I studied at UQ for their academic year and was able to not only take courses that were in my major, but I was able to assist in lab work with a few of my professors to further my knowledge and provide more of a background for my future. I was able to explore and understand more about living abroad and living on my own in another country and get to know Australia and Brisbane through excursions with TEAN and traveling with my friends. This program helped me grow as an individual and as a student and I now feel prepared to move away from home and not only live abroad in Australia, but I feel that from this experience I could live anywhere in the world and feel confident in my abilities to navigate and make friends that I would excel anywhere in the world. I would highly recommend this program and university to anyone who asked where to study abroad because I cannot have gain this experience anywhere else.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Try to explore new parts of the city at night after your work for the day, but don't be afraid to just take a few days off and rest. You are here for a long time and need to pace yourself. I would also recommend that if you are living off campus and are living with just TEAN students to try and find other study abroad students or students in your courses to meet as I was able to travel with many of my friends that were not in the TEAN program as well as students that I came on the program with. I now can say I have close friends across 6 continents and am very excited to go and see all of them in the future.
Pros
It is a very international place and most of the time I would rarely hear english being spoken around me, especially on campus
Public transit is amazing and efficient
There are many courses in all subjects and several include fieldtrips to islands or around the area
Cons
Campus is out of the city, but there is a bus that takes you fairly frequently
If you want to explore nature you have to get outside the city and have a car most of the time
My time in Dunedin, New Zealand was all that I could have imagined and more. I was able to explore the majority of the country when I didn't have classes and I also got to spend a week in Australia! I was afraid to travel across the world by myself as I didn't know anyone going, but I was welcomed by an amazing staff and had support whenever I needed it throughout my semester abroad. I was able to get immersed into the culture and make friends from all over the world as well as make some amazing friends from my home country that I have already visited since being home! One of my favorite memories is camping in Fiordland with my young adults group where I experienced the clearest sky that I have ever seen absolutely filled with stars.
New Zealand was absolutely beautiful and I am so thankful that I was able to experience such a unique landscape! Not only was I able to explore through hiking, surfing, and camping, but I was also able to experience an entirely new academic setting. I learned how to adapt to new environments and ways of doing things! Now I have an incredible experience that has shaped the person that I am today, I have visited two new countries, and I have many skills to add to my resume!
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Go in with your arms wide open. Get involved in something like a club or a sport and don't be afraid to say yes to things! But also remember that rest is important too. I made myself feel like I had to do as much as possible in as little time as possible but there was so much beauty in taking slow days and appreciating the world that was right in my backyard!
Pros
Long-lasting friendships
Experience of a new culture and setting
New skills such as flexibility and the ability to work well under pressure
As cliché as it sounds, my study abroad experience with ISA in Valencia this past summer was hands down the best thing I have ever done. Since I returned to the US in July, a day has not gone by where I don't wish I was still living in Spain. From the second it began, I was beyond happy with every aspect of the program and my life in Valencia, and ISA did a fantastic job facilitating everything. Not only did I meet some of my best friends (whether that be from my own college, other universities back in the states, or people who lived in Europe), the independence of living in a homestay allowed me to thrive independently and truly feel like a local. I was amazed to see how much 6 weeks abroad was able to broaden my horizons and allow me to try new foods, see new places, and be comfortable with being uncomfortable at times!
Aside from the social aspect, taking two courses at Centre d'Idiomes de la Universitat de València really expanded my educational experience and showed me a new way of teaching/learning I hadn't previously been exposed to. Being in class from 9-2 on Monday-Thursday didn't feel like a burden, and we were able to do plenty throughout the week still. All in all, I couldn't be more grateful for my study abroad trip and all it gave me, I definitely would say I'm a different person than when I left back in May and have learned exponentially more than I could've ever anticipated.
What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
On the front end of my trip, I decided to do a short solo-trip to Madrid before flying to Valencia to begin my program. As someone who had never left the country, I thought my several experiences traveling alone and my proficiency in Spanish would be enough to get me through the first 48 hours, but the culture shock was real! Upon landing in Madrid, I was shocked by how massive the airport was, and was certainly overwhelmed by the signs and directions. I checked into my hotel with over 24 hours of no sleep, then decided to go explore the city. I had absolutely no idea how to use public transportation such as the metro or buses, wasn't familiar with Euros as currency, and certainly wasn't used to being somewhere where nobody spoke English. I made it to downtown Madrid and spent the afternoon sightseeing, eating out, and trying not to get lost! I took the wrong train going home, and called my parents thousands of miles away in a panic. Looking back, despite the immense stress of my solo venture to Madrid, I feel as if it made me capable of traveling to any foreign country on my own in the future.
