, and just plain fun experiences to be had so close to campus.

Overall I loved my experience in New Zealand and Palmerston North and I would do almost anything to go back. The Education Abroad Network was just the icing on top of the cake for a semester abroad in New Zealand.

My study abroad experience was extremely rewarding because I was so hesitant about going in the first place. People kept me asking me if it was a safe place to go to. That made me nervous about going, but once I got there, I realized everyone was wrong. South east asia is one of the most beautiful, dynamic, safe, cheap, welcoming, regions in the world. The classes we took through Payap University included language, history, politics, and gender and development in the region. All were helpful in our understanding of the people and their culture. The living quarters were a nice contrast since we stayed in dorms with local students in Thailand, and a private apartment in Cambodia. The price was also ideal, since it cost less than a semester at my home institution, Marymount Manhattan College. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to discover a wonderful diverse region of the world.