WorldStrides Reviews

Every part of this program- GlobaLinks, University of Otago- is fantastic! From the moment I was accepted into the program, the staff at GlobaLinks was so helpful it was astounding. My program manager Jan was so great, and having staff in country was such an excellent feature as well. Even if it's just meeting them at a local coffee shop for a free drink and to catch up, this really added to my experience.

The University of Otago is a highly rated school, and it is very accommodating to it's international students. I was able to take classes relating to my major, and had teachers that helped me adjust to the academic difference. The course work is not too demanding, and there's rarely homework, so it's easy to travel a lot during the semester. There are great, modern facilities at the school including an awesome library and a newly constructed gym. My only qualm- there is no central heating in the international housing. Stock up on blankets when you get there!

It's all helped by it's setting.- NEW ZEALAND. I cannot say enough about the beauty of this country and the kindness of it's people- it has forever imprinted on my heart and I recommend a visit there to everyone I meet. Dunedin, where the university is located is a great college town with all the things a student needs, and it's location makes it easy to get to a lot of great south island attractions.

I recommend this program and university to everyone I meet. If you have the chance....do this program. It will change your life.

I'm studying to be a teacher and decided to take this study abroad internship to work at a school in Australia. The experience that I gained through this study abroad trip taught me so many valuable things. I learned countless tools to use in the classroom: classroom management, classroom activities, & literacy strategies. Not only did I learn about classroom strategies, but I also learned about how students in another culture interact. I probably learned more from the students than they learned from me. Working with other cultures and diverse students is such an important piece of knowledge to have. Most importantly, during my internship I learned about myself- my motivation, passions, interests, and ethics.
While completing my internship, I had heaps of time to explore Melbourne, Australia. I was free on nights and weekends and tried to do everything I could! Some of my eperiences included: Healseville Sanctuary, Queen Victoria Market, Euroa, Mornington Peninsula, Chadstone Shopping Center, Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne Central Shopping, Federation Square, Yarra River Walk, Eureka Skydeck, The Great Ocean Road, Chinatown, St. Kilda Pier, St. Paul, & St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Deciding to complete this Australia internship has been the best experience of my life! Although I missed many important events at home (engagements, birthdays, & holidays), I learned so much and had so much fun! I enjoyed every second of my time here, even when the weather was raining and cold! GlobaLinks helped me so much in preparing for my trip, making sure my placement was going well, and being there if I needed anything. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to take this internship- Interning in Australia has changed my life!

Most students who go abroad actually study and take classes. Doing an internship allows you to fully embrace the culture you're in and receive valuable experience for your future career. I absolutely loved my internship with Dani Lombard Public Relations in Sydney. It was a small agency so I got to know all the girls really well during my stay. I felt like they were family by the time I left. Aside from the internship, I met some incredible people that will forever impact my life. I encourage you to connect with Aussie families and have dinner with me or spend a few days with them. During the week, I worked 9-5:30 Mon-Thurs. I took a bus and a train to work and it took about an hour but it varies by internship. It was great to have Fridays off so I had time to travel. I went to New Zealand, Melbourne, Newcastle and the Blue Mountains. Weekends were really relaxed because we didn't have to worry about school work! Two pieces of advice: #1 research your company first and make sure it's the right fit. See if any other interns have been there before because a few of the interns didn't like their internship all that much. #2 If you want fellow Americans around you and living with you suggest to stay in Sydney. I lived with about 10 other interns but a few other interns were placed in different cities alone. I highly recommend GlobaLinks but do your research first!

Overall I had a very strong experience with the program back in 2007. The staff were very knowledgeable/ fun and helpful and their offices were a safe haven for us. Some of their staff even partook in our activities, ie skiing in Bariloche and traveling to Iguazu Falls with us.

All of the other ISA students in my program were from the US. I did not mind as I bonded closely with these individuals throughout that time.

Also, I went to UCSB, and the EAP program did not have an Argentina program. I was initially a little worried as UCSB could not guarantee that my ISA credits would go through. However, they finally did, after submitting the transcript and I was awarded 18 units for 1 semester!

