WorldStrides Reviews

Lima was incredible. I really enjoyed the city. It is very easy to get around, although it is a little terrifying because the drivers are all very aggressive. The "taxi" and "bus" systems are fairly simple and very cheap! I put those in quotes because taxis can be owned by anyone with a taxi sign and sometimes the buses are more like vans, but are official. The city is divided into sections, I was with a host family in San Isidro, a pretty nice part of the city. There are some dangerous areas of the city but mostly they are on the outskirts where you wont be going. I never had any safety issues. I really loved the city. There is so much to do and so much to see. You will never be bored! The tourist section, Miraflores, is super nice, with a large mall and parks and shops, and the government keeps it that way intentionally.

The human rights organization I worked for was La Casa de Panchita, a refuge for mistreated household workers. I was teaching English, working on some data entry, managing the social media, and other administrative things. Sunday was the big day for the organization and that's when all the people would come for classes, events, and other things. I would work in the lobby playing games with the young girls and boys or just chatting making everyone feel welcome and helping anywhere I could. It was amazing to get to know some of the women and hear their stories. It was very fulfilling and I got to work on my Spanish a LOT. We also worked at hosting an international forum on child domestic labor and an awareness festival. Some days it was a little frustrating because there was little direction given or I wasn't really doing anything beneficial but that's something you have to accept when working with non-profit NGOs.

The ELAP support was pretty good. There was a young girl my age in charge of it, Lucia, who was extremely helpful, supportive and friendly. Sometimes hard to get ahold of but overall she was awesome. I am still in touch with her actually! The head of the ISA office, Maria Elena, in Lima was also supper friendly and helpful. I would go in and visit the office a couple times a week. They would always be there if I needed help getting somewhere or finding something to do.

My overall experience, as I'm sure you can tell was life changing. I made some real life long friends in Lima. ELAP, in my opinion is the best way to really get to know a country. There were other students who were taking Spanish classes and they barely met any Peruvians. In my volunteer setting I was working almost exclusively with Peruvians. I truly was immersed in the culture and language. It was super stressful in the beginning and there was culture shock like I have never experienced but it turned out to be the best two months of my life. I would highly recommend ELAP, but know the actual volunteering may not be exactly what you expect and you may be doing some grunt work or menial tasks.

I think the AustraLearn program is phenomenal for more independent students, who would appreciate a little bit of direction. AustraLearn has a very comprehensive orientation week that helps picking students up from the airport, doing a couple lessons about the local culture and what to expect in classes (differences from American courses), and helps with the small things such as providing a limited calling card for the start and bringing resources to us by pointing us in the right direction for grocery shopping, cell phone questions, etc. After orientation week, AustraLearn was fairly non-existant besides some emails. This is beneficial for students to learn how to make their own plans and embrace their surroundings. Auckland Uni was a wonderful institution that offers nearly every concentration imaginable. Most study abroad students are encouraged to take entry level courses which is beneficial for students only there for one semester. Less stressful while still gaining an academic aspect.

Being able to live with Japanese host families, and see so many different places in Japan during such a short period of time is amazing.
I got to speak a lot of Japanese, learn so much about the culture, eat amazing home cooked meals every day from my host families and share and compare my experiences with people from all over the world.
I'd definitely recommend this program for anyone who's interested in learning more about Japan and make friends from all over the world.

I have friends from Uzbekistan now. I never thought that would happen.

The ISA Sevilla staff were the most wonderful people. They made it their mission to get to know everyone and make sure all of us were comfortable and happy. All of the students there were like-minded: we were in Spain to get a cultural experience, and that was really refreshing. Being in Southern Spain, the pace was very slow and relaxing, a nice break from the crazy schedules we keep here. I love Sevilla and call it my second home, and I think ISA really did an excellent job heightening my experiences while I was there.

I had absurdly high expectations coming in to this program and in all sincerity..THEY WERE SURPASSED! Studying abroad is the GREATEST thing you can do... ISA makes you feel comfortable (MJ and Mauri are the BEST), are affordable and offer awesome excursions in Spain, Portugal and even Morocco! Sevilla is such a comfortable, beautiful city. It's all walkable, somewhat large in size but small enough where you feel a part of the city! The weather is always great, everyone is always outside and kind as can be. If you want a traditional Spanish experience I say nothing but ISA Sevilla will do!!

The Education Abroad Program really lead the way the entire time leading up to me boarding the plane. With an added on perk of 5 days in Fiji before we even touch down in New Zealand for the orientation is what really sucked me in. The prices are around the same as other programs, but with so much more. After we were in NZ I was always able to rely on my advisers to be there for me, but rarely needed to call on them. I was very independent and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. This program was certainly the best fit for me.

