WorldStrides Reviews

This trip was a life changing experience for me. It was jam packed with adventure which also challenged us both physically and mental. Both of the instructors were a blast. I would highly recommend this course for people who love adventure.

Studying abroad was the biggest decision I've ever made in my life thus far, yet the best decision I had made. I had never really been away from home and my University at home was relative close so I could go home whenever I wanted. I'm glad I could burst out of that bubble and come here because at first, I didn't think I could do it. Coming with AustraLearn was a huge help! I made tons of friends within 5 days. It's funny because once we all got to Newcastle we were so close everyone here had thought we had been friends for years. The adventure week was amazing!! I had done more in that week than I thought I would do it a life time because I chose to study abroad. Being here at Newcastle is even better! I have met so many people that I know I will remain life long friends with and will be sad to leave them. The classes are a good learning experience because teachers challenge you to think about the future. It's not about memorizing and spitting back knowledge, it's about taking your learnings to the next level. But it's not all about academics, we go out on weekends and I have even got the chance to visit Sydney twice since I've been here, it's an amazing experience. Coming to the University of Newcastle was the best decision I've ever made!

Overall the program was well worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat. Even though the program was flexible and we mainly just went to do tours and sporting events I still probably learned more than I would in a classroom setting. Going to tour all the stadiums was very educational and you actually see how the stadium is run. Also staying as an athlete at the AIS allowed me to realize what the athletes world is really like. Also through the program I met so many great people from all over and I cannot wait to see them again! Some of them probably will become my best friends in the long run. This program was really fun and good. I expected it was going to be a little harder, but I'm glad it wasn't because I do feel its all about the experience and taking in the culture! I personally wished the program was longer, but I don't think some people could be away from home for that long.

I was an intern at Child, Youth, and Family in Porirua (just outside of Wellington) and it was one of the most amazing experiences! Our group immersion was in Rotorua consisted of tubing in caves with glow worms, learning how to do the haka, and plenty of good information on how to explore the country safely and thoroughly.

After our immersion, we left for our internship sites, and I saw our apartment, which was basically the penthouse of a downtown apartment building, very close to everything Wellington had to offer. My roommates and I went to the Wellington 7s and had an amazing time dressing up and fitting in with the locals.

At my internship site, I got real hands on experience of working at a social service agency. It made me appreciate what I had, and made me want to help others more. The social workers that I worked alongside were super supportive not just in the workplace, but also trying to get me integrated into the Kiwi lifestyle. This internship provided the reassurance that I needed to follow my dreams. I am now in a master's program in social work, hoping to make a difference in the lives of our American children and hopefully child abroad as well.

In NZ I visited Rotorua again to visit all the geothermal sites, Auckland, Napier, and took a tour of the South Island, which absolutely amazing. I did the 134m Nevis Bungy in Queenstown, swam with wild dolphins in Kaikoura, and hiked up Fox Glacier. I have countless stories about how amazing NZ is. It would take a lifetime to explore all the gorgeous nooks and crannies. I am definitely planning a trip back to NZ in the future!

Perhaps the most treasured souvenir I brought back to the United States with me, was the visual journal that I was required to keep as per my course syllabus. At first, our group of 20 were a little wary of the whole process of taking time out of the day to re-cap and reflect, but once the first few pages were no longer blank, there was no stopping the magazine cut-outs, the endless collections of pamphlets, brochures, and menus from places we've been, and soon our glue sticks had run dry.

Everyone had a different take on what their journal would contain and represent. I created my journal specifically for the ease of explaining my adventures to friends and family upon my return to the US, sparing only a few details. How many times have you gone on a vacation and people ask you what you did, and you have absolutely no idea where to start? You simply respond with something like "Oh, it was great!" and kind of leave it at that. For me and my hungry-for-details family, the journal was a perfect little picture book, where when I would flip through it, the pages would come to life and spark a new story for me to show and tell.

-Here's a picture of the Apostle birds we saw (and heard) everywhere in the outback.
-Here's a drawing of what the buttons on the toilets look like. Did you know there's two of them?!
-Here are some photography notes that I took during our lectures.
-Here's a list of the fun Aussie terms we have heard: Cheers! Howyagoin? I'll have a dog's eye with dead horse, thank you.
-Here's an original pastel drawing that our Aboriginal guide made for me...he did a different one in every single person's journal. (That's my favorite page.)

All in all, this course and the experiences that it offers were completely captured through my minds eye and into my journal for safekeeping, and I thank the professors for showing us just how important our own documentation of our experiences is.

