I studied abroad in Granada through ISA during July of 2024. The program covered language and culture classes, all taught in Spanish, and I was able to finish my Spanish minor with the credits earned. I picked Granada over Barcelona because I wanted a more localized experience in which I could be fully immersed in the culture, and that's exactly what I got and more. I stayed with a host family in their apartment, a 20 minute walk from my classes. Every morning I would take a peaceful walk to class with other students through the beautiful, old, safe streets of the city, watching the world wake up. My host family did not speak much English so I was able to practice speaking Spanish every day, and they were patient and kind while helping me learn. ISA always had organized activities like a guided tour of the Alhambra, the ancient Islamic palace and gardens, tours of the city, wine tasting, a Flamenco show, beach trips, and mountain hikes. Our ISA chaperones, Melissa, Lorena, and Angel were kind, supportive, and always in touch. I got sick at one point and they helped me get to and from the hospital, offering support and communication to make the process as stress-free as they could. Granada is a beautiful city filled with life, stories, good food, and good people. I loved my experience and can't wait to visit again someday.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Look into the holidays and festivals in your city or in the surrounding area, and try to attend them. Ask your host family or group mentors about them for details. Festivals in Spain are beautiful to witness and partake in, and if you can even plan dates to incorporate them into a trip, it's 100% worth it. I want to the summer solstice festival, El Noche de San Juan, and it was the highlight of the trip.
Studying in Seville, Spain with ISA was the best decision I could have possibly made. I completed my study abroad at the study center in Seville and had small classes that made the studying part fun. My professors were amazing. Seville was a great location to travel from, and I traveled every weekend. It was also an extremely safe city, I felt right at home. My host family was perfect, and I would not have changed a thing. My favorite part of the program was our trip to Morocco. We camped in the desert and explored the city. It is something I will remember forever.
I had the best time with ISA in Granada! The ISA Staff is amazing and they are so supportive and also plan such great activities to help students get to know the city and make the most of their time. Granada is the perfect size because it is a city, so there are plenty of things to do, but small enough where it can really feel like home. Great to practice Spanish as it is not an international city like Madrid, so I really feel like I developed my Spanish skills. The University of Granada is very well-known and there are tons of students (especially erasmus), so there are tons of people to meet, activities to do, and opportunities to progress your Spanish. If you can, I recommend to live with a host family, this made me experience even better. The city itself if so beautiful, tons of of opportunities for hiking/nature, and so many hidden gems to explore (ask the ISA staff for recommendations). Cannot recommend this program and city enough!
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Definitely stay with a host family if you can! My host family was incredible and so caring. They really helped me with my Spanish and my host mom was an amazing cook.
Take advantage of all the ISA activities planned, as well as get involved with the Juventud, Church groups, sports teams, etc to meet locals, have more friends, and improve your Spanish more
Pros
City is the perfect size. Sooo beautiful and walkable. Good public transportation.
Free tapas--get free appetizer with every drink
Great to improve your language and learn about the history of the city/Spain
What other participants should know
Granada airport is small. Usually needed to take a 2 hour bus ride to Malaga for flights
My review of living and studying in the Gold Coast
Jan 27, 2025
I decided to study abroad in Australia due to the environment and how different all the plants and animals are from the rest of the world. TEAN allowed me to not only go abroad but discover all sorts of amazing things in both the environment and in social settings as well. Being able to go to North Stradbroke Island was incredible and set an amazing tone for the rest of my time abroad. Not to mention the orientation in Cairns. I got to cross two things off my bucket list in the first week of being in Australia: seeing the Great Barrier Reef and skydiving! I got to meet people from all over the world during my time in the Gold Coast, as well as make lifelong friends with locals. The people there are so incredibly friendly, it would a challenge to not make friends while there. I absolutely loved my experience, and it has left me with the desire to go back as soon as I can.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I would strongly recommend traveling while you are there. Saving up some money ahead of time to book weekend trips, or even a weeklong trip to a nearby country. Flights in Australia are cheap, and public transport is even cheaper- going to the local city costs a dollar each way. Planning trips ahead of time and just being able to travel without worry in a new place is a great way to experience Australia.
Pros
Extremely friendly people
Great views, beaches and environment are well cared for.
I loved being in Thailand and having the freedom to explore nearby SouthEast Asian countries as well. Our on-site program coordinator was amazing; she basically was another friend to us! The program excursions were fun, we did a lot of activities and got a good cultural immersion experience. The location of the school was very suburban - it takes about 45 min drive to get into the city, so keep that in mind! The housing also wasn't great - i would have loved to have a kitchen to cook for myself sometimes, but the food nearby was affordable and good! Overall, so glad I did this program.