Studying abroad has given me a completely new and fresh perspective on life and other cultures. I have been bitten with the travel bug 100%, and have made it a priority to incorporate traveling and trying new experiences into my everyday life, even if that means just a short trip a few towns over. There are SO many new opportunities out there, and you'll never find them if you don't go looking. Studying abroad has opened my eyes that there are MILLIONS of different combinations of people out there, so don't limit yourself to just the familiar. Once you step out of your comfort zone, the possibilities are limitless. Take advantage of every opportunity and adventure you can while you can!

Academics
The school system was definitely different in Australia compared to America. Australian courses tend to have more condensed assignments in the form of a few papers or exams for the entire semester, as opposed to American classes that have many smaller assignments throughout the semester. Australian courses are also more independent, and classes are more 'optional', with the implication that you will complete much of your coursework outside of class. I felt that the grading was harsher, although the assignments seemed easier compared to the work I do at my home university. Teaching methods were definitely different, as most of my classes were considered 'tutes', and it was more like an informal question and answer session than an actual class.
I didn't feel as if there was much 'support' to students from America, and my opinion was that professors abroad seemed to think Americans didn't care much about the education we received in the class. I had met with one of my professors a few times, and it wasn't much help to me in learning how to complete the assignments. The classes I took were primarily general education courses, so I wasn't too concerned with really absorbing the knowledge, but it would have been easier if I had felt more welcome in the classroom.

Housing
For my housing, I was placed into apartment housing at the Griffith Uni Village. Some students lived with all Americans, some only lived with Americans from the AustraLearn program, and other had a mix. I lived with two Australian girls, an Australian guy, and a Norwegian guy. I liked the fact that I had diversity in my living arrangements and was able to experience more of the culture right in my own home.
I never felt as if safety were a problem, I never felt unsafe and was usually with my friends all the time. The Village is right next to campus, about a ten-fifteen minute walk to get to my classes. It's also about a fifteen minute walk to get to the bus stop, which we rode into town to get groceries, catch a train or plane when we were traveling, and how we got downtown to go out if we didn't take a cab (about twenty minutes from Surfer's Paradise).
Since I was living with people who had already been settled in to the Village and who were also locals, housing basics such as cook wear were already supplied and my roommates welcomed me to use whatever was theirs in the apartment. The apartments themselves were furnished, so there was furniture, dressers, beds, a desk, etc. Australearn supplied sheets a pillow, so my expenses to live in the apartment were few. I ended up buying basic things, such as a few hangers, a small mirror, toiletries, food, etc.

Food
Food is SO expensive in Australia!!! I'm a frequenter of Dollar Stores here in America to get basic supplies, so to find that those don't really exist in Australia was such a letdown! There are no Wal-Marts either, although their K-Marts are similar, only more 'high quality' and of course, more expensive. If living near Griffith Uni in Southport, go to the Ashmore City Shopping Centre, only a few miles away and definitely within walking distance. They have a 'Crazy Clarks' store, which is about as close to a dollar store as I ever found over there-we found cheap crafts, toiletries, kitchen supplies,food, snacks, etc. There's also a Chemist (pharmacy), fruit market, and IGA (grocery store), along with a bank (ANZ) and Liquor Store right around the corner. If we were saving our bus money or just wanted to grab a few things or take a walk, this is where we went to get groceries. IGA is definitely a little more expensive than Coles or Woolworths (located in Southport at the Australia Fair shopping centre, both grocery stores similar to WalMart) but if you didnt want to take the bus 30 min away it's a nice alternative. Also remember, there aren't 'superstores' in Australia like in the US-it's going to be wayyyy more expensive to buy everything at the same store than to go to the separate specialty stores for supplies, and most grocery stores don't even sell alcohol. One of the nice things about Australian food is that there are no preservatives and nasty crap like we have here in America, so that contributes to prices as well. My diet while abroad consisted of lots of stir frys, rice, meat & veg combinations, specifically revolving around what was on sale that week. Australia Fair also has a cheap produce market that we would try to get to about every 2 weeks or so.

Traveling & Safety
I did a ton of traveling throughout my stay in Australia, including visiting multiple places throughout Queensland, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Sydney, Cairns, and the Outback. Each place had their own unique style and I loved everything about it! My trip specifically included a trip to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef before arriving at our abroad unis, which was a fantastic way to network with other students and make friends before getting settled in with school. Traveling was my favorite part of the study abroad experience, by far.

Everyday Life
Highlights were definitely the access to travel around the country and meet people from different backgrounds than myself. I absolutely loved the accessibility-you can virtually take a train or bus to just about anywhere you would want to go within the country. The people were extremely accommodating and helpful in every aspect. There were struggles, such as not having enough money to do everything I wanted to, trying to overcome learning differences in the classroom, etc. but overall the difficulties is what made the trip unique and different than a "tourist" visit. Being able to immerse myself in the culture and actual live in Australia, as opposed to merely visiting, really made all the difference.

