TEAN: Study Abroad in Melbourne, Australia

My semester in Melbourne was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The University was beautiful and I really enjoyed my courses there as they were ones unavailable at my home Uni. The housing was nice quality and in an excellent location. It housed a mix of international and national students, some of which became my closest friends in Melbourne. The city is lively and bursting with art which was what attracted me initially. TEAN was very helpful in getting everyone accomodated and feeling comfortable with their new locations. The o loved Australia so much in my time with TEAN that I moved back after graduation!

Studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia with TEAN was the best decision I made in college. The TEAN program is amazing and they truly did immerse you in the culture. Having a resident director in the city allows you to get local advice and find the best things to do and places to go. TEAN was always there to answer my questions and calm my nerves. I loved my resident director in Melbourne, and one of my favorite memories was going to a local concert of a rising Australian artist with the resident director and other TEAN students.
Melbourne, is a great place to live, and I truly believe it is world's most livable city. Overall, Australia was amazing and in my semester I was bale to travel all over Australia as well as New Zealand and even go on a Thailand excursion with TEAN.
I can't imagine how my study abroad experience could have been any better.

To anybody that is hemming and hawing about possibly studying abroad-stop and think. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to study at a college in a brand new place, while exploring a fresh world. Looking back on my experience studying abroad has taught me so much about adapting to new situations, meeting new people, and establishing new routines. Yes the expense is a big consideration, but when will you have another chance like this?

Melbourne is a fantastic city and there is so much to see and do. The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) enabled me to see the best parts of the city and do the most exciting and rewarding activities in the area. Without the help of TEAN I would have been lost in the city, without the knowledge I needed in order to make the most of my time abroad. The advisers and other TEAN staff were very knowledgeable and helpful when it came to navigating the city, deciding what to do, and overall just answering any questions that came up.

I decided to join the Mountaineering Club at Melb Uni so I could get more involved in hiking/climbing/ general outdoors things, and also meet likeminded people. Towards the end of the semester, I went on a hike in the Mornington Peninsula that was supposed to be about 14 miles. There were about 20 of us in the group walking. I went in thinking that it was going to be a pretty casual walk where we could take in the views and take pictures and whatnot. Boy was I wrong. Our group leader literally only let us stop once to eat! We ended up walking almost 17 miles on pretty hilly trails. It was quite the workout. We finished at Cape Schank where we were actually able to see the ocean, and not just Port Phillip Bay which was unbelievable. We were completely beat by the time we finished. Sore, tired, hungry. No one was fully prepared for it food wise either. On top all this, we had to carpool and do some car shifting to get the cars so we could get back to Melbourne. Me and a few other people ended up being the last people to get picked up; we literally felt like we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. It was pitch black and we were by a sort of creepy lighthouse. It was quite the experience. Definitely a wonderful and interesting way to experience a new place. All I can say is Mornington Peninsula is beautiful, but if you want to hike it, be prepared!

I don’t think I could have made a better decision than to study abroad at the University of Melbourne through The Education Abroad Network. The TEAN program surpassed my expectations in every way and facilitated the best six months of my life. In Melbourne, there was always something to do. If I wasn't spending the day hiking and exploring the bush in the Dandenong Ranges or Mornington Peninsula, you could find me down alleyways looking for the tastiest food, the best coffee, or new and upcoming artists in the heart of Melbourne's CBD.

I am a HUGE foodie, which is probably why I loved Melbourne as much as I did. Melbourne is the food, coffee, and music capitol of Australia and for a good reason. On a Saturday morning, the whole CBD smells of brunch, as delicious smells waft from every direction. I probably spent most of my money on exploring new restaurants and eateries, while becoming a regular at a few. I followed a few food bloggers from Melbourne and found myself exploring further and further out into the different suburbs of Melbourne, literally eating my way through the city.

