ISA Study Abroad in Gold Coast, Australia

This was by far one of the best experiences i have ever had. The staff at GloablLinks does everything above and beyond to make sure you are having the time of your life, and that you are okay while you are abroad. If there is anything i can say that would be the most helpful to you, i would say i heard from GloablLinks on a weekly basis to catch up, while i heard from my home University once every few months, if at all.

I know it seems cheesy that I rated this program 10s all across the board, but Globalinks Learning Abroad deserves it. I attended Bond University from January to the end of April and I loved every minute of it. Like the other reviewer, I grew as a person. I was able to step outside of my usual comfort zone and welcome a new society into my life. I learned to surf, mastered the bus system, travelled to Ayer's Rock and Sydney, held a Koala, jumped around with the Kangaroo and made many friends to go along with it.

The staff of GLA is phenomenal as well. They will help you every step of the way, from answering your simplest question of, "Where do I want to go and how do I get there?" to the most complex, "We've just started getting charged for our electricity usage, is this included in what we already paid for?" (I definitely asked both!)

I loved the small campus of Bond University. You got to know your professors on a far more personal level than you do on a large campus. Each professor is more than willing to discuss a topic with you so you can earn the best grade possible.

Study abroad. It doesn't really matter where you go, just do it. It'll be the best decision you could ever make.

Studying abroad has given me a completely new and fresh perspective on life and other cultures. I have been bitten with the travel bug 100%, and have made it a priority to incorporate traveling and trying new experiences into my everyday life, even if that means just a short trip a few towns over. There are SO many new opportunities out there, and you'll never find them if you don't go looking. Studying abroad has opened my eyes that there are MILLIONS of different combinations of people out there, so don't limit yourself to just the familiar. Once you step out of your comfort zone, the possibilities are limitless. Take advantage of every opportunity and adventure you can while you can!

Academics
The school system was definitely different in Australia compared to America. Australian courses tend to have more condensed assignments in the form of a few papers or exams for the entire semester, as