WorldStrides Reviews

The most rewarding experience was when I traveled to Manaus—the capital of the state of Amazonas. Here I was exposed to a different reality: where the rivers are highways, where people travel by boat, and where tribes fish and hunt for food. I was able to go back to a primitive state of life with no currency, buildings, politics, or problems. I found myself surrounded by natural beauty. Visiting the Amazon was one of the most pleasurable experiences I had in Brazil because it reminded me of life’s beauty and what living is all about. It connected me with the natural world and showed me how living a simple life can be attainable in this day of time.

Personally, the Brazilian people and culture touched me. I was able to grow personally and pursue what I cared about in life. Nobody knew me and most would not see me again. I was completely and confidently myself in the purest form. I was millions of miles from reality and everything I knew.

Some difficulties I encountered was the language barrier. Yet, now that I am back in America I am experiencing a re-entry culture shock. This quote sums up how I feel, “everything that used to be familiar is now strange and everything that used to be strange is now familiar.”

First of all, Galway is a beautiful city. It's in the west of Ireland and is full of traditional Irish culture, much more than Dublin, which is a lot more cliche for the benefit of tourists. You truly get the sense that you are in Ireland when you are in Galway. Be sure to take in all the street performers and the Marketplace that happens each weekend.
More insider tips of where to go: King's Head pub. It's great, and claims to be the oldest pub in Ireland. In the beginning of the Spring Semester they host comedy nights. Be sure to check them out! Griffin's Bakery is delicious. You're going to want to eat there all the time. Finally, don't be afraid of the clubs in Galway. Clubbing is a part of the culture, and chances are you will eventually go. Just be smart and stay safe and you will be fine.
The program director, Dermott (Call him Derm) is absolutely amazing. He is a great guy and a great program director! The group that I was with was his very first group and he handled everything so well right from the beginning. He is easy to talk to if you need help, and his office is almost always open, so make sure you visit him! He's absolutely awesome!
NUIG is a great university. The only thing you need to be prepared for is a lot of independent studying. That is the major focus of Irish education. Independent studying, with one final exam at the end. You still have to go to class, though, so don't think you can get out of that.
The excursions are fantastic! You'll love them.
Finally, the weather. Don't bother bring an umbrella, it'll just break. Don't bother bring rain boots, they are a sure way to tell you're American. Bring a jacket that can withstand water and is warm. It'll be your best friend.
Most of all, enjoy your experience in such a beautiful and awesome city, and don't be too sad when you have to go, because you know you will be back one day!

Auckland, New Zealand is a spectacular city that doesn't get the recognition it deserves, from my experience back at home because no one seems to know about it! It is a clean, diverse and unique metropolis located about 15 minutes from beaches and 15 from farmland and woods. To a girl from the suburbs of Reading, Pennsylvania, it was perfect. Living in Parnell, I got the small town experience that was only a beautiful 25 minute walk from my school, the University of Auckland, and the fascinating city of Auckland, itself. A typical day for me consisted of waking up around 10 am to go for a run around my breathtaking temporary home. I would run up to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, 2 minutes away from my Flat, where I would get an unbelievable view of Rangitoto Island and Auckland's harbour. I would often run around in the surrounding gardens and fields, or if I was feeling adventurous, run down to campus, through the city, down the the harbour and back home to Parnell. I would then eat some of my favorite Wheat Bix cereal and get ready for class. I loved the beautiful 25 minute walk to class as well as the University's campus. Its buildings ranged from massive, modern buildings that reflected the aqua blue sky to traditional Maori- inspired maraes. In my classes, I learned more about Pacific history than I ever have in my 14 years of schooling and developed a love and appreciation for the lovely Maori culture. After class I would either wander around in the city and grab something to eat or head back to Parnell Student Village to hang out with some of the 75 amazing new friends I had just made. I had never lived with a more welcoming, unique and fun group of people in my life. We liked to always spend our nights together whether it was at a potluck in our Village or dancing at a nightclub in Auckland. We always looked forward to the weekends, as well, because we tried to go on some sort of trip somewhere new, whether it was to a new part of the city or to a completely new spot on the North Island. I could go on and on about this amazing experience. But in brief, although it was almost 2 years ago, I still vividly remember the excited feeling I experienced as my Air New Zealand plane landed over the Manukau harbour to the heartbreakingly bittersweet goodbye hugs I gave to all of my friends as I left Parnell Student Village. I made great friends with people from all over America, traveled around New Zealand where I climbed a glacier, flung myself off the world's first bungee jump, slept in a cramped, freezing cold caravan for 2 nights with 4 girls just so I could skydive over Lake Taupo and hike the daunting Tongariro Crossing (where parts of the Lord of the Rings was filmed), spent a weekend in Sydney, Australia, and made hundreds of other memories it would take hours to describe. I learned not only things about myself one can probably only learn from leaving their comfort zone, but also about an almost unknown culture- the Maori, and about making the most of every single day by doing something every day that is memorable, and by spending time with the people you have limited time with. Of course there were times where I wish I could go home for a couple days and eat a giant Belgian waffle at my favorite diner and see my friends and parents, but I always kept in mind that this experience would not last forever and I needed to appreciate my time there while I could. I really only have one memory of a culture shock experience and it occurred right after the awesome Bridging Cultures program when we moved into Parnell and had to get our bearings and I felt a lot of anxiety about not just being able to go to a Walmart and get everything I needed to survive. Aside from that, I am obviously obsessed with my experience abroad and cannot still cannot believe how lucky I am to have had it.

