WorldStrides Reviews

I have been here living at Griffith University Village (GUV), which AustraLearn set me up with for about a month and a half now. One of my roommates is from Finland (Miikka), another from Brisbane (Vinny), and my two others are girls and they have become my best friends here: Ashley is from Philadelphia, PA and Stephanie is from Connecticut. We are pretty much like a family and its weird to think that we just met not too long ago. We each have our own bedrooms and share a kitchen and little living area, along with a porch outside. I couldn't be happier with the way things are set up.

And when it comes to Uni, classes are easy so far. There is mostly weekly readings and presentations in every class (I am a Communications Studies Major). I thought it would be more difficult, but so far-so good. The people here are so nice (the Aussies)- their attitudes in general are easy-going and happy. "No worries" is something that you hear on a daily basis around campus, from teachers, etc. The beaches are bus rides away and so beautiful. I have never in my life seen such gorgeous beaches!

The only problem having them so close is that it is tempting to miss class in order to spend the day at the beach. Surfer's Paradise is the closest beach(es) but Burleigh Head and Coolangata are a little further but even nicer.

There is tons of shopping at places like Pacific Fair, Australia Fair, Harbour Town, Surfer's Paradise, and the list goes on and on. I go to Harbour Town at least once a week for their food market (fresh produce, etc.) and Woolworths (grocery store) because its only about five minutes away on the bus and its the cheapest food I have found yet.

The biggest problems that I have had here is adjusting to not watching television. I am such a TV person and the tv that came with our place only has 7 channels and nothing of interest to me. I have gotten used to it, though, but I sometimes still crave a good Food Network show or something. Netflix and Hulu are not accessible in this country, just like many other sites and sources that we are used to having back in the states.

Another issue that I had coming here is not packing enough warm clothing. I didn't realize that it would get this chilly (especially at nighttime) where I just wanted to wear big 'ol sweatpants and a hoodie. I had to go to KMart (at Australia Fair) to buy some cheap sweatshirts. But I know that it's about to get warmer and warmer because we are heading into Spring!

Coming here was my first overseas adventure and now I want to experience more countries, cities, people, accents, etc. I feel like I am getting a taste of something different (but not too different - like a 3rd world country or something...). I plan on going to Europe next! Actually, I was thinking about going to Bali, Indonesia for Spring Break and then Fiji on the way home...! I know, exciting right!?

Anyways, it's been a great time here so far and I cannot wait to learn to surf and experience even more that Australia has to offer. I truly recommend studying abroad here (or anywhere) outside of your comfort zone because this is something you'll never get a chance to do again after graduating. Have fun!

The thing that I love most about QUT is how hands on my courses are. At my home university, my course meets 2 or 3 times a week for lectures, but at QUT, we meet once a week for an hour lecture, and then another time for a 2 to 3 hour tutorial/workshop. It gives me an opportunity to really master the skills that I'm learning in my lectures, and challenges me to broaden my knowledge on the subject. It's a great setting to be in being a Graphic Design major.

This study abroad program was amazing. Thanks to AustraLearn, Australia is my new love and three weeks was not long enough to enjoy everything. This experience will leaving you desperate for more :]

Academically, we had two short assignments pre-trip: research proposal and what-you-know about Australian sport. During and post-trip, each student gathered information for a research project they were conducting. I compared physical therapy in the US vs AUS. Also, a daily journal was turned in [through various media: pictures, film, written entry, etc]

Day to Day: Each of the three cities we visited involved different aspects of Australian Sport. In Melbourne, we did a sports tour and visited:
- Melbourne Cricket Ground where we went to an AFL game later in the week
- AFL training session
- Rod Laver Arena [Australian Open for tennis is held]
- Flemington Racecourse
- and much more..

In Canberra, we stayed at the Australian Institute of Sport where we lived, ate, and breathed with Australian Olympic athletes!! We were able to play volleyball with their team, learn about nutrition programs, biomechanics and exercise physio behind performing, etc. This was a once in a life time experience I will never forget.

In Cairns, we experienced the recreational side of Australian sport. We spent our days snorkeling, sky-diving, scuba diving, white water rafting, throwing boomerangs, etc. It was so much fun! I advise you to stay a week after and do a live-abroad scuba diving trip the GBR - you won't regret it.

There is minimal culture shock, I promise. The only difficulty or con was several Australians were on vacation during their winter/our summer and besides the professors and athletes you didn't get a chance to really meet natives - tons of backpackers though!

