WorldStrides Reviews

The summer before doing my semester in Chile, I worked at a day camp. One day, I made "water bottle lava lamps" with my campers. They are simple to make (all you need is oil, mostly-empty water bottles, food coloring, and Alka-Seltzer or a similar medicine), but they were a hit. During my semester, I participated in the Service Learning program, and spent several hours a week at a school for children with various special needs. Through helping the teachers with daily tasks and working with students, I got to practice skills from both of my majors (Psychology and Spanish) and familiarize myself in a unique way with another aspect of Chilean culture.

Toward the end of my program, I asked my ISA program staff, and later one of the teachers at the school where I was doing Service Learning, if I could do the project with one of the classes I helped in. Everyone approved. After I found all of the supplies (the Alka-Seltzer the morning of due to a couple of miscommunications), I lugged it all to the school on the bus. Even though they had autism, the kids in this particular class were older than my campers, so I wasn't sure how they'd react. The teacher had told me that they had done the experiment before without the medicine, so I was hoping that the medicine would be enough to hold their interest.

Thankfully, it was. I think it actually made it better that they had done a form of the experiment before, because then they were surprised when they saw how the medicine made it even more exciting. The teacher enjoyed it too, so much so that she asked if I'd be okay with using the extra oil to do it with the kids in the afternoon class as well. (She had some extra water bottles, but the kids in the first class were so into the experiment that they used all of the medicine, so the teacher would go get more during our lunch break.) Although I was skeptical if the younger kids could handle it, I agreed.

As it turned out, the younger kids loved it even more than the older ones. We only had three bottles, so they had to share and take turns, but it still went better than I had anticipated. It was more fun to watch as well, because they were amazed by every step of the experiment, and not only by the medicine like the older kids were.

I'm really thankful that I got to do Service Learning with ISA, and days like the day I did this experiment are part of the reason why. Even though it was a little harder than I thought to prepare for the activity and it didn't go exactly as I had planned in my head, everyone still really enjoyed it. I also appreciated having the opportunity to take initiative and use my previous knowledge and improving language skills to share an appropriate activity that they could also use in the future.

My semester abroad was challenging, rewarding, and filled with new activities and experiences! Thankfully TEAN was able to guide me, someone who had never traveled outside of the country before, towards the best memories and experiences of my life. They helped me not only find the right school to study at, but also gave me great trip ideas, local advice, and opportunities to explore New Zealand whichever way I wanted to!

Challenging- Studying abroad, especially going to a country without knowing anyone else, is challenging. Adjusting to a new academic structure and country culture is challenging. Hiking in snow, sun, wind, and rain storms was challenging. Learning to budget, cook, and take care of myself was challenging but it was all rewarding.

Rewarding- For every challenge faced, it was extremely rewarding to overcome them and learn that I am more capable than I thought I was. Studying abroad was by far the most challenging experience of my life, but learning to overcome these challenges made it the most rewarding experience too.

New-I chose the word new to describe studying abroad because everything I experienced was new-the food, the culture, friends, and environment. Each day there was something new to try, eat, see, or do. Little or big things- trying pavlova or hiking to Mt Cook-these new experiences made the best memories for me abroad.

The throughout the internship and my adventures I kept a journal of everything I had done so that weeks from then, I would be able to reread what I had wrote and remember in full detail what had happened. I had a lot of great experiences and lasting impressions. I met some amazing people through my internship that I was lucky enough to work with. One of the stories I have to share was even more important to me by the time I got back to the US. I had the opportunity to hold the boom mic to Maisie Williams interview about a project we were working on (the BFG Dream Jar Trail). At the time, I knew that she was in the Game of Thrones, but I had never actually seen it. The way she conducted herself in the interview and the way she spoke was actually a whole different experience than I ever had before. I knew that I had to watch the Game of Thrones as soon as I got back to the US (considering I didn't have access to previous seasons in London). When I got back to the US, I binged the Game of Thrones in under a weeks time. Every time I saw Maisie Williams' character, Arya, on the screen, I was a bit upset with myself for not watching the show sooner. Then again, I would have been fangirling over how much of a bad ass she is so it's for the best that I didn't. During the interview, I could tell my coworkers were trying to keep their composure as well.

When I first watched Peter Jackson's adaptations of The Lord of the Rings at age 10, I knew I had to visit New Zealand. How could such sweeping plains, craggy volcanos, and verdant farmland exist in one small island country? However, because of the stresses of traveling so far, I knew this would not be an easy trip to plan or execute on my own. What is a sad nerd girl to do? Luckily, I found my answer in TEAN; not only did they help with my travel and living arrangements, they offered me the chance to work for college credit and live in my dream city, Wellington, for two months. I had the opportunity to get real-life, cross-cultural work experience at Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand, a partner of the Globe in London that specializes in educational outreach for secondary school children. Aside from my 40-hour work weeks, I was able to explore the country that had fascinated me for so many years during my spare time. It took a few bouts of severe homesickness and many trips to the coffeeshop by the office, but in between searching for Hobbits and those ever-elusive Kiwi, I found a better, stronger version of myself along the way. I'm forever thankful to New Zealand and TEAN for allowing me the opportunity to live a dream and plan for my not-so-distant adulthood, all at the same time.

This whole experience has changed my life. As cliché as that sounds, I can say with complete honesty that it is 100% true. Before this trip I had never been out of North America, let alone, away from my family and friends for this long. While there were definitely times where it was tough and I really didn’t want to do this whole thing anymore, I found ways to stick it out. I took trips and saw places like nothing I had ever seen before. I made friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. I truly experienced what it is like to live and work abroad. But most importantly, this trip allowed me to develop and grow as a young adult, who is looking forward to my next adventure; wherever that may take me.