I studied abroad in China summer 2012, and I had the time of my life. Not only was I able to wake up in a different country, every day was different than the next. I never knew what to expect! From shopping in Nanjing Road to admiring the beauty of the Bund to eating cheap and delicious hole-in-the-wall food, each day was an adventure that I wish never ended.

The ISA Brussels program was absolutely fantastic! The onsite directors were top notch, they were supportive, helpful, and always had time and advice for us. The excursions they took us on were phenomenal; activities all day in the great cities of Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Wallonia, and a weekend trip to the Netherlands.
Vesalius College was a great school to make new friends with the other study abroad students and international students. Most of the professors have professional experience with the European Union.
Brussels is a great place to travel from. I traveled to 13 countries via plane, train, or bus. All cheap and very easy!

I couldn't have asked for a better experience abroad! My favorite part of my trip, besides my internship, was the Bridging Cultures program at the beginning of the program. GlobaLinks arranged a weekend stay in Cairns for all of us who had internships in Australia that summer. We got to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, visit a sanctuary where we got to cuddle a koala and play with kangaroos, and we also learned about the history of Australia and ways we could assimilate into the culture smoothly. It was so much fun! It was a great opportunity to meet all the other interns and make connections. My internship has been incredibly beneficial to me both personally and professionally. I was able to develop new skills and master skills I have already learned. Everyone at GlobaLinks is always available when you need help, too. It was the best summer of my life!

You wake up to your cell-phone alarm and look around. To your left, a window, a small desk, and a wardrobe. Straight ahead you see a bathroom and a door leading out of the room. Still groggy from a night at the pub, you stumble into the bathroom and get yourself ready - shower, teeth, hair, and a spritz of the cologne your mother gave you as a going-away present. You toss on the first thing you find in your wardrobe, grab the paper you finished writing at 2 AM, toss it in your backpack, and head out.

You leave your room just in time to catch your suitemate leaving his. He asks if the milk in the fridge is still good. You say you don't know, you never have time for cereal, and grab an apple from the tiny, humid kitchen before running downstairs.

This is your home for the semester.

Your run slows to a jog, then a walk, when you realize you have a half-mile to school. As you stroll past the quaint, suburban houses, with their quaint suburban yards, you look at your watch, which is still set for your home time-zone, before checking the time on your cell-phone. You still have an hour before class. Plenty of time to hit the bakery! Halfway to campus, you see the orange sign that promises a hot meal good for on-the-go. You pop in and grab two sausage rolls for a pound each and continue your journey to campus, eating as you walk.

You get to class a few minutes early, with just enough time to hit the loo and try to wash out the grease stain from those sausage rolls. You sit down just as class starts. The professor takes attendance then gets right into the lecture. This part of class is pretty similar to back home, except that the Prof. has a dreamy accent. You daydream about British girls until the first break.

Time for lunch! Not wanting to walk very far, you join a few classmates on their way to the campus store, where you buy an energy drink, a pre-packaged egg-salad sandwich with bacon, and, as an afterthought, an orange, just to be healthy.

Class is resuming soon, and it's a field-trip day! So you and your mates head into Kingston proper to get to the train station. You manage to only get on one wrong train before finally arriving at Waterloo Station in London, where you're meeting the rest of your class. Today, you'll be doing a Dickens walk. You read "Oliver Twist" (er, well, skimmed), and now you're going to see some of the places mentioned in the book! Fagan's house, the bookstore where Oliver makes a delivery, etc. It's all there, coming to life in front of your eyes! Suddenly Dickens doesn't seem so boring - you can't wait to re-read "Oliver Twist."