Pros
Way of life in Spain
Personal connections with new friends
Ability to use my spanish-speaking abilities in real life
Cons
Adjusting to schedule at homestay (different meal times, etc)
6+ hour time difference with friends/family back in the states
Lengthy classes (2.5 hours) with minimal breaks between
I have had a really great time at Hanyang. The classes were a lot less strict then I thought they were going to be. The on site staff are very nice and respond very quickly. Had housing on campus at the dorms and they are nice and have their own bathroom and good space. The campus is nice just hilly. I feel safe walking around at night and you really can leave your belongings and no one will really take. The people here are polite but it’s hard making friends with Koreans because of the culture of who is a friend and who is noona or oppa. So if you want to make Korean friend you have to make one the same birth year as you or the dynamic will never exactly be friend with an older Korean. The there are a lot of fun things to do and you should definitely travel around Korea!! Definitely go to cafes in the Hongdae and Seongsu area. Go sheep cafe called Thanks Nature Cafe. The transportation system is smooth and cheap.
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I saw two IVE members at Everland.Also I got into a ONEUS fansign.
I came here to Korea looking to become more independent. Where I come from in the States, I also do things with others. However, being in a country that has another primary language and is independent has made me branch out. I was able to go to stores alone. Travel hours away by myself in the subway system. I was even able to socialize more and make a lot of friends. Overall, I enjoyed the independence this program gave me. It has also given me a new sense of identity that I plan to use back in the States.
What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Raw squid. I was very hesitant to eat it at first, but I am very glad I did! This is not something I normally eat or would try at home but once I was offered to try it. It became a new favorite of mine.
Pros
New friends
A different outlook on the culture besides what is shown on the media.
I went to Seoul with TEAN during Fall 2022- Spring 2023 and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The staff there helped so much will any problems or issues I had and all the excursions we went on were a blast. They were extremely helpful when we went through a tough time in the fall. The program was also affordable. I was able to make so many new friends and try a bunch of things I would usually be too scared to try/do. If given the chance I would study abroad to Seoul with TEAN again.
Seoul is very fun and it’s a great place to be however the academics and the dorm life at Korea University were very disappointing. The inability to hang out with friends in the dorms is a big disadvantage and getting support from the teachers is very difficult. The teachers also speak good English but they are still hard to understand and don’t do very much to accommodate. Class registration was very stressful and if you don’t register for classes immediately you will not get what you want. But overall it has been an amazing experience and I’ve made a lot of great friends and learned a lot.
If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would not share a room, I would pay to have my own room.
My study abroad experience was the most incredible 4 months of my life! Barcelona is a beautiful, electric city full of culture, amazing food, beautiful beaches, and more. I got to learn a lot about international business and Spanish/Mediterranean culture through school, which has become a big talking point for me in post-grad job interviews. I was able to travel to so many cool places in Spain, as well as several other countries. I even got to go to Morocco with our program, where we camped in the Sahara desert and rode camels. And most importantly, I met the most amazing people I still talk to daily and continue to travel with. Study abroad in Barcelona- you won't regret it!
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Take advantage of everything living abroad has to offer!! Try new foods, travel as much as you can, and remember- you can sleep when you're dead! You'll only regret the chances you don't take.
Studying abroad was truly one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I had never felt so excited about my life and engaged in what I was learning. It was an experience that made me learn so much about who I am and what I wanted to do with my life. I made friends that I will have for a lifetime and found a mentor who has helped me find my path. Studying abroad opened doors for more opportunities in the US as well. After studying at FUA Apicius I was granted an incredible opportunity to do a program in New York City cooking for the James Beard foundation. The ISA blog program also gave me experience in my field of digital media. I cannot think of a more valuable incredible time of my life and I cannot wait for the day I return to Florence. I now plan to study for a whole semester in Spain to continue the incredible experiences and learn more about the world.
To say that the ISA Abroad experience changed my life is an understatement. I came to Madrid in the spring of 2022 hoping for an immersive experience in Spanish to culminate my Spanish Minor from the University of Colorado. This program certainly exceeded my expectations. From the renowned education and hands-on coursework to the opportunities to bond, travel, and experience Madrid with my classmates, I couldn't have asked for anything better. With the flexibility of the course schedules, I was able to visit 11 different countries during my time abroad, my particular favorite being a week in the Sahara Desert in Africa (Morocco). This experience allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. I became more comfortable being independent in a (large) new city, went out of my comfort zone to experience new food and culture, and worked hard in school to complete my Spanish minor. I wouldn't change a thing about the program: The housing and activities are well-established and organized. Study abroad.... It will change your life and perspective!
What was your funniest moment?
While I was in Spain, my roommates and I had the opportunity to attend the Madrid Open Tennis Tournament. We bought tickets for some of the pre-tournament activities, but I think we were all expecting it to be a lot more crowded than it was. Sometimes, when we would enter a game, we were the only ones in the stadium watching the players. Looking around at all of us, dressed nicely, and being respectful of the players was a funny moment in the sense that I realized how much everyone had matured over the course of the trip. It didn't matter what we were doing, we just loved all being together and experiencing new things.
Pros
Amazing housing
Rigorous but manageable coursework
Comfortable, safe city
Cons
If you are not used to a big city (like me) there is a little bit of a learning curve, but that is with all things.
