WorldStrides Reviews

Before starting the program, I did not know anything about South Korea except for Korean pop culture. I believe Seoul is the perfect destination for students that want to explore a little bit of everything. I enjoyed being able to go out every day, and just explore a different part of the city, and even a different part of the country. If you are considering Seoul, make a bucket list because there is so much to do! I made great memories, and it was easy to get to know other students even in other universities. Seoul feels much safer, than other cities like NYC, or Boston that I've been to. Whether you are looking for a more outdoorsy experience, or nightlife, or going to concerts, Korea has a something to offer to everyone, and I am so glad I did so by studying abroad with this program!

I just got back from my semester in Sydney, and I am already reminiscing on my experience and planning my visit back! One thing that I loved about Sydney (and Australia in general) is how there is something for everyone. As someone who loves to do a little bit of everything, Sydney was the perfect location for me! It offered the city, beach, mountains, and everything in between within under 2 hours. As someone who loves to get active and be outdoors, I felt that Sydney was the perfect place for me to explore. The public transportation was also amazing and very easy to navigate which was super helpful as a student. My housing accommodation was a 15 minute walk to campus, and otherwise very central to everything! It was so nice to be a 3 minute walk to the shopping center and have the ability to grab groceries to/from any of my daily endeavors. The city of Sydney was safe, clean, and I experienced nothing but positive interactions with locals. Even though Australia is an English speaking country, I found Sydney to be very international, and because it is so much closer to Asia than the United States, I was exposed to a lot of new foods and people which was super cool! Aside from all of these amazing aspects of my abroad experience, the only downside would be the education differences I experienced at the University of Sydney. This was not so much "bad" as it was different. I definitely had to adjust to the academic system in Australia and it took a little getting used to for me to feel more confident in my academics. My roommates and I all were definitely a little bit shocked when we weren't receiving the high grades we were used to receiving at our home universities, and it was challenging at times to balance having a memorable time abroad with also focusing on academics. As someone who cares deeply about doing well in school, this was the only difficult adjustment for me while I was abroad, however I was still able to do very well and my professors were very accommodating and understanding when I expressed concerns. I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone who has been considering Australia for any reason! In my opinion, it is so worthwhile to be able to study abroad here because it is so far away and harder to travel to for only a couple of weeks- it was so awesome to stay for 5 whole months! It was also great to be stationed on the other side of the world and made traveling to other countries (New Zealand, Fiji, South East Asia, etc) a lot more attainable than from the U.S. I am truly so grateful for my time abroad and will cherish the memories I have forever!

Dee was an amazing programme director. We went on so many great adventures and saw the most beautiful places. If you are a big nature enthusiast I definitely recommend going to Dunedin. Don't forget your umbrella or raincoat! The locals know the best places around and will offer up great advice on where to go. Some of my favorites around Dunedin was the Otago museum, especially the void room and butterfly exhibit. The botanical gardens has an aviary with all kinds of birds, and a herb garden where you can sample herbs.

Since high school, my dream has been to study abroad, specifically in Seoul, South Korea. I started watching Korean dramas in 2017, and ever since then, I have been fascinated by the culture, food, and language. What was once just a dream became a reality. I believe it's important to educate oneself about different cultures. Instead of relying solely on media portrayals of a country, it's important to seek opportunities to experience it firsthand to form unbiased opinions. I feel that I've learned a lot about Korean culture through this approach.
One of my favorite experiences was festival week at the university I was attending. They invited artists and groups like Day 6 and Jay Park, well-known Korean artists. It was amazing to see how every department came together and participated in the cheering event where students spent hours chanting the university name.

Would I recommend this to other students?
Absolutely, I think it's a great experience because you get to explore and make memories by learning about a new culture and meeting new people with different perspectives and backgrounds. You also become more self-reliant as you are able to live in a whole new country without your friends and family, so you get to discover yourself and gain knowledge that will positively change your life forever.

I decided to spend an academic year studying in Florence, Italy, because my mother’s family is Tuscan and Sicilian, and I wanted to reconnect with my heritage. I stayed in a homestay with one roommate, and our host was a wonderful grandmother. She was incredibly kind and supportive, and I am so grateful for the year I got to spend with her.

While in Italy, I also traveled to ten other countries, experiencing their food, celebrations, shopping scenes, and more. Besides traveling, my time in Italy was one of the best periods of my life. I made close friends with many locals and foreigners who taught me their languages, cooking skills, and other cultural traditions.

