WorldStrides Reviews

Prague resembles the quintessential storybook tale of walking on snow-filled cobblestone streets with a towering castle and cathedral in the background. The picturesque scenery entices you to dive into the history-rich city that began in the 8th Century. The ISA faculty of the host university provided quality insights, tips, guidance, and support throughout the entire program. The activities and events scheduled by the ISA faculty are worth noting for many reasons. Personally, I highly valued the individual freedom offered by ISA that allowed me to explore Prague independently. ISA provides a multifaceted schedule that serves to all interests. To name just a few, it provides means for the fun and friendly environment, the historic expertise for learning, as well as the independence and direction to explore on your own.

I loved the process of studying abroad with ISA starting from applying, getting credits approved, being in Costa Rica, and even coming back. Applying was easy by doing it online and ISA's employees consistently checked in on me while I was deciding. Their options for Spanish-speaking countries with classes that would transfer back to my school were great. Other options from other programs kept me from studying abroad with them. Being in Costa Rica was also the most fun summer I've had. I learned so much about the culture because of the cultural activities ISA had for us. We walked to the Jade Museum in San Jose, and I thought that was a nice touch because that's probably how locals get there (because it was so close, unless they had a car). I also did service-learning, which helped me get to know other locals from different backgrounds. When I returned to the US, I even chose to become a Global Ambassador so that I can speak about my study abroad experience with my fellow students and convince them to go with ISA!

I was very apprehensive when I first arrived in Spain, but once I arrived the ies staff was very helpful and made the transition process much easier. In addition, my host family was extremely patient with my speaking abilities, and they gave me tips about the life in Spain. I made some of my best friends from other schools that I would otherwise not have met. This experience has opened up my mind as I am eager to continue traveling and meeting new people. I will definitely return to Madrid at some point in the future. I hope that anyone who has the opportunity to travel to study abroad takes these opportunities because for me, it was life changing, and I now view the world very differently. I really felt like I was involved in the culture that I lived in.

I spent much time deciding where I wanted to study abroad, but once I decided on New Zealand I continued to spend many more hours trying to determine which city would be the best fit for me. I ultimately felt Auckland would be the place to explore and it sure was! I would not describe myself as a city person, but that is why I chose this diverse hotspot because I had been aching for something out of my comfort zone. Auckland served as a lively social scene with many activities and events happening weekly, which are only minutes away from the Auckland University of Technology where I took my classes. The Education Abroad Network, my program of choice, had Auckland-based staff who kept me informed about all that the country has to offer from Auckland to Queenstown in the South Island. I think the most beautiful part of going abroad is the new people you will be able to meet upon your journey whether they are Americans, New Zealanders, or international students! Building relationships in Auckland was the best. I explored the country on the weekends and in my mid-semester break with these new friends! You can too! So my advice to you is if you are already making the effort to study abroad, don't be afraid to meet new people and Auckland is a great place to start!

My study abroad experience in Shanghai was stressful, but in a good way. I picked this program for three reasons: 1) Shanghai is, no doubt, an exciting city; 2) Fudan University has a stellar reputation and it offered classes related to my major; 3) TEAN allows you to do an internship, which related to my career goals. At times, I felt a bit overwhelmed because I was taking five classes, learning Mandarin, interning, and squeezing out time to explore and travel around China. However, it was absolutely worthwhile. I was able to gain a new perspective on various subjects thanks to my peers and professors at Fudan University and experience what it's like to study, work, and live in Shanghai. I fell in love with this city and I don't think I could have picked a better program to go there with.

I loved living in Brisbane because the school was close to the St Lucia apartments, the city was incredibly fun to walk around and explore, and the weather was absolutely perfect every single day. One of my favorite parts about my abroad experience was being able to hop on a train and travel to Byron Bay, Gold Coast, or Noosa Heads because of their close proximity to the city. The housing and the apartments were clean and we never had any issues with safety while we were living there. I loved the feeling of being completely safe and knowing that if there were any issues, anyone was friendly and willing to help. I would definitely choose to go abroad to Brisbane again and I can't wait to experience the Australian culture again! It was one of the best few months of my life.

This program was helpful from the day that I was interested to the day that I returned. I am so glad that I chose to study abroad in Chiang Mai with TEAN especially for their availability, value, immersion to the culture, and overall experience! Chiang Mai was filled with many unique restaurants and activities that TEAN helped get my fellow peers and I well acquainted with. The program did a great job of introducing you to this foreign country and making you feel safe before you even board the plane to Thailand. The program is a good balance between academic rigor and enjoying being abroad. The TEAN staff was always available to answer questions or help with any issues. Safety was a huge concern for me prior to leaving, when in reality, I really should not have! I never felt unsafe. Thai locals are ready to help and are quite friendly. There is no doubt in my mind that I want to return to Chiang Mai and live there long term.

My study abroad experience couldn't have gone any better. Going throguh TEAN was the best choice i made without a doubt. w With TEAN we got so many extra things which made th4e eperience that much better. Living in the Gold Coast was also the best decsion for me, right near the beach. There is somuchto do there and so many little beach towns nearby, including Byron bay, surfer paridse and Berligh Head. Bond University was such an amazing university and a beyond beutiful campus, everyone there was really helpul. Tean helped me to meet someof my beat friends and see and eperience things i've never could've of imagned. I also got to travel outside of aussie to NZ. TEAN was the best choice to help me go aboar and I tell that to eveyone whos thinking about going. I'd love the whole experine so much I'm most definitaly going back to Aussie after I gradute.

Moving to a foreign country was scary! I am from a small town in New Hampshire and I had never traveled overseas. I was pleasantly surprised to find Brisbane to be a very safe, clean, family-friendly location. The city was easy to navigate and offers so much to do including museums, restaurants, night life, and nature. TEAN helped me learn about all these options that I had. The transition to living on my own in a new country was smooth thanks to them. I always had my resident advisor to contact if anything were to happen, which definitely eases your mind. The University of Queensland has a beautiful campus as well with sandstone buildings and purple flower trees. There were many events held on campus and when I wasn't taking the bus into the city, I could spend time at the gym, walking around campus, or doing homework in the library. I was able to do a lot of traveling as well - to the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, the Whitsundays, Cairns, Byron Bay, and Noosa - but in the end, I was very pleased with my choice to make Brisbane my home for a semester.

I loved studying abroad with TEAN! I was super nervous to go all the way to New Zealand for a semester last fall, but TEAN made my experience really enjoyable. The first week/orientation was primarily meeting other students in the same program and learning a bit about the culture in New Zealand. The fact that I was able to know a bunch of students before actually going to class was so helpful because I was able to recognize people on such a large campus. Additionally, TEAN was very organized and really cared about their students. Every month, we had the opportunity to meet with our Resident Advisors for food or for an event and just talk with them about life and things we were doing which I truly enjoyed. Words cannot describe everything that TEAN did for me!