A life changing, eye opening experience that I highly recommend! Past Review
By Chauntel Jewett (Stonehill College) - abroad from 02/12/2020 to 03/19/2020 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Gold Coast - Griffith University
It was 100% worthwhile. The experience allows you to gain independence and a sense of freedom to live each and every day to how you see fit. I gained new knowledge and different perspectives from attending university. I met new people from across the states as well as locals that I still call friends. I think everyone should study abroad because it's an experience that you can't explain but highly recommend!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
TEAN is a great study abroad program that encouraged academic learning as well as exploring the area by immersing yourself in the culture. They offered many resources and were wonderful at communicating to make sure your experience was everything you dreamed of. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Peppers Broadbeach was absolutely breathtaking. The staff and service were great. The location was perfect since it was walking distance from the beach and many restaurants and shopping malls. Transportation was accessible and only about a 30 minute tram ride to and from Griffith University. TEAN did an amazing job pairing you with roommates that you asked for as well as placing you with people that would be a good match. |
| * Food: |
Many food options which included markets, grocery stores, and a variety of restaurants that offered differed cultures of food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
TEAN did a great job teaching us the local language, types of food that are popular, as well as the do's and don'ts. Everyone in the area and at university was welcoming and friendly and excited to get to know us as much as we were excited to meet them and other locals. TEAN did a good job making everyone in the program comfortable and at ease with the social and cultural integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Although I didn't need any healthcare assistance, TEAN offered healthcare and insurance for each student. They as well as the provider answered many questions regarding healthcare which was helpful. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in the area I stayed in which was the Gold Coast. I never felt threatened or unsafe. I typically went out with friends especially at night and we had no concerns. During the day I would explore on my own and I had no worries. TEAN provides you with all the local emergency contact information. They also provide you with your local staffs contact information so you can reach out at any time for questions or an emergency. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
TEAN is and was an amazing program. They were so helpful and friendly and really wanted each student to have the best experience possible. Although my experience was cut short due to Covid, they were amazing until the very end. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Overall, you need to budget and plan out your expenses as well as spending money. TEAN offers many affordable excursions that you can participate in which I highly recommend. For me, I spent an equivalent amount of money abroad compared to at home throughout the normal school week. I did spend more because personally I chose to participate in excursions. If you choose to eat out more and shop then it will be cost you more but if you go out at a reasonable pace as you would at home, you'll be fine. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan ahead, no matter where you decide to go, you'll need money. Save up as much as possible for as long as possible. Ask for money for the holidays ad birthdays to put towards your experience. Get a debit/credit card that won't charge you interest every time you use it because that will be a big help. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | There's not much I know now other than it is a great program that I would recommend to those looking to study abroad! Experiencing the program confirmed that I made the right choice! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