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Our group got attacked by monkeys at a national park!
My semester at Bond University in Australia was an incredible experience that combined learning, adventure, and personal growth. The small class sizes and supportive professors made it easy to stay engaged, and I loved how the coursework connected to real-world situations. Beyond academics, Bond’s location on the Gold Coast meant I could spend my free time exploring amazing beaches, trying new foods like kangaroo and crocodile, and soaking in Australia’s unique culture. I also had the chance to travel to places like Auckland, Sydney, Perth, Uluru, Cairns, and Melbourne which were unforgettable. Living abroad taught me so much about being adaptable, stepping out of my comfort zone, and seeing the world from a new perspective—all while making lifelong friends. If you’re thinking about studying abroad, I couldn’t recommend Bond University more!
What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
The most unfamiliar food I ate while abroad was at our orientation farewell dinner, where we got to try so many unique dishes. Everyone in my program was served kangaroo prepared two different ways, alligator, prawns, and so much more. It was such a fun way to step out of my comfort zone and try things I never thought I’d eat, especially with everyone else doing the same. It turned into this really memorable moment of us all bonding over the experience!
I LOVED my study abroad to Busan, specifically at Pusan National University. TEAN helped me so much to have fun cultural events and supported me through the visa process and the insurance process. I am so grateful for my program coordinator, Chinny Cruz, who helped me and my whole group of students feel so welcomed, safe, and provided multiple fun activities that made my experience in Busan unforgettable. Busans beautiful beaches interesting culture and especially the unforgettable sight of Dadaepo Beach is one to die for!
I studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia under the TEAN program. Academics were rigorous and stimulating at UNSW, but I appreciated taking only 3 classes per term since it allowed me more time to explore Sydney and Australia as a whole. Lab and seminar/discussion-based classes were the best way to make local friends! TEAN staff were amazing! They were extremely helpful and so sweet. I hung out with and really got to know my TEAN RD on a personal level while also knowing that they could also help me with any questions or issues I had. Housing was a mixed bag. I lived on UNSW campus and it was mostly fine. I started out living in a unit that had cockroaches. However, my RD advocated for me and the other students and we were moved into other housing quickly. I had friends living in the other accommodations option, living off campus about 15 minutes from UNSW, which was obviously superior to the on campus option. The only real benefit to living on campus was reducing commute time by a couple of minutes. I rarely ever felt unsafe in Sydney, even as a woman. Public transport and walking around at night in well lit areas was also very safe. Obviously, it is still important to apply common sense and avoid danger as much as possible, but otherwise, there was very little risk. Overall, I had an amazing experience and I would totally recommend studying abroad with TEAN in Sydney! I would recommend participating in all of the excursions, especially the surfing lesson!
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
One of the most surprising things I did were day trips to other cities in Australia. Domestic flights are relatively cheap out of Sydney and if I didn't have time to fully explore a city, I would just fly there for a day, explore as much as possible, and fly back on the same day!
Another one of the most surprising things about Australia was that I only saw about 4 spiders in total, and one of them was at the zoo!
Pros
Breathtaking hikes in the Blue Mountains, including some leading to natural pools.
Constant access to the ocean and hundreds of beaches.
Perfect mix of big city life and quick access to natural spaces.
What other participants should know
Most places don't have air conditioning, which can get hot in the summer!
Smaller shops and restaurants tend to close early in the evening and don't open on weekends.
I think Singapore was perfect as a study-abroad location. I always felt safe and everyone speaks English, which makes conversations and meeting people easier. I also got the chance to travel a lot in Southeast Asia which was awesome. Our local advisor was great, he was always there if we needed something or had any questions. The housing location was great, only 5 minutes from the university! Everything was reachable via trains. I had great roommates, and the team events were fun, but there could have been more throughout the semester. 5/5
I had the best semester studying at USYD through TEAN. The campus is beautiful, the classes were challenging but interesting, and Sydney was such a fun city to live in. There is lots of fun places to explore and the locals were so very welcoming and fun to spend time with! The TEAN staff was very helpful and always available when help was needed or if I needed clarifications about something that was unique to Australia. I also really enjoyed the orientation week in Cairns because I was able to meet everyone in the program so I got to Sydney and already had a group of familiar faces.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Spend your weekends traveling around Sydney and NSW! There is so much to see, and you are close to SE Asia as well so take advantage of that!