Program Reviews

Edumatic provided an opportunity for an experience at a time when I sorely needed one. Just having graduated from teacher’s college, I wasn’t ready to jump into my career, and was really looking for an opportunity to explore the world for a few months. I couldn’t really justify taking 3 months off just to travel, and Edumatic created an ideal environment to take a few extra teaching courses online while living abroad. Not only were locations vetted and hand-picked to best suit the life of a travelling student, but the organization succeeded in bringing together a community of people all committed to pursuing online education. Group leaders were great about helping to plan trips and excursions, while still allowing us enough free time for study or independent travel. I personally enjoyed the fact that I always had somebody available to recommend the best experiences/activities in the area we were staying, but was also given the freedom to explore at my own pace. I’ve made some wonderful friendships and cultivated a love for Southeast Asia thanks to Edumatic. I would highly recommend this experience to those looking for a fun new adventure with a group of like-minded travellers.

I found Edumadic at a point in my life where I stood at a figurative fork in the road with three paths to choose from, each holding a drastically different future for me. The first of these paths involved me continuing to work. The second path had me pursuing my passion to travel, and the third was a familiar one that lead back to school to chase another piece of paper to frame and hang on the wall.

Edumadic provided me a program that merged two of these paths allowing me to pursue them simultaneously. It allowed me to travel to Asia, a place I wouldn't of travelled to on my own due to a stigma that had been placed in my head by the media and my surroundings. I can now confidently say that I have never been more wrong in my life and I never would’ve thought I'd enjoy this part of the world as much as I did.

It also allowed me take the third path and advance my education in an unconventional way. Most people advance their education from a stationary campus but with Edumadic my campus was wherever I wanted it to be. By taking online courses I could study from anywhere I pleased be that a beach in India, a co-working space in Chiang Mai or a coffee shop in Bali.

Finally Edumadic put together a very well selected group of people with similar goals and compatible personalities that not only made the journey a productive one but an extremely fun one. Many think travelling and studying can't go hand in hand but when you are surrounded by a group of like minded people who all have their own studies to pursue it makes it possible. Through this journey with Edumadic I have made memories and relationships with people that will stay with me forever.

I’d had dreams of long term travel since college. Fast forward to late 2017: I’m working full time in my field and living in a big city. And I feel stuck.

I came across Edumadic on Instagram, and decided to go for it after much deliberation because it seemed to address my very specific desires. I wanted to leave the city I was living in, I wanted to travel, and I wanted to develop professionally.

Having travelled internationally before, I wasn’t afraid to hop on a plane alone to another country. But I was nervous about losing focus on my studies, making friends, and well, just being able to explore these new destinations. My fears were quickly assuaged; between dizzyingly narrow coastal climbs, regular sunset escapes to the beach, or a good old-fashioned study session at a cute cafe, my Edumadic experience was just like what I dreamed of in college — and then some. The Edumadic team and my fellow Edumads were instrumental in this unforgettable period of my life.

In a situation like the one I had been in, it can be hard to realize your life needs a disruption. Edumadic was the disruption I needed, and I am so thankful that I chose this path. It has allowed me to test the waters of living in another country and remote working, and in doing so I move forward with more confidence and intention.

When talking to my friends back home while away on my Edumadic trip, the only words I could come up with to describe my experience were, “I’m out here living my best life”. This is what I told them time and time again when they asked how things were going this statement was completely true. My time with Edumadic was extremely fulfilling not only educationally through the courses I completed, but socially as well, being surrounded by people that wanted to experience and explore the world in the same way I did.

Before Edumadic, I spent many days at the desk of my dead end administrative job dreaming of being a digital nomad and traveling all over, but the idea of starting it alone was daunting, and what if I hated it? Edumadic was a great way to test the waters of working in different locations and I now have the confidence to go it alone should I be lucky enough to land a remote position. I also have more confidence in following my own path and doing what feels right for me versus following the “normal” path society expects of us.

The new people, places, and experiences I came across in my three months with Edumadic have opened my eyes to things I never would have experienced had I stayed where I was, and I will be forever grateful for it.

Before Edumadic I was not comfortable traveling alone. I was stuck in my comfort zone. When the idea of Edumadic was presented to me, I knew right away that it was what I needed.

After graduating from high school, I jumped straight into work as a freelance web developer and photographer. I was already aware that I could educate myself online and I had been taking free online courses for the past four years. I was also aware that the work I was doing with these new skills could be done remotely from anywhere with an internet connection.

