WorldStrides Reviews

The staff was awesome, although some of our activities were really boring. The practice of spanish wasn't much practice as it was just saying really really basic vocab. The only problem that I experienced was that I had no idea what specifically was expected of me at the kindergarten. I was not sure what my priorities were and where I was needed. I had a few instances of experiencing disrespect from the students and no one was there to help. I had a child really beat up on me and everyone pretty much said "well that's how they are."

I was placed in an advertising agency located in Newcastle, NSW. The town was amazing and truly captured all different aspects of day to day Australia life. More importantly, my placement was exactly what I needed and exceeded my expectations with the amount of involvement I had in the advertising process for various clients. I lived in a student house filled with students from all over the world, most of which were either in the same program as I was or attending the University of Newcastle. I did not expect such a nice living space; and compared to other students who went to bigger cities such as Sydney, I was living large.
I also had the opportunity to travel the entire country. Transportation was easy to navigate and go me everywhere I wanted to go for a fair price. My program leader just so happened to have his office across the street from mine. When I lost my luggage for an entire week, he was very helpful in making sure I was still comfortable which was easy anyway because I was in Australia!!!
I believe the trip would not have been as great as it was if it didn't start on the right foot at the Bridging Culture program. We had so much fun at the Great Barrier Reef and the Rainforestation.
GlobaLinks will give you the best experience possible!

The Globalinks program was AMAZING! Made some amazing friends through it and we all bounded together during our bridging cultures week in Cairns, which was unreal! Going abroad was the best decision I ever made. I chose to live in the Griffith University Village which was a short walk to campus. There was always something going on, and even when there wasn't you could just go and hang out at the pool (yep, the village has a pool!) Classes were extremely easy and manageable. There would be a 2 hr lecture once a week and a 1 hr "tut" (tutorial) which was a smaller group discussion class. The best way to get around is on the bus, and it is only about a 25 minute bus to get to the beach and Surfer's Paradise. Gold Coast is a great location because you can get to the beach, city, and jungle all fairly easily. Travel as much as you can!!

Globalinks was extremely helpful throughout the whole pre-departure process and really helped keep me on top of all my deadlines. They were always very responsive to any questions I had and the bridging cultures program was AMAZING!

I will start off by saying what you have probably heard already: New Zealand is beautiful. But just hearing it over and over again is not enough. You have to apply yourself and get on the plane to see just how spectacular it all is. I applied to The Education Abroad Network(TEAN) as a study abroad provider. They helped me with every concern I had before leaving: applying, finances, flights, etc. They also provided an unforgettable orientation experience: four days in Fiji, followed by five days in Auckland, NZ. During these nine days I snorkeled in coral reefs, abseiled down waterfalls and became acquainted with the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Upon landing in my host city, Dunedin, and until the day I left I had TEAN staff to contact whenever I needed assistance with anything. The TEAN staff was kind enough to stay in contact with me after the semester was over because they understand the challenge of reverse culture shock.
I highly recommend studying in Dunedin if you are going to New Zealand for its beautiful natural landscapes. The South Island is where you can find the country's greatest natural parks, including Milford Sound, Arthur's Pass, Abel Tasman Coastal Track, etc. Dunedin by itself has so much character as well. The students love the feel of the large college town with campus located in the center of town. I attend a small private school in the US so I wanted to have this experience for at least one semester. Everything I put into preparation for the semester was completely worth what I experience in New Zealand! Trust me, studying abroad is just as amazing as everyone says it is.

Now YOU have to take the first step and apply to TEAN in Dunedin. I challenge you to follow your dream and see what the world is like down under!

It all started with my desire to go abroad and learn a new culture to become more globally aware.. I began comparing the different programs and I soon found the education abroad network. The program was spectacular I loved it in every single way. Tean did a fantastic job at providing us with an amazing experience that started in Beijing. We toured the city and spent some time with the locals before going to a remote part of the Great Wall. After the orientation we went to Shanghai were we were shocked to find how spectacular the city is and the accommodations Tean provided us. We were in the nicest apartments just near campus. Fudans classes were relatively easy yet challenging in a good way. I was great flu that Tean provided us with a Chinese roommate because he was able to help show us the ropes of the city and help us with simple tasks, I did not know any Chinese prior to the trip and I found it rather easy to get around the city. Tean also provided us with a trip into Inner Mongolia which was very cool. From riding a camel to sledding down sand dunes it was a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in studying abroad as the staff is very helpful and super friendly . There was a representative in Shanghai that would be able to assist us in any sort of emergency or even simple questions we had. I miss this program already :(

Brussels embodied the best qualities of Europe. ISA immediately made me feel comfortable and gave me great support in my new home. I loved all of the friends I made and my time abroad.