The opportunity to study abroad presented itself at the perfect time. During the fall semester of my junior year, I was going through a mental rut; I felt disconnected, unmotivated, and dispassionate. As someone from a tight-nit community that intentionally stays close, I never considered studying abroad. That was until I experienced an abundance of synchronicities. Initially, I was reluctant to even apply for a program because I felt fear; the most pressing of them all was discovering a new version of myself, one that functions independent of the familiar influences and environmental factors that I was raised with. Because of the mental state that I was in, I felt that I had nothing to lose-- so I applied to the program that I felt most connected with; ISA Cusco, Peru.

After completing a semester of studying abroad in Cusco, Peru, I can gratefully say that it was one of the most impactful highlights of my life. This experience truly saved me from myself. As someone who had previously never left the continent and who has lived in the same state my entire life, I never knew how much I needed to "leave the nest." Living in another continent, studying with students from all over the world, and creating connections independent of any familiar influences allowed for me to learn so much about myself. I learned things about myself that I would have never known if I would have never left my hometown. I discovered that I appreciate living in the present moment, taking things in, and not rushing my experience of being. In the US, it is socially normal to constantly feel rushed or preoccupied with thoughts of the future, and this is reflected in our behavior. I noticed that most people in the US walk at a quick pace, with the purpose of getting somewhere else, never really taking in where they are at during these transition periods. Even once they arrive to their destination, they are thinking about where they have to be next. This robs one of the ability to appreciate life for what it is, and takes away from living in the now. In Peru, people take in the now, they are not worried about being late--because people expect you to be late, and they walk slower (the fact that Cusco is 11k ft. above sea level may account for the slower pace of walking). Living in a country that values practicing being present and mindfulness made me realize how much I had been missing out on. Furthermore, I realized how important it is for me to incorporate presence and mindfulness into my daily life.

I urge future participants to conceptualize studying abroad as an opportunity to self-discover, moreover, to realize who you are independent of the environmental factors you experience back home and grew up with. In addition, studying abroad can increase your levels of open-mindedness as experiencing new regions of the world can provide you with a bigger picture perspective about life and show what you really want from it. For me, Cusco taught me that I love the feeling of being present, and that for the sake of my well-being-- it is crucial for me to soak in the moment and get out of my own head.

It was so much fun! Gold Coast has a great social scene and there are many activities for students living on campus to socialize and make friends. I would recommend making sure your go card (public transportation) always has money on it and to connect it to your student card as people do check and you can get in trouble for it! I also recommend brining less clothes than you think you’ll need as there is lots of shopping in the area! We all had trouble finding places to donate all the stuff we couldn’t bring home

I am so grateful for the experience ISA gave me in Rome. Everything that could be organized and created into an approachable process was. Signing up for classes, getting my permit to stay, and finding a place to stay were never done alone; ISA did much of the work. I was assigned an apartment with roommates and this formed the basis of the community within Rome. Our apartment had a beautiful view and was a place where we could all relax. There were also two trips with ISA that were no additional expense. We went to Florence and the Amalfi Coast. Both trips had fun activities and hotels in great locations.

I recently completed my study abroad experience with ISA in Florence, Italy. The staff at ISA were extremely helpful and took time to thoroughly answer every question I sent their way. In Florence, the staff were some of the nicest people i’ve ever met and genuinely cared about me and my peers. I decided to study abroad alone and was really nervous leading up to departure, but ISA provides such great care and lasting friendships. When I arrived in Florence, I was greeted by a staff member and transported to my apartment quickly and easily. I went on two excursions through my program, Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano, where ISA provided comfortable transportation and guided tours of the cities. I also had a wonderful experience with the apartment ISA assigned for me, with it being located in walking distance to the city center as well as grocery stores and restaurants right next door. In Florence, I took three fashion classes and a wine and city class. Each class was always so fun and I enjoyed going to museums, tasting food I would have never tried and meeting locals. I truly had the time of my life and will cherish the memories and friendships forever.

I recently completed my study abroad experience with ISA in Florence, Italy. The staff at ISA were extremely helpful and took time to thoroughly answer every question I sent their way. In Florence, the staff were some of the nicest people i’ve ever met and genuinely cared about me and my peers. I decided to study abroad alone and was really nervous leading up to departure, but ISA provides such great care and lasting friendships. When I arrived in Florence, I was greeted by a staff member and transported to my apartment quickly and easily. I went on two excursions through my program, Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano, where ISA provided comfortable transportation and guided tours of the cities. I also had a wonderful experience with the apartment ISA assigned for me, with it being located in walking distance to the city center as well as grocery stores and restaurants right next door. In Florence, I took three fashion classes and a wine and city class. Each class was always so fun and I enjoyed going to museums, tasting food I would have never tried and meeting locals. I truly had the time of my life and will cherish the memories and friendships forever.