Could I have done this trip alone? Yes. But after just the first day on my trip I remembered why I didn't. Edumadic is a community. The people in my group started to become an everyday part of my life. We worked together, ate meals together, and even collaborated on projects. Traveling alone is lonely and scary sometimes, but with the Edumadic group I knew I always had friends to lean on.

After 6 weeks in paradise, I had accomplished more than I have in my entire career. The group leaders gave great tips on everything you could want to know about the area we stayed in. They also organized trips for us every week which was a huge blessing and time saver. Along the way, I met tons of friends from all over the world that I'll forever be in touch with.

Today I'm already thinking about when my next trip will be. A huge thank you to Edumadic for taking me outside my comfort zone.

Edumadic gave me an experience I never thought I would get, with a fantastic group of people. I climbed an active volcano, saw waterfalls and beaches, saw plenty of amazing sunsets. The chance to have this fantastic experience with a group who had different lives and outlooks to me made it much better for me. The balance of adventure and study was perfect, and I loved having the flexibility to study as much as I wanted. I managed to achieve my goal of getting the first draft of my dissertation completed. I really appreciated that living there really gave us a chance to find a routine and to experience Bali as a local! The area had great coffee shops to work and good nightlife. The whole place had a really nice vibe about it. Would totally recommend!

Traveling with Edumadic was an amazing experience. It was comforting to know all accommodations were organized by Edumadic's team of experienced travelers. Edumadic also provided a small group of like-minded individuals to travel with. This little group becomes so tight it's like being part of a family by the end of the trip.

Most importantly what I gained from all of it was confidence in myself, and comfort in knowing I can pursue whatever it is that I want. It taught me that you don’t have to choose between a dream of traveling and an education.

I’ll never forget the friends I made, the wonderful foods I tried, the scooter rides across the most beautiful island, the crystal clear beaches we swam in, and relaxing in a hammock watching the stars feeling overwhelmingly grateful to be having this experience."

I decided a few years ago to make the scary decision to choose Global & International Studies as my major at university. It came with loads of questions like "What's that?" and "What kind of job are you going to have with that degree?" and "Is that even a major?" I decided that no amount of confused relatives or doubt about my financial future could stop me from learning more about our world, new cultures, and what it truly means to be international.

I spent many semesters learning about international development, world religions, and global economics from books and professors, but I did not truly understand what these concepts look like in action until I traveled with Edumadic.

Edumadic was the perfect opportunity for me to practice what I had learned previously about intercultural exchange, and to develop the ideas of globalization I was learning through my online course during the trip. I was able to see firsthand what everyday life is like in a different culture.

During the trip, I also became very close with my fellow Edumads. Interacting regularly with peers from different states and countries was extremely valuable to me, and gave me the opportunity to create new international friendships.

Overall, Edumadic helped me to further my international education without the price of overseas tuition. It also helped me create new friendships and memories that I hope to have for a lifetime. Most importantly, Edumadic helped me push myself to try something new and scary, that ultimately became one of the best and most transformational experiences of my life.

I took a huge leap of faith with Edumadic and quit my career to see if it was possible to explore new opportunities while traveling with the benefit of unlimited vacation time. I thought the best case scenario would be if I connected with some interesting people and had a few memorable adventures to look back on.

Now I can say that best case scenario x100 wouldn't do justice to the last three months. I formed lifelong friendships with everyone and I can't imagine not having those crazy, adventurous spirits in my life! The entire experience challenged what I already knew about travel, it constantly forced me out of my comfort zone, and I discovered that I'm a lot more fearless than I thought!

I became super motivated to find a remote job to continue lifelong learning and exploring, and I actually did it. I owe it all to Edumadic for helping me take a different path and life and filling it with adventure.

From the start of my time in college I knew I wanted to do a big trip somewhere, I started saving money where I could, I had lofty dreams of backpacking Europe or exploring South America for a couple months. I was never really sure where I wanted to go, just that I had a hunger for travel. At the time of graduation I was finding I still needed experience in programming languages to land some jobs that interested me. I almost gave up on my dream to travel post grad when I stumbled across Edumadic, promising to fulfill your traveling desires while enabling you to learn things that YOU want.

When I arrived in Bali I had no idea what to expect, I just flew across the world to travel with a group of strangers. All of the Irrational fears that I had upon arrival were instantly gone upon meeting the group. Experiencing all these incredible things together like 2 AM hikes up a mountain to catch a sunrise that literally takes your breath away; to just having your morning cup of coffee together at the local cafe while you study, we formed bonds that reach all over the world.

I highly recommend Edumadic to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation that I was in. I was able to complete two different courses that allowed me to create my own programs and add them to job applications and formed memories and friendships that will last a lifetime in the process!