Study Abroad in Gold Coast, Australia

My typical day in the Gold Coast of Australia was waking up looking out my balcony window, and seeing beautiful mountains off into the distance. Since it only rained 7 times while I was there (yes I counted) it was perfect weather. With that being said think about a minute walk to a beautiful beach to relax before/after or your day off from school. The grocery store was only a 3 minute walk down the street that had everything you needed. I attended Griffith University in the Gold Coast, and had class 3 days a week. I had Tuesdays & Fridays off. Getting around in Broadbeach was easy the bus system was very easy to get on and find your way. The bus drivers were very nice letting you know if you were on the right bus. Aussie loved talking to you about anything they thought our accents were really hard to understand.

Going abroad to the Gold Coast with the TEAN program was by far the best decision of my life. I was able to meet some of the greatest people in the world while participating in once in a lifetime activities. The TEAN organization set up the most fantastic trip anyone could ever imagine and I can honestly say I wouldn't change anything about my experience. No other program provides it's students with as comprehensive an orientation, or guidance once we got to the Gold Coast. TEAN left no stone uncovered, from airport transfers to cell phones, TEAN made sure we had everything possible to allow for us to have the greatest time of our lives. That is exactly what we were able to do.

My time spent with the Education Abroad Network in the Gold Coast was the most unforgettable time of my life. Aside from living in a fully-furnished apartment overlooking the beach, I attended the most beautiful university (Bond) in the world. The only way to describe it: like someone decided put a college where a beach resort should be.
TEAN also provided me with all of the support that I could have asked for and then some. They planned a pre-semester getaway to Fiji and an amazing orientation in Sydney. We were able to climb the Sydney Bridge, enjoy some of the finest dining, and we were put up in the Great Gatsby mansion (used to film the movie "Gatsby")- all planned and paid for by TEAN. They were also there for me in more serious situations, like when I needed to go to the hospital after I injured my hand. Without the TEAN network, I would not have been able to travel with such ease. Their network makes it incredibly easy to connect with TEAN reps/students anywhere. Before I traveled anywhere, I would contact the TEAN people in that area and ask them how to get around, where to stay, and any places I should check out.
Throughout my 4 month stay, I traveled to Fiji, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Whitsundays, Brisbane, Byron Bay, and all-throughout the Gold Coast. I had friends go to Bali, Japan, Perth, Uluru (the outback), New Zealand, Thailand, and many more. Not once, did any of us feel that we were alone. TEAN was there to support us every step of our journey.
I lived in Broadbeach, which was one of the areas in the Gold Coast. There was a plethora of beaches surrounding us, each with their own unique flavor. There was also Surfer's Paradise, where at any time of the week people were out at any of the many bars and clubs. Most importantly I never once felt unsafe in the Gold Coast.
What TEAN does better than any other program out there you cannot put a price on. It's the feeling that even though you're halfway around the world from home, you're still with family.

TEAN made the application process so easy. Taking care of flights, approving courses, and housing situations were so much easier with TEAN helping. Having the orientation in Sydney was the best way to start my semester abroad. It allowed me to meet and get to know other TEAN students who are now some of my closest friends. Once we got the Gold Coast, we had Helen to show us around and give us information about our new home. I lived in an apartment building that was a 5 minute walk to the beach, and a half hour bus ride to Griffith's campus. The Australian students are very welcoming and love talking to American kids. I made a few good friends in my classes.

We also got to do a lot of traveling. Getting to know the TEAN kids in orientation helped out because we had places to stay in other cities. It was great going to Melbourne, Sydney, or Cairns, because other students had either been there already or lived there, and could give us some good information on what to do there.

It was pretty easy to adjust to the culture there. It is very different, but at the same time there are a lot of similarities. The biggest thing was probably how laid back everyone was. It was a great change of pace.

There's so much to learn about yourself and the world living in another country. You learn how to use public transportation to get around and travel, you learn to cook and enjoy different foods, you get a new appreciation of different cultures by meeting new people and so much more. My program directors went out of their way to make sure that everyone accomplished everything they wanted to and more while abroad. I had the time of my life traveling all over Australia doing things that I will never forget like holding koalas, skydiving, scuba diving, kissing kangaroos, hiking, surfing and of course enjoying the nightlife. I definitely want to go back one day soon!

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!

Studying abroad in the Gold Coast was the best experience of my life and TEAN definitely contributed to that experience. I lived in serviced apartments two minutes away from the beach and it was pretty much paradise. Waking up everyday knowing it was going to be 80 degrees and sunny was the best feeling ever. I studied at Bond University and the campus was beautiful. I rode the bus to campus for class and I took advantage of the public transportation and visited every beach I could on the Gold Coast. At night I would go for a run right next to the ocean and reflect on my life and every day just kept getting better. I met some of my best friends and I even met a guy who I am currently still dating.

Studying abroad is an experience like no other and it helped me grow into a woman I dreamed of becoming. My favorite time of the entire trip was bungee jumping in New Zealand, I will admit it was the best 30 seconds of my life. New Zealand was beautiful and I'm so glad I got to make a trip there. I also made a trip to the great barrier reef and went scuba diving which was also amazing.

The Australian culture was so interesting to learn about. It was exceptionally easy to get to know the locals with them speaking English and everywhere in the country is just a beautiful sight.

I would push and encourage every person to take the chance and go abroad, regardless of money and regardless of whats currently going on in their life. I had to pay for everything on my own, I took out loans and I'm not in a lot of debt but it was all worth 100% of every penny.

TEAN was the best decision I made regarding my decision to go Australia. Discover yourself and go abroad!

Studying abroad in the Gold Coast was the best decision I’ve ever made. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with better people. I believe that a key reason I had such an amazing time overseas was because I chose to study abroad with The Education Abroad Network (TEAN). The helpful and friendly staff assisted me up to and through my journey of Australia.

While in Australia I attended Griffith University and lived in the Meriton Apartment of Broadbeach. Tean provided me with top of the line housing and the Meriton featured a beautiful pool, hot tub and was less than a minute walk from the beach. To really understand how amazing my trip was I want to explain what a typical week would be like when studying in the Gold Coast.

Typically I would wake up on Mondays and take a short ride over to campus to culture myself with a few classes. Being on campus was always a good time as something was always going on. It could be on campus trivia, or a pool party at the Village either way there was something to do. By mid day I would head home to hit the pool and catch some sun or walk down to the beach to lay around for the rest of the afternoon. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were a lot like Mondays but on days with more free time I had the option to take the bus to some of the amazing water parks that are featured on the gold coast.

If lying out by the beach or heading to the water parks isn’t your thing than you could walk around in Surfers Paradise and hit up all the luxury shopping outlets. This area also offers unique dining options if you want to get a bite to eat. One of my favorite things was when the sun went down and it was time to go out. Night life on the Gold Coast is known around Australia as some of the best. You could take it easy and have a few drinks while enjoying a footy game or pick up the tempo and check out the clubs in the area. There is always something to do!

I saw these are things I would do on a typical week but I want you to know that every week was different. One week you may find yourself traveling to Byron Bay to visit the most easterly point of Australia or to Cairns to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. Either way you will have an amazing time in Australia and with the help of TEAN and their staff it will truly be something you will never forget.