And then "class" is over, and you're free to roam London to your heart's content. There's shopping in Piccadilly Circus, Broadway shows just down the street, a cafe if you're still hungry... and then a friend mentions a pub. It's only 4 PM, so there's plenty of time for a pint!

It's 1 AM, you just barely caught the last train home, and you fall onto your bed in a daze. It was a good day - you even think you learned something on that Dickens walk. Now it's time to pass out and do it all over.

I did a summer course at Kingston University - London, through GlobaLinks Study Abroad, and that's about what the whole semester was like. You're constantly going, going, going, because there's just so much to do!

Some practical advice:

- Get your schoolwork done ASAP. It's no good having to rush through Buckingham Palace, because you forgot about that paper due by midnight.

- Talk to your professors before doing any major projects. Paper requirements are different over there - for example, I'm a Creative Writing major who hasn't gotten anything lower than an A- on a paper in years, but I got a B+ and B- on two papers, because the professor simply had different expectations than the ones at my home school. It never hurts to ask!

- Try the food! Drink the beer! Have a sip of that funny looking soda in the convenient store! You've got a limited time to experience an entire culture, so go DO it!

- There's no shame in doing the touristy things. Remember, you ARE a tourist. Go to Buckingham Palace; take a picture with the Beefeaters; stop someone in the tube station to ask how to find your terminal; walk into a pub and ask exactly what a "pasty" is. It's okay! As long as you're friendly, the locals will be, too.

- Talk to the locals! Making friends is probably easier than you think, especially when you mention that you're a foreign student. Think of how YOU react to foreign students back home - probably with interest, asking questions, offering to show them around, right? Right.

- Talk to the other students. It's a lot less scary to explore when you have someone to watch your back. Also, strength in numbers! I didn't personally deal with crime in London, but you're much less likely to be targeted if you're in a group.

- I can't stress this one enough... GET OUT OF LONDON. That's right. London is huge, awesome, and only city out of dozens in England. Take a weekend, catch a train to Portsmouth, Brighton, or Newcastle. Check out Wales or take a ferry to Ireland. Your options are only limited by your time and imagination, so start planning side-trips!

- This is a super-tough one, I know, but try to keep a budget. It will make the whole trip a lot less stressful, and you don't want stress when you're supposed to be having fun.

The best decision I have made for myself so far was to go abroad, and I am very happy that I chose TEAN to facilitate this experience for me. From collecting paperwork and forms, to providing packing lists and group flight information, the logistics of my trip and tiime abroad were taken care of. Not only does TEAN get you there, but they also provide experiences around your host school so you can really see what your new home has to offer!
One of my favorite days was a trip to Magnetic Island, which is a 20 minute ferry ride away from Towsville. I saw beutiful beaches and wild koalas, fed and played with lorikeets, and fed some rock wallabies. This day trip was provided for by TEAN to introduce us to the wonderful "Maggie" which I ended up visiting multiple times during my 4 months in Townsville.
James Cook University also is a unique experience from most Australian study experiences because at JCU you live on-campus. The dorm style is similar to US dorms, except you live in single, rather than double rooms. I absolutely loved my time at JCU, and living on-campus allowed me to make friends with several locals, some of which have truly become lifelong friends.
Townsville is a rather small city, but there is plenty to do at the Strand (the local beach), Sunday's Flinders St. Markets, and having dinner at Cactus Jack's. Townsville is definitey a quiter area, however, so if you want a big city atmosphere, I would recommend going to a different university and taking a trip up to Cairns during a free week or long weekend.
The environmental classes on coral reefs and Australian fauna I was able to take were incredible, so I would definitely recommend taking an elective class on the Australian environment or indigenous culture while you are there.
I had an amazing time while I was abroad, and Australia is now a second home to me. TEAN definitely helped to make my experience abroad fantastic and the support the provide while you are there makes you feel safe and secure even though you are miles from home.

China was my first foray into international life, and I couldn't have picked a better country or study abroad program. Globalinks made sure that my day-to-day experience was exactly what I wanted. My mornings consisted of challenging classes catered to my interests, and my afternoons and evenings exploring the city and even going on excursions with both students from my program and other international students. I was able to really immerse myself in Chinese culture, both traditional and modern, and had numerous opportunities to practice the language. I don't even know where to begin with the food...I know a lot of students have that as a concern when thinking about studying abroad. They tend to wonder "what will I eat?" But if I can only have one response to that, it would be, "what WON'T you eat?!" I still crave Chinese street food to this day.

Galway was such a beautiful city and was so much fun to explore. The college is situated in the middle of the city and is close to all of the major points of interest. The staff at the college is so nice and always willing to help students. The ISA staff is amazing and so great to go to with questions.