Study Abroad in Gold Coast, Australia

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.

The Education Abroad Network helped me incredibly in the transition of studying abroad. They were always available to answer my questions and were always very clear, honest and precise in their answers. They provided limitless opportunities and knowledge about Australia, the culture and how to get the best experience out of my semester abroad. I would recommend this program to anyone studying in any area that TEAN hosts. There is honestly nothing that I would change about the program!

My whole study abroad experience with TEAN was outstanding. TEAN took care of everything from my flights and housing all the way down to getting my transcript to my home university.

My journey abroad started with the TEAN orientation in Sydney which was so incredibly awesome and informative. We partook in a harbor cruise, climbing the iconic Sydney bridge, an amazing race, a costal walk, and so much more! There was never a dull moment and at the end of orientation in Sydney I felt as if I knew the city very well. In addition I was able to meet other students who were studying at other universities throughout Australia, this came in handy while traveling.

When I arrived at the Gold Coast I instantly fell in love. Our apartment was beautiful and a block from the beach, the location couldn't have been more perfect! Right off of the beach there's public barbecues where me and friends spent spent many nights grilling dinner and playing games. Broadbeach has all you can ask for; plenty of restaurants, shopping, a grocery store, and great nightlife. Surfers Paradise is a few bus stops away and has everything Broadbeach has to offer but on a larger scale.

To get to Griffith I would take the bus everyday which I got used to quickly. The bus system on the Gold Coast could get you to many places and you are forced to learn how to use it. I even taught some of my Australian mates how convenient the bus system could be! Currently there is a rail system under construction on the Gold Coast which will improve the public transit even more!

I strongly recommend both TEAN and the Gold Coast, I could not have had a more amazing experience abroad and can't wait till I can travel back!

TEAN is there for you every step of the way, and I highly recommend anyone to study abroad with them. I studied abroad at Bond University in the Gold Coast. Bond is a small private school that follows the same schedule as most American schools. I lived at the beach housing offered by TEAN. It was a beautiful high rise hotel which was a block from the beach and right in the middle of many restaurants and shops. Everything is taken care of for you at the hotel, including a weekly cleaning service. TEAN has a local resident director who plans events for us like surfing and professional rugby games, as well as tell us local places we should check out. I am so thankful for all TEAN did to help me have an amazing four months!

TEAN provides you with so much support before you leave. Their staff will help you everyday and respond to you almost hourly by email. They give you an amazing time in Sydney that you will not even believe. They provide you with high end service and most importantly they respect you and really talk to you and treat you like adults. Even coming back they still help me everyday with transferring my credits and any other problems I have. Once you get to your uni they still help you with cultural events that are really fun like pro footy games or surf lessons. Every event they schedule you want to go to but are not forced.

I stayed in the beach housing, which included ocean views and a short walk to the beach, as well as rooms cleaned and linen's changed. The local nightlife was great and Broad Beach had more than enough options for shopping and dining. Living off campus gave me a great experience to adapt to life in a different country. I commuted to Bond on public transportation. The bus system can get you anywhere you need to go! I loved the way that classe were set up with tutorials and lectures, as well as the fact that Bond runs on the same schedule as American schools. TEAN helped me throughout every process before I even left the US. When I got in Australia, I was greeted by friendly faces. My resident director was available for talking and she was particularly helpful when I was feeling homesick. She was also a great resource to let me know when special events were happening in the Gold Coast, as well as helped plan trips for us such as getting tickets for a rugby tournament and surfing lessons. My semester in the Gold Coast was one I will never forget!!

Where can I start? I had wanted to go to Australia for years and was finally there. Arriving in Sydney was the perfect way to start with TEAN setting up everything for us to do over the next few days including going to a wildlife park, dinner where we ate Kangaroo, a tour of Sydney, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, going on the Coastal Walk, and taking part in the TEAN Amazing Race.

Then after these few days it was off to Gold Coast where I stayed at Griffith University Village in a five person apartment with 2 Australians and 2 Americans, 1 who was also part of TEAN. The Village is a great way to meet Australian students, but it's also a way to meet students from all over the world. Another great thing about it is the location. It's about a 5-10 minute walk to class and a 20 minute bus ride down to the beaches and Surfers Paradise.

One week after arriving in Gold Coast I began classes, all of which were almost entirely Australian students. It was pretty easy to make friends with them, as long as you took the initiative. Each of these classes were so different than those at home, I only had a midterm, a paper, and a final for grades. It's a little overwhelming at first with everything counting so much but I found as long as you go to the class and sort of keep up with the work you're almost guaranteed to fine.

There are so many great things about Gold Coast like the beaches, nightlife, as well as being centrally located on the east coast making it easy to travel to different cities.

These 4+ months were the best of my life during which I was able to go all over Australia. I became scuba certified in Gold Coast before going on a live aboard trip on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, traveled to different National Parks around the Gold Coast, and drove across The Outback during spring break with some friends where we climbed Uluru just to name a few.

I was very nervous about leaving home, let alone my country, for 4 months. The Education Abroad Network was very sufficent at answering any questions I had and making me feel confident and less nervous about leaving home for so long.
Once I got to the Gold Coast, they still kept in very good contact with me and helped me to calm my nerves when I was nervous about something.