Studying abroad in Thailand was by far one of the greatest semesters of my life. Through my classes and traveling I was able to learn so much about the Thai culture and about myself. One story in particular that is my favorite was our trip to a waterfall in Mae Sot. I just remember climbing up this beautiful waterfall with my classmates some American and others were Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Philipino along with our Thai and American teachers. We all were laughing and getting soaked by the waterfall but didn't care because we were having so much fun. No matter the differences in our cultures and home countries we were all together in this moment just enjoying the beauty of life. I am so thankful for the TEAN program for giving me the opportunity to experience such a beautiful moment and many others like it.

Choosing to fly to the opposite side of the world and into a different hemisphere is a decision that takes a lot of trust. That trust was something I had achieved right away for The Education Abroad Network, also known as TEAN. TEAN is an affiliated program that works closely with my home University which gave me the experience to fly out to the Gold Coast. After the paper work and acceptance into the program some assume that TEAN would not be as present in the abroad experience. However, that is quite the opposite! TEAN sets up excursions, orientations, adventures, cruise dinners and local meet ups all the time. As an abroad network they truly take the time to make sure their students are put first and are in the best hands. They provide their students with endless resources and ideas to further engage in an incredible experience.

Living on the beach for four months was quite literally a dream and one I would replay over and over again. Thanks to TEAN I was able to travel abroad and grow as a person!

Being a part of the TEAN program studying at the Auckland University of Technology was a life-changing event and I could not be happier to have completed it. Beginning from the time we left LAX as a group of nearly 90 students getting prepared to face the unknown, TEAN gave us the tools and resources to enjoy our experience to the best of our ability and I can't be more thankful. As our orientation took us from Fiji to Auckland, we spent time building connections with other US students facing the same situations we were going through. Then once moving into our new homes and becoming a part of the AUT community, I was able to establish friendships with a lot of local Kiwis, especially my four roommates who were all from the same town in the north island. I cherished these friendships more than most and the uniqueness of crossing cultures has been incredible. Throughout the semester, TEAN staff did a good job putting together trips and activities for us to attend, ranging from a rugby match to a late-night comedy show. All-in-all I loved my time abroad and learned so much more about myself and the world surrounding me than I ever would've guessed.

Before I actually decided to study abroad in Australia, I was doing research on the different companies and kept stumbling upon The Education Abroad Network. One day I simply decided to just start applying on their website and see where it went from there. Only a few short days after starting the application, I received a phone call from someone at TEAN to discuss my options and any questions I had. And from that moment on, I decided I was definitely studying abroad through them. Looking back, there is no other company I would have rather gone abroad to Australia with. The Education Abroad Network did everything they possibly could to make sure things ran smoothly, and were there every step of the way.

I knew going to Australia was out of my comfort zone, but TEAN did everything to make me feel comfortable. Our initial orientation week in Sydney was the perfect opener to the country. We were given tours of the city, went to all the touristy areas, and even went to go see our first kangaroos. And our final night together before we continued to the Gold Coast was complete by a sunset dinner cruise in the harbor, acting as the perfect finishing touch to a great week. From there I felt ready to explore the rest of Australia, especially knowing people from TEAN were there in case I had any questions or just wanted to chat. Once I got to the Gold Coast and Bond University, I felt at home. It was the perfect location for me. Only 20 minutes from the beach, what could be better. It was the absolute best experience of my life, life-changing, and if I could do it all over again I would do it the exact same way. If you are considering study abroad, do it, no questions asked.

When I was looking to study abroad in Australia I immediately knew I wanted to go through a program where I would be living off campus and with other new international students. I was referred to The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) by a friend who went abroad the previous year and I can truly say it was the best decision I made before leaving the states. They walked me through the steps of retaining a travel visa, enrolling in the university I would be studying at, and also had a 5 day orientation that began the minute I got off the plane in Sydney. The immediate immersion into Australian life made all of my nerves disappear and it was extremely helpful meeting new students and several of the girls I would be living with for the entire semester right away. TEAN organized two excursions throughout the semester, one to Cairns before classes began and another to Thailand (or New Zealand, but I chose to go to Thailand for the elephants) during Spring Break. Having the option to go through a guided trip of new areas was amazing and I experienced things I never would have been able to plan on my own such as a day trip to an island off of Cairns, or spending the night in a local village in Thailand. During my stay in Sydney, TEAN went above and beyond with the housing as the beach was my backyard and even helped me find an amazing internship at the start of the semester! With in-country staff always available for help, I never felt unsafe and the TEAN staff were always giving us heads up about any events taking place all across New South Wales. When I got sick in Thailand, the group leader knew exactly what to do and had everything I needed to offset the nausea and dehydration. I honestly do not know what I would have had to do had she not been there and lived in Thailand and other countries in the past where the food sickness was common due to the water. She made sure that I along with the rest of the group was still enjoying our time in the beautiful country and made me want to one day travel as much as she has. Going through TEAN opened my life up to the endless possibilities of working abroad and traveling the world. They never babied me and I knew that I had to figure out most things on my own which in turn allowed me to grow personally. This made me realize how much I can accomplish once I set my mind to something, especially when I took one last trip in the semester alone, as this was something I had never done before but know that I will probably have to do it for future jobs and events.