We lived in the heart of Melbourne right on the edge of the CBD (central business district, aka downtown). I never knew how much I enjoyed city life until my study abroad experience and I didn’t want to leave! Living in the CBD meant that we were never more than a short walk or tram ride from wherever we wanted to go. With music festivals, farmers markets, coffee classes, and adventure clubs, Melbourne was never short on excitement. The city itself had an awesome vibe that thrived on street art, performers, and the diverse communities that make up the surrounding suburbs. If you have been to Portland, Oregon, that would give you a taste of what Melbourne has to offer.

Through the program and on recommendations from my Resident Director in Melbourne, I traveled to Thailand, Indonesia, and New Zealand, and ate my way through many cities along the way. On the TEAN Trip to Thailand, we took a cooking class in Chiang Mai and I fell head over heals in love with Thai curry and have since tried to perfect my favorite, Red Curry. While in Indonesia, I was able to travel with some of my friends from TEAN and we experienced traditional home cooked Indonesian food and took an Indonesian cooking class with the cutest lady around. Studying Abroad in Australia has allowed me to expand my palate as well as my appreciation of where great food comes from.

Along with the Spring Break trips to Thailand and New Zealand (which both are beyond amazing), TEAN does a great job at ensuring that each student has the best study abroad experience possible. TEAN provides students with Resident directors in their chosen cities that make the experience of studying abroad even more amazing!

Studying through The Education Abroad Network was a great decision as it streamlined and organized the process, while ensuring that my study abroad experience was nothing less than amazing! Studying Abroad taught me to embrace new cultures, seize opportunities, and inflamed my desire to travel the world. The Education Abroad Network program provided me with incredible opportunities that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else!

Studying in Australia was the best thing I've ever done. Melbourne is an amazing city that's devoted to the arts and food. Whether you want authentic Chinese dumplings, French belgian waffles, Thai mango rice, Greek gyros, or just a delicious burger, you can get it. If you want to spend your nights in hidden bars dancing to some funk, or checking out a play or concert or art gallery, Melbourne is the place for you. If you need to get away from the city, there are beautiful ranges, mountains, and beaches just a short train ride away. My favorite part about this journey was that you can get anywhere in Australia and the South Pacific (Bali, Thailand, New Zealand, Fiji, Sydney, Cairns to name a few paradises).
As for the University of Melbourne, it's considered the best university in Australia. You will be surrounded by bright individuals who are devoted to school. If you find yourself more of an artistic type, opt for RMIT. Both are great schools with great professors and resources.

All in all, I met the most amazing people, experienced the most amazing things, and would recommend studying through TEAN to anyone. They are with you every step of the way, give you lots of treats, and plan the most incredible adventures of your life.

Every day in Melbourne was different, diverse and yes, delicious.

You may have heard that Melbourne is the "Most Livable City in the World" or the "Food and Drink Capital of Australia," but I can tell you after living here for six months, is that Melbourne is a melting pot of all things awesome, controversial, and energetic.

Although I was a study abroad student taking a full course load of four classes, I always found time in between my classes and waitress job to do some solo exploration around the nearby suburbs, buy that delicious $2 borek from Queen Vic's market, or go out for a night of fun in the clubs with my European friends from RMIT University. As an independent soul, I like to say that Melbourne seemed to find me with its creative atmosphere full of gritty street art, never-ending mazes of alleyway (and super cool hidden bars), and independent, sustainable cafes and cozy restaurants. The city is always filled with goings-on and even after five months of living there, I still never fully explored Melbourne city, whether that be the CBD, Fitzroy, or St. Kilda, just to name a few! You will never be bored in Melbourne, especially since everything is within walking distance or a tram's ride away.

The enriching atmosphere provides for all sorts of individuals from the theater lovers to dessert connoisseurs and the athletics fanatics! Like I said before, you will never be bored, and as a result, you might find yourself learning new things whenever you walk around. I can proudly say that I ran my first half marathon into the MCG, feasted on a three-course Moroccan meal, felt classy while wine tasting in the Yarra Valley, volunteered on one of the sunniest days in a North Melbourne event, and watched a play in ACMI that used a bloody cow as a prop, all in Melbourne.

Never did I expect to go through all of these wonderful and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, but now I am back in the States thankful, renewed, and even more thrilled about the future and what it holds.