I haven't yet left for my Study Abroad- I do so in around two weeks. Still, I think I have some knowledge and experiences to offer that will be useful.

First- entering the UK. I initially planned to enter the country as a Tier 4 Adult Student/General Student, allowing me to work. However, it turned out this process is both quite expensive, time consuming, and stressful. I got the paperwork to begin the process a few month later than I ought to have, and found out I would have to pay for it to be expedited. The result of this course of action would be to pay $500 to earn perhaps $1000-1500 over the course of a semester working, with the resultant lack of time working brings. Not particularly attractive.

I ended up deciding to switch to Student Visitor, which doesn't allow me to work, but is a much simpler and more straightforward process.

I'm looking forward to my exchange, and will be glad to review again when I return.

I had a great time when I studied abroad in Wellington. The campus was not a far walk from my on-campus apartment, and it was a gorgeous walk, since I could see the water and all of downtown on my way to school.

I chose to take more general credit classes rather than many higher level courses. I found them incredibly interesting, and they gave me the chance to do research about New Zealand history. It was the first time I took a class that had more than 30 students in it, so I had to learn about how the larger classes functioned.

I lived in an on-campus apartment with a furnished kitchen. I chose this option because the staff at AustraLearn stated that dietary restrictions are difficult to deal with in the dorms. While I spent a lot of time hanging out in the dorms with friends, I liked that I could cook for myself. My friends and I would explore restaurants often, and we found a number of restaurants that were inexpensive and delicious.

I felt that the local students were incredibly friendly, and my friends who lived in the dorms and I made some great friendships with local students.

My friends and I tried to do as much travel as possible. The only place we didn't choose to go was to the southern tip of the south island, because by the time our break came around, that area was snowed in. I brought along my ski jacket, hoping to ski, but we missed the opening of the season by a week before we left to travel in Australia. We did a lot of awesome trips, and I highly recommend traveling as much as possible, though some weekends we were tourists in Wellington and loved it. Wellington has a lot to offer, and we made a list of all the things we wanted to see there. I was really glad that I had chosen to study in Wellington rather than Auckland because there is so much to see and do there.

I arrived in the UK with two suitcases, enough for a cab to my residence and apprehension for the semester to come. Once finished unpacking, I scrambled together all the courage I had and knocked on someone's door; it was the best decision I could have made. Instantly the people in my hall took me around, showed me the ropes and became a wonderful core group of friends that I would go out with, stay in with, and ultimately spend most of my experience abroad with. There was so much to do and see, and it was so easy to get to other countries in the European Union that I was able to explore and really come to see other cultures and new places.

The most difficult part of the experience though, was definitely academic. The different styles of teaching promoted a much more independent style of learning which I was definitely not accustomed to. Once I did get used to the lecture and tutorial class structure, I was still faced with a lot of outside reading and learning to accomplish what I did. The Eurolearn staff prepared us that our grades may not be as high as we generally achieve. Being very a conscientious student, my grades would have seriously shocked me had it not been for their warning and I'm so glad they gave me that warning. Though challenged greatly academically, I learned so much about my subject (mathematics) that makes me want to study further in fields of mathematics that I didn't know existed.

My study abroad experience at the University of Manchester was incredible and unforgettable. The Eurolearn staff was so helpful in preparing us for the changes in academics and social life that the transition was much smoother than I ever could have imagined. I made friends that I will keep forever, memories that I will always have to look fondly upon and an academic experience like nothing I've ever had before. I would encourage all students considering a study abroad experience to go. The experience changes your life in such a positive way. I have gained so much independence, confidence, and perspective that I am now realizing a world of opportunities that await me.

I did a custom date internship for 7 weeks in Wellington. I suggested a few advertising agencies that I was interested in interning at and the GlobaLinks staff got me paired up with my FIRST PICK, Young & Rubicam! It was super easy to get enrolled.

I would walk to and from work. At work I was able to experience all components of ad agency life. Everybody was very friendly and encouraging. It was interesting to see advertising perspectives in a different culture.

While there, I lived in a VERY nice apartment complex with other interns. I only had one roommate, who was also a part of the Globalinks program. Wellington is super safe and has a great nightlife. There was a great farmers market each Sunday on the water. I only worked for days a week, so I was easily able to travel on the weekends. I went to about four different places in the month and a half I was there. New Zealand has great buses that can get you pretty much anywhere. I traveled around a lot by myself and never had any safety issues.