Despite initial hesitation to study abroad through Australearn, I decided that it was the best option for me. The greatest obstacle Australearn presented was primarily financial, as it would have been much cheaper to study abroad through my home university. However, I was allowed to use financial aid, which made the payments much more manageable; and, in the end it was totally worth it! The amenities Australearn provided upon arrival in AU made up for the extra costs of the program. The staff were fantastic, the information sessions were funny and helpful, the activities were fun and even gave us some common ground with native ozzies. If I could go back and do it again (for the first time) I would definitely make the same decision. Go with Australearn, its fantastic.

The Gold Coast is a resort town... well, make that resort city. It's lots - sorry, heaps of fun, but it is definitely geared towards tourists. On that note though, there are plenty of great places to shop and dine, and the beaches are amazing. It's mid winter as I write this and I'm laying on the beach and swimming in the ocean regularly. Also, the nightlife in the downtown areas of the Gold Coast is a lot of fun, every night of the week. There are plenty of bars, clubs, and late night munchy eateries.

Griffith University Gold Coast is an awesome campus, I couldn't be more happy with it. The campus itself seems brand new. It's very clean and well-landscaped. It's compact enough to get around quick without feeling claustrophobic. The teachers are also very good. I took mostly film and music production/business classes while here. Since the teachers actually come from backgrounds in the areas they're teaching, they're very passionate and knowledgeable in a practical, real-world sense. Many of them will teach a class, then go to a gig.

I live in Griffith University Village, which is an unaffiliated apartment complex near campus. It's only about a ten minute walk to campus, which is really convenient. It's a lot of fun, but can be loud at times. Basically you can always party when you want to party, but if you want quiet study time you might have to do it on campus. I have no problem with it, everyone is really friendly and down for anything.
This is a great location for travel if you do want to get out of the Gold Coast and see some 'real' Australia. Brisbane is a $5 bus/train ride from campus and from there you can get anywhere else. I just booked a trip to New Zealand pretty cheaply for spring break, flying out of there.

The only downside to Australia in general that I've found is that it is extremely expensive. The minimum wage here is almost double what it is in the US, so everything is pricier, relative to that. It also doesn't help that our dollar isn't very strong at the moment, but that fluctuates. It's still worth coming, just plan ahead for that kind of budget. I would say about $5,000-6,000 of additional spending money would get you through the semester very comfortably, going on a few trips and going out regularly. Since I only planned for around $3,000, this was a bit of a wake up call. If you plan ahead, this will be one of the best times of your life.

This was one of the best experiences of my life time. However, there was a couple of things I would change. I wish they would hand out a sheet at the beginning of the program with a general outline of what days we had free and what the plans were so we could plan accordingly. Also, I wish they told us how much money we would have to spend on food.

Waking up to the sun shining on my face, yet another day at the southern-most university in the world began. Walking less than a block we arrived into the central campus area, teaming with hundreds of "scarfies," or students at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ. Less than 20 minutes away was unreal coastline, prestine beaches lined with white cliffs, and a tropical jungle filled with glow worms and waterfalls. The campus was conveniently centrally located with most major lecture halls within 5 minutes of our flat. Classes were challenging, but I like a good challenge. A few hours away was the adventure capital of the world, bungy jumping one weekend, skydiving a few later. The South Island of New Zealand is compossed of the most diverse in the world, and the most beautiful. Milford Sound for example; snow capped peaks jutting 6 thousand feet in the air directly out of the ocean, with rainforrest at the bottom and dolphines swimming alongside the boat. Australearn was amazing in support throughout the semester, and had a great orientation week exploring the North Island. I literally had no difficulties or complaints about that semester, the greatest time of my life.

I've been home for over a month now and I still think about my Australian experience every day. The location--Cairns in Tropical North Queensland--is amazing and has everything you could possibly want: pristine beaches, excellent mountain hiking, a lively night life, a relaxed atmosphere and of course, the Great Barrier Reef. We were housed at the student lodge across the street from the university and the students there welcomed the five of us Australearn students and included us in all of their activities, taking us out, showing us around town, inviting us to their beach bon fires. I made more friends, and close ones at that, than I ever thought possible in 3 weeks. The class, though not quite what I was expecting academically, was really interesting and I learned a lot about community development on our 4 day camping trip into the bush; we visited an aboriginal community as well as Cooktown, the first non-indigenous settlement in Australia. It definitely brought me closer to the other students in the class, as well as to the other four Australearn students. In addition to the field trip, we also had the opportunity of visiting a sea turtle rehabilitation center. If I had to pick the one best thing about this program, it's that it gives you so many opportunities that a normal tourist would never have.