Australearn included many seminars about abroad life in our orientation before we headed to our different unis, and safety was stressed. We were provided many resources and information about who to call and what to do if we were in an emergency situation. I never felt unsafe or worried for my safety at any time throughout the trip.
I did have to visit the doctor several times for a bad sinus infection, and it was MUCH simpler than visiting a dr in the states...AustraLearn has student health insurance included in their package, so you just get a card when you arrive and can use the clinic on campus. I barely had to wait for my appointment, and the cost was extremely reasonable-even better than the healthcare I have in my OWN country. There is a cap on medications too, you only have to pay up to a specific amount of money. I did not need any specific vaccines prior to going abroad.

Words of wisdom for anyone thinking of going abroad with Australearn is to TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL and make sure you come with enough money so you don't have to find a job once you arrive! So many people immediately got jobs from my program once we arrived in Southport, and it seems contradictory to live the same life abroad as you do at home, when this experience is truly once in a lifetime. Make sure you construct a budget as well, so you're making the best use of your money and not just blowing everything on alcohol and partying. Most importantly, say hello to everyone and don't be afraid to initiate a conversation! Most of my friendships, whom I still am in contact with now, began with a simple smile & "hello" :)

Thessaloniki is such a great city to live in. There is always something interesting going on and something to do. Almost daily there is some sort of cultural event, film festival, art exhibit, etc. to go see. There are several universities in the city and so students make up the majority of the population. This young population adds a unique and vibrant dimension to the community and city, providing ample opportunities to interact with other students both Greek and non-Greek. The American College of Thessaloniki is such an amazing institution. They go above and beyond in trying to make study abroad students feel welcome and comfortable. They plan trips and excursions to other cities, and if we ever want to go somewhere else, they are always extremely helpful at giving us information on what is the best (and usually cheapest!) way of booking such a trip. They are so fantastic, caring, and generous, all of the staff. I would highly recommend them.

There are no words to express how much I fell in love with New Zealand as a country including it's people, food and most importantly, its never ending adventures!

The first week in New Zealand consisted of participating the AustraLearn Culture week where we were at a rented out hotel with just us students and got introduced to many different parts of the Kiwi and Maori lifestyle in New Zealand. This week was a great start to my time in NZ because they gave us the opportunity to experience many different things (caving, white water rafting, Zorbing etc.) and also participate in a volunteer day where we were able to give back to the community. Not only did I get to know the NZ culture a bit better, I also made some really good friends, who are still my best friends even after we're all back home! It was a great bonding time for all of us because we were all in the same position after leaving home, family, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends so we could all relate and use that bond to continue a friendship once we got to Dunedin.

Once in Dunedin, it was never-ending adventures. There were so many things to do and see and the on campus centers really helped us get involved in different excursions or trips. Some of the things I got to do were: hitchhike around the peninsula, go on a skiing trip to Queenstown, camping in the Catlins, go sea kayaking, skydive in Moteuka, visit Mount Taranaki, see the capital of NZ (Wellington) and many many other things.

In between all of the adventures, we did actually have to attend class which for me, coming from University of Minnesota, the classes were not that much different. I had class sizes ranging from 30 to about 400 students. I did study hard while in NZ but I also made sure that I wasn't missing too many adventures for homework! I learned a good balance between the two.

Kiwis (New Zealand natives) are some of the nicest and funniest people you'll ever meet in your life. They are so welcoming to different cultures and backgrounds so it was never hard to make friends. Their fun-loving, laid-back attitude really helped for us international students to fit in and feel safe when around them. Some of my good friends that came out of my time in NZ are kiwis and I think I'll be friends with them for a very long time!

Based on all of these things and many other small details of my time abroad, I would 10000000% recommend studying at University of Otago in New Zealand. It was the best 7 months of my life and I plan on going back and hopefully spending a majority of my life there! You would never regret spending a second in New Zealand, I can promise you that!

I had an awesome time in Thailand generally and studying at Mahidol. The culture and people of Thailand are unique and wonderful, not to mention the amazing food (often found in the most unlikely of places). It is also a great place to travel out of, I had a great opportunity to visit Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia while studying at Mahidol. The trip to Cambodia offered the chance to see the Khmer Rouge Tribunal's initial hearings for Case 002, which proved to be an inspiring event. There were so many unique opportunities and learning experiences, it is hard to narrow it down into a review or even a book for that matter. I consider myself very lucky to have had this experience, and feel as though I was able to make the most out of it through the friends I made, the chances I took, and the limbs I stepped out on. I would highly recommend this study abroad program to almost anyone, it takes a lot of patience and an open-minded outlook to maximize this experience, but for those who do, it is truly inspirational and humbling experience.