Program Reviews

South Korea has been one of the many countries I plan on working at some point in my career. When the opportunity to go there arose in front of me, I HAD TO TAKE IT! I wanted to immerse myself in the country to see what it would be like to live there. Busan, South Korea exceeded my expectations. Although four weeks may not seem as long, I am even more determined to go back. It felt like home. I have met so many wonderful people and saw so many beautiful sights. It was truly an unforgettable experience. Until next time, Busan!

Studying abroad in Australia was one of the best decisions I've ever made. In the 4 months I spent abroad I met more people than I can count, traveled around Australia and Indonesia and New Zealand, and grew as a person. There are so many unique and cool experiences for people to discover in Australia, including the different animals and unique foods. I really loved seeing koalas, kangaroos, and platypuses in the wild. One of the most important parts of studying abroad is to take advantage of every opportunity you have, and that really helped make my abroad experience something that I'll never forget.

Studying in Seville was the best experience I have ever had. I was able to fully immerse myself in another culture and make lasting memories and connections with new friends and other students I have worked and studied with. I was able to have a productive learning environment while also being able to have fun and visit other cities. I had a little bit of an issue with the language barrier, but my host family was very understanding and ensured that we were able to communicate properly. Since I was in the study center I felt life I had a great support system.

Studying abroad in Sydney, Australia was truly the best experience of my life filled with adventure, excitement, new friends, and new opportunities. Going abroad with TEAN was awesome because of all the opportunities offered to students, assistance with academics, housing, and adjusting to a new city, and great staff to help me in any situation I may have needed. Through TEAN, I was able to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, hike around the Blue Mountains, and go to a very cool rugby game in Sydney. TEAN also helped coordinate my housing situation and I absolutely loved where I lived with all the amenities I needed- The Meriton Suites on Bondi Junction. During my three months abroad, I was able to travel to many places with my best friends such as Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, Queenstown, New Zealand, Nadi, Fiji, and cities throughout Australia like Mildura, Cairns, and Nelson Bay. I took advantage of all the opportunities placed in front of me and had an adventure of a lifetime. Through TEAN, I met some of my best friends that will forever be my travel buddies! After living in Sydney for three months, it has become my favorite place in the world. The amazing people, clean and safe city, beautiful beaches, active lifestyle, and the best coffee I have ever had made my experience even better. Because of my amazing abroad experience with TEAN, I want to move back to Sydney in my near future!

I cannot recommend studying abroad in Athens, Greece more. This truly was a life changing experience. I grew into myself, learn how to adapt, and fully embraced the Greek culture. My advisors, Eugenia and Tess, curated an exciting learning environment through their warm smiles and kind hearts. Additionally, I genuinely feel like I met my lifelong friends on this trip. Because of them and my experience in Athens, I have become a stronger, more confident person and I could not be more grateful for this opportunity. Take the leap!

My TEAN study abroad was so much fun and so well organized! There was a lot of on-site support for students through the university and through TEAN and I felt very safe the entire time I was in Sydney. It was also very easy to make friends through TEAN's orientation in Cairns and it was so fun going to the different TEAN events in Sydney throughout the semester. TEANs orientation in Cairns was a highlight of the semester for me and automatically made TEAN stand out amongst other study abroad companies for me. I would highly recommend studying abroad with TEAN, especially in Sydney with the University of New South Wales. There were so many events and ways to meet people through UNSW and the proximity to the beach was amazing!! The only bad thing about my experience was that there were a lot of cockroaches in our apartment, but we worked with UNSW to get them to spray down our apartment with a special cockroach-killing spray. We had them come in like once a month and it got better after that.

Studying abroad in Japan has to be the highlight of my life so far. Having always been drawn towards Asian culture and being an avid anime watcher, being able to immerse myself into Japanese culture and society was truly life changing. Tokyo is such a clean, organized, and beautiful city. It holds so much historical significance mixed with modern pop culture. Definitely utilize Google Maps for navigating the train system, it saved my life! Another tip I would suggest is to keep an open mind. Japanese culture is very modest and more traditional, so be mindful of what kind of clothes you bring and do research on the social norms there. Japan was an amazing experience, but you'll definitely enjoy it more if you do research beforehand and have an open mindset!

ISA study abroad is something you will not regret. With a promising new perspective of life itself, and a new appreciation of the world I can say it was the best experience so far. I spent my spring semester in Barcelona, living in a student residence. I recommend student residence living because you will be able to meet locals, practice the language, and feel less alone because of the easily accessible common spaces that is always filled with residents. Study abroad will also introduce you to a new education format than your home university.
The trips and gatherings offered through ISA was beyond helpful, and it was where I made some life long friends with great memories.

I completed my internship in Valencia at a company called SingularStays. They manage the processes related to renting to make things easier for the owners. Many people staying at their apartments are travelers, but they also have longer-term guests. They list their units on their website, in addition to sites like Airbnb and Booking.com. I helped them with various administrative tasks and collected and delivered apartment keys. I’m interested in pursuing a career in the travel industry, and this internship aligned well with that. In addition to interning, I had plenty of time to explore Valencia and travel to various other places in Europe. The ISA on-site staff were friendly and made sure to look out for the safety and well-being of participants. They also organized optional activities and trips. My favorite day trip with them was to Gandia. We went to the beach and had the opportunity to do water activities as well. The activities are also a great way to meet other ISA participants. They also ran an optional paid overnight trip to Barcelona, offering it on two different weekends during my program. The apartment I was placed in was in a great location. I was only about a 15-20 minute walk from the city center, and my internship was also near the city center. I was also only about an 8-minute walk from the nearest metro station, which had a line directly to Valencia Airport. However, an important thing to keep in mind is that air conditioning is not as common throughout Europe as it is in the United States, and it was very hot in Valencia during the summer. For the most part, I had no issues with this as I had a fan in my bedroom, and I was lucky enough that the living room had air conditioning. The apartment was also a little bit worn, and I saw a lizard several times. The first time was on my first night living there, and one of my flatmates captured it and let it out. The second time I saw a lizard was towards the end of my program, and it hid away fairly quickly. While the lizard was harmless, seeing it was still unsettling. Despite this “startling” start, I had a fantastic time abroad in Valencia and in Europe, and it was the best summer of my life! I enjoyed my time abroad so much that I decided to do an exchange program with my university in the UK this past spring, which allowed me to continue my growth and excitement for travel that my program in Valencia helped ignite!

My time in Paris was fantastic, mainly because I had the perfect balance of planned activities and free time. I explored the city at my own pace, which made the experience much more enjoyable. I never felt rushed no matter where I wanted to go- from Montmartre to shopping districts.

What made a big difference was that I had a bit of structure from an architecture class. It helped me see the city in a new way and notice details I might have overlooked. But what I appreciated the most was having enough free time to soak in the atmosphere of Paris on my terms. This mix of learning and leisurely exploring made my trip fun and memorable while keeping an academic focus.