AMAZING EXPERIENCE WITH TEAN IN AUSTRALIA Past Review

University of New South Wales: Feb-June 2011 Home University: Purdue University, West Lafayette Major: Civil Engineering, Structural Emphasis When I first came to Purdue as a freshman, I had never even considered studying abroad. I grew up in Mentor, Ohio my whole life and then came to Purdue but had never been out of the country or furthermore the Midwest so I wasn’t really aware of the incredible opportunities and experiences I was missing out on having not done much travel in my high school years. At the beginning of my second year, I attended the study abroad fair after having talked to many people who had study abroad the year before and suddenly was pretty interested. Australia was an English speaking country and warm for the majority of the year so when I became aware that there were programs there for engineering and management I was ecstatic. TEAN has provided me with the best experience I could have ever asked for in my schooling education. The study abroad programs that they make available to us students are extremely well thought out, planned, and explained to all participants in the program. I always felt that I had somebody I could talk to and ask questions throughout my whole experience, starting with my early application process, to pre-departure information and preparation, to actually being in another country, and finally even with the follow up to ensure I had the best experience possible. There was never a time while I was in Australia that I felt that I had nobody to turn to, ask questions, or find a helping hand. The TEAN excursions, housing options, and pre-departure trips really set it out from any other program I’ve talked to people about and I honestly feel privileged to have been able to study abroad through them. From my personal experience with TEAN, I participated in the orientation and mid-semester break to New Zealand. These were some of the best times I had overseas because it really opened me up to meeting other people and truly immersing myself in the other cultures with the help of the elite TEAN advisors that put on the orientation and excursion trips. I also lived in the TEAN provided housing at Bondi Junction Meriton Apartments and could not have been more pleased with its amazing location that provided easy access to shopping, groceries, and transportation. It was a decision that was hard to decide on originally because I didn’t realize how great this option was without having have talked to anybody that had lived there, but I am now a personal advocate and supporter of this choice. I will never forget the time I had in Australia, the people I met, and the people who helped make it happen!