Brussels had so much history and culture to often, which was balanced out with a great party scene. You could spend the first half of your day at the European Parliament and end it at Delirium. There is so much to experience in this city.
It also is significantly less expensive than its capital counterparts.

At first I was very hesitant about going so far away for such a long time with people I didnt know. However, TEAN made the time leading up to leaving and my time in Australia so easy. Every time I had any sort of question regardless of how dumb it was, I was emailed back immediatley with an answer.

Once in Sydney, we found out just how amazing our apartments were. We lived in serviced apartment that were right over a huge bus and train station in Sydney as well as had access to a gym, pool and tennis court. Living here was amazing and made it easy to travel anywhere.

One of my favorite parts of TEAN was the planned trips they offer. I went on a pre-semester trip to the Great Barrier Reef as well as a spring break trip to Thailand. Not only were TEAN staff on these trips with us but they were fully planned so we didnt have to plan anything ourselves. Thailand especially gave me a chance to see tons of cities and islands that I never would have been able to do on my own.

TEAN is an amazing program and made my abroad experience amazing, I 100% recommend this!!

If someone told me three years ago that I was going to study abroad in the United Kingdom, meet some of my best friends, and embark on the experience of a lifetime, I would have said that he or she was crazy. I always knew I wanted to study abroad in the UK, but finances was always an issue. During my junior year of college, I was given the opportunity to study aboard and that experience has shaped every decision that I have made since.
The International Studies Abroad Program is Reading, United Kingdom is affordable and has given me the tools necessary to determine my career path as well as form relationships that I would have never thought were possible.
During my time in Reading, I was able to study under some of the major experts in their respective fields. While studying Shakespeare at the University of Reading, I was able to attend a lecture by Professor Andrew Gurr, an internationally renowned expert of Shakespearean Theatre. I have since read his book entitled The Shakespearean Stage and have gained a greater appreciation for Shakespearean Theatre.
Besides the academics, I was able to enhance my education through experiences of my travels. I went on almost every ISA excursion and through those excursions I made friends that I have maintained relationships with.
The program that ISA provided gave me the tools necessary to begin to pursue a career in International Communications and Development and I hope that one day I can assist other students in studying abroad.

I have an amazing experience. GlobalLinks Bridging Culture Program provided me a week of continuous fun and adventures. I was able to connect with other students and create memories to last a lifetime. When I arrived in Sydney my housing was set up for me and the process to get there was fairly simple.

I spent this past summer living in Amman, Jordan, and I can say without a doubt it was the most life-changing summer I will ever have. Before going to Jordan, I did not know anything whatsoever about life in the Middle East. I had the common misconceptions that many Americans hold. But after living in Jordan and being completely immersed in the culture, I have gained so much respect for people of the Arab/Muslim culture, that I pass it on to everyone who will listen to me in America. I would have never been able to learn any of the things I experienced from a textbook. The best part of the trip was the people I met. I learned about a completely new perspective on life. The people in Jordan were the most helpful people I have ever met. Everyone was very patient with my group and was willing to help us with our Arabic or finding things if we were lost. Before going, I was a little concerned about my safety. I will tell anyone that I felt 100 percent safe in Jordan, and although there are some things that differ from American culture, it was still a very safe and welcoming environment. I learned how America is perceived in a global context without the spin of any media. I heard things from real people and learned through their experiences. I have become much more involved with world issues and have became proactive in making my friends, family, and classmates more knowledgable. I studied Arabic and US Foreign Policy in the Middle East. Both classes were taught extremely well by great staff who really knew how to teach in a way foreign students could understand. The program would not have been what it was without the amazing staff. Our program director, Mohammed Naser, was the most helpful and guiding person that there could have been. He made my group feel safe in every situation and he was very knowledgable about any and all questions we asked. There was never a situation where he was not the first to help and he could be reached at any time no matter what time of the day it was. I would gladly recommend this program to anyone who is thinking about it and I would love to visit Jordan again!