I met a lot of awesome interns from GlobaLinks programs, but I also met a lot of awesome locals out at night as well! One of the best experiences of my life!

I had an internship in Queenstown, NZ at a hotel and got to learn all about the daily operations of the hotel with experiences at the front desk, back of house, housekeeping and inventory management. I was also placed on special assignment to work on updating the website and other marketing management for the property. Globalinks, specifically AustraLearn did a grand slam with finding and placing me in an excellent internship.
The city of Queenstown itself had plenty to offer. As the "adventure capital of the world" it draws in a variety of tourists which gives you an opportunity to meet more than just Kiwis. One of the highlights of my weekends in Queenstown was definitely the Canyon Swing where you drop the height of the statue of liberty and then swing across a canyon (safely in a harness, of course) over a river. It is a bigger rush than bungy jumping!
I suggest this program and this city to anyone and everyone who is thinking of going abroad. Personally, I cannot wait to go back!

I studied abroad at Kingston University during the spring of 2011 and I absolutely loved it! I had always wanted to go to England and it was definitely worth the trip. I decided to go to Kingston University because of it's close vacinity to Central London and because of the wide variety of courses they offer. I was only at Kingston for a semester which meant I lived in a local household. At first this may seem intimidating but I think it really adds to the experience of living in a different country. My landlady was extremely nice and always helped out with any problems and answered any questions I had. We still stay in touch and I even have an invitation back whenever I can visit. Kingston is a wonderful town to live in and has so many great places for students to explore. There's something for everyone there including shopping, theatres, pubs, clubs, and numerous other intersting things like Hampton Court Palace (which is just across the Thames). So no matter what your interests are, there is always something to do. Being close to London, one of the greatest cities in the world, was also a plus and I got to visit the center of the city often due to how easy traveling is. Being able to just hop on a train any day you like and go into the city was something my friends and I loved and did almost every week. Classes at Kingston were different from those at American Universites but not anything to be worried about. All of the professors and students were more than happy to help me out at any moment and I really enjoyed all the classes I took. Since Kingston is so close to London airports and rail stations, traveling throughout the UK and other countries was very easy and I got to do a ton of traveling. If you study abroad, visiting other countries is a must! And the scheduling at Kingston really allows students to have enough time to travel and explore England. I made so many friends and met so many people through both Eurolearn, Kingston and even in other countries. If you're thinking of studying abroad and have any interest in England, it's history, the poeple, or just having an amazing time, I really recommend looking into Kingston University. My semester in England was the best time of my life and I think anyone would be making the right decision if they decided to go there.

The highlight of the summer program is definitely the weekends! There was a trip planned for practically every weekend. I won't forget visiting the royal family tomb of Alexander the Great in Vergina,jumping off of the cliffs into the clear-blue waters of Halkidiki,or the long weekend in the five star hotel on the gorgeous historical island of Corfu! We met so many amazing people on each of those trips. There was alway the option of making your own trip as well. My friends and I went to Mt. Olympus, Santorini, Mykonos, France, Italy, and even Turkey!! Thessaloniki is a good center point for travel through Europe.

The Greek people are really chill and welcoming. Mediterranean hospitality is like none other. We were treated with so much respect (and food) from our welcome dinner all the way to our final farewell. And the cuisine is superb. If you're into organic food, large portions, and bakeries on every corner then you'll definitely wanna go to Greece. I made sure that I bought a cookbook before I left.

The traveling is fun of course, but we were there for education as well. In the morning we would all meet on the corner of our neighborhood and wait for the shuttle to take us on the 20 minute ride to ACT. ACT campus is small, but really pretty. The walkways are lined with cherry-plum trees and there is no shortage of greenery. All of the professors spoke english and were really interested in hearing about our lives in America. The work is pretty intensive, but the professors offer constant support (mine even tutored us one weekend at Starbucks)!

School was only a 4-day week, so there was always time to shop, eat, and party after class and on Friday. It was so funny to realize that Americans are the only people that dance in clubs and everyone looks at us in amusement.

Thought the trip was a short five weeks, we all made so many friends that we wouldn't have met otherwise. People even traveled with eachother after the trip because they'd gotten so close. My group is actually planning a reunion already.
In short, if you like food, are opend-minded, love fun, and you don't mind the heat...you should definitely take this trip; it's worth it.