I interned with the Australian Baseball League in Sydney, Australia. I truly enjoyed the various projects I was given because they helped me step out of my comfort zone. I performed office tasks, attended press conferences with MLB staff from around the world, and created a customer database. The best experiences are those that challenge us and make us a better person. It was challenging working in a fast-paced environment with little background knowledge. However, I gained confidence and skills that are still benefiting me today.

This summer I had the opportunity to live in Shanghai, China doing a computer science internship abroad. From the moment I got off the plane, I was in good hands. A driver was waiting for me at the airport and took me to my hotel where someone was waiting for me to help me get settled in and debriefed. All of my coworkers were Chinese and being the only foreigner was a challenge because only five out of the seventy employees knew a little English. However, we all got along great and always made it work. It was an unbelievable learning experience and I have changed the way I think. I now think that everyone should go intern or study abroad at least once.

I spent my summer (winter) interning at Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka, New Zealand. As an IPR major and an action sports enthusiast, I was placed in the marketing department where I helped conduct day-to-day marketing programs, social media generation, on-hill photography, and so much more.

Cardrona is the only ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere with an Olympic sized Halfpipe. This summer they hosted the NZ Winter Games which is a platform event for the 2014 Winter Olympics taking place in Sochi this spring. I was fortunate enough to be a part of this event, and was able to meet many Olympians I had looked up to my entire life. None of this would have been possible without Globalinks and their efforts to place me with an organization that was an ideal fit for me. This experience has truly given me a leverage within the industry and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity, and took the initiative, to participate in a program that literally changed my life.

I consider New Zealand a second home- the landscape, people I met, and relationships I developed helped to make this experience one of a kind. I would recommend a trip to New Zealand to any and everyone, because it truly is a place like no other. I fully intend on returning there one day, and can't wait to re-experience its rich culture, breath-taking landscapes, and friendly people all over again.

If you're considering an internship in New Zealand, don't hesitate! It will without a doubt be the best and most rewarding decision of your life.

Don't expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter - it might take a few days to get used to your new life in a different culture. New Zealand is a beautiful country filled with honest and loving people. It doesn't take more than a day or two to feel comfortable here.
For example, don't go to your internship site in the morning and plan to go directly to your hotel room when you're done with work. Each day after work, I made it part of my schedule to venture into the city and meet new people - it really is easy as most of them come up to you in coffee shops or the laundromat!

My internship at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra Australia was the best experience of my life. I was able to help all the zookeepers in their day to day activity and I was able to do so many things. I was able to prepare food and create enrichment for all of the animals in the zoo. I would do it again in an instant, doing an internship (as opposed to study abroad) was absolutely better.
In addition, the bridging cultures program was probably the best way to be welcomed to Australia and we were able to do so many things, like snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, hold a koala, go four-wheeling through the rainforest, meet Australian aboriginals and learn about their culture. It was a great opportunity and I am so pleased I was able to do it.

Interning in Australia was a dream come true. I was able to discover I wanted to become a Marine Chemical Ecologist with the help of my supervisor. I did some sediment sampling and organism identifying, as well as processing some seagrass in order to determine the health of the water of the area. While, that is not exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life, I had a great experience and realized I loved ecology and I had missed the chemistry research from home. After explaining my goals to my supervisor, he helped me discover a route I could go. I will not say that studying abroad was easy because I did get very homesick, especially with living in an area where I felt like I had no support from anyone or anyone to have contact with except my amazing coworkers. I had connected to a church because I have a strong faith and that helped me get through, as well as the friends I made in church. However, my biggest difficulties were when I felt helpless at internship because there were some organisms I felt like I should have known, but I did not. I also had to learn how to read a map and take transportation by myself because no one was around to help. I had an issue in Australia regarding where I lived, but GlobaLinks Learning Abroad did a great job at helping resolve the problem and making me feel better. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone!