WorldStrides Reviews

I didn't think it was possible, but my semester in Dunedin was a truly amazing experience I'll cherish forever. Everyone was always eager to go out; whether it was a weekend trip to another region or just around town. Even on the weekends I didn't travel it always seemed like there was something to do like the Speight's brewery tour, the Dunedin craft beer fest, or just exploring the botanical gardens. The classes were all pretty interesting since I choose to take New Zealand specific classes (I figured why not! New Zealand history would be more interesting than more US history) and the whole lifestyle was just simple and relaxed.

It took a bit of adjustment with the no central heating, the data cap, and hanging out the washing in the flats but it was pretty easy to get used to that. It meant people weren't attached to their computer and it made me more aware of my own usage of electricity. If you study abroad in the NZ winter, blankets and layers will become your best friend.

Taking trips was much easier than I thought it would be. Just get a car full of people together, pick a place, rent a car, and you're good to go! My personal highlights were abseiling into a cave in Waitomo, Milford Sound (I never made it to Doubtful Sound but it was highly recommended!), Aspiring National Park by Wanaka, and Waiheke.

The program was great and had its share of fun, study, excursions, and yes, down time. Classes left sufficient time to explore the city and I was able to take quite a few weekend trips as well. Shanghai is an amazing city and offers a fast paced life if you want it. But slowing down, relaxing, and taking things more in stride is just as doable.

Our support coming into China as well as in China was great. You always had someone to answer questions on both ends and were never alone in the process. Especially being in a place as new and confusing as China, the support TEAN offered was a life saver.

Thessaloniki is such an underrated city. It's located a short 30 minutes away from Mount Olympus on side, a short 30 minutes to the famous beaches of Halkidiki on the other. There is ALWAYS something to do. The American College of Thessaloniki offers excursions almost every weekend. Such excursions included canyoning the waterfalls of Mount Olympus to sailing around the Aegean for a weekend.

The campus is a small one, which made my experience that much better. The teachers are genuinely interested in making sure their students succeed in their studies. My best grades come from my semester in Greece and that's no coincidence. (Thanks, ACT!).

A typical day for me in Thessaloniki would include going to class for a few hours. Between classes I would hangout in the campus cafe with some friends and socialize with the multitude of international students that study there. After class I would head down to the city center and lounge at a cafe on the boardwalk and enjoy a frappe with friends for a few hours. After we exhaust ourselves with coffee, we would grab some souvlakia in the taverna square and listen to the live bands at dinner. I can not stress enough how good the Greek food is. The free dessert is a plus, too.

The Greeks, especially in Thessaloniki, have this relaxed lifestyle. The word for it is "χαλαρα" (ha-la-ra). I learned a lot in my studies at ACT but one of my favorite things I brought back with myself is how to enjoy life.

One of the best decisions I made was going to Greece through GlobaLinks. I would not have made it there if not for them! Before I left they kept me in a straight line to make sure I was getting everything I needed to in time and helped me get through all my visa applications and procedures. And when I got there there was someone to greet me at the airport and for the next couple of days they helped us get acquainted with the city. I am so thankful for this!

TEAN took us to Fiji, let us jump off the Skytower in Auckland and provided us with numerous advantages just by being a part of the program. The staff was alway eager to help and just a email away at all times. They constantly were updating us on things to do in Dunedin and around New Zealand in general and really cared! I knew that New Zealand was going to be one of the most amazing experiences in my entire life and TEAN really helped me achieve that.

If anyone is ever interested in studying abroad I would highly recommend doing it through The Education Abroad Network!! They make the whole process extremely easy for everyone and help you with everything along the way. This started during the application process by practically holding my hand every step of the way to make sure I was applied in time. They have an awesome staff that love what they do and made my abroad experience in the Gold Coast Australia unbelievable. They offer you the best living arrangement seconds from a beautiful beach, and offer you many other trips to go on while your there. Many days were spent relaxing on the beach and hanging out with your new friends and the locals. I can promise you that you wont regret taking part in this adventure of a lifetime!

I learned so much while I was abroad and I am so thankful to have made the decision to go. I got to explore a really fascinating culture that on the surface didn't look too different from my own but surprised me in the subtle differences on many levels. I also was exposed to a new perspective of my own country as seen from abroad and it was eye-opening to see how other people viewed America.

My time in Newcastle and the study/internship combo experience I had through GlobaLinks are truly things I will never forget. Newcastle is a great little city filled with friendly people. It was easy (transportation via buses and trains) and fun to explore. I had the chance to intern with the Special Olympics of Australia, which meant taking the train (about a 10 minute ride) into the heart of Newcastle twice a week. Between the commute and workload, it was my first look at post-grad life! Newcastle is also only a 2-hour train ride from Sydney and this made weekend trips accessible. I'm personally more of a smaller city girl so the proximity was nice and yet far enough to feel more like home. From experiencing classwork outside of America to hanging out with locals, it exceeded all my expectations. I was a bit apprehensive to leave my comfort zone at first, but immersing myself in a new culture was the best decision I've ever made.

GlobalLinks was the best program option I had to choose from when I was looking to study abroad programs my university offered. They were a bit pricier than some of the other ones, but they guaranteed me housing and got me a week in Cairns, Australia (for those that don't know thats where the Great Barrier reef is!) I got to scuba dive one of the seven natural wonders of the world as well as skydive out of a plane at 15,000 ft all thanks to going to Cairns for one week for our culturing transition week. They also gave me my excursion to Fiji (you can also go to Bali, New Zealand, or Thailand.. just have to pay for the flight) for my spring break and I got travel around the main island of Fiji, be leader of the group I was in and meet a real life chief and village. I also got to go sand boarding, visit a top 5 beach in the world, and hangout at some of the most beautiful hostels I have ever seen... HALF WAY ACROSS THE WORLD!!! Its unreal how much a program like this can have an impact on your life, and now that Im an ambassador for them at the University of Tampa I encourage all students to look into doing something outside of the country to see what life is like somewhere else, getting someone else's view on the world is very rare thing that few people these days can truly appreciate. Studying abroad is one of the greatest things I have ever done with my life; GlobalLinks just made the trip that much more incredible than I could have anticipated!

I felt compelled to write this review because I am now studying with another program in France currently, and have been amazed how it has already far exceeded everything ISA ever did for me. The ISA staff in Paris were generally cold, rude, and constantly trying to sell us things. Extremely unhelpful in providing useful advice and tips on local information, or organizing trips and events INCLUDED in the already hefty price. Placement into our classes was very poorly done, and the options for classes were non-existent. My host mom was clearly doing the gig for the money, did not even know who ISA was, and would regularly scream at our neighbors during the night. I would very much urge those considering study abroad to consider the price you pay, and search for another program that can offer you more.

Studying abroad was the most incredible adventure of my life and Globalinks is to thank for that. From the application process, to the Bridging Cultures program; from my area coordinator, to my return trip home, Globalinks staff made my experience smooth, exciting, and were always there when I needed help or had questions. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND GLOABLINKS TO FUTURE STUDENTS!

My most memorable experience was during the Bridging Cultures program. I got to cross scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef off of my bucket list and it was an experience I will never forget. The skipper even let me drive the boat back to shore!

The program was recommended to me by a friend who studied abroad through Globalinks the year before I did.

I lived in a residential college close to my campus. We each had our own bedroom with shared bathrooms and a community dining hall. My college was a large part of why my experience was so great. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and it was easy to make friends. We felt like a huge family by the end of the semester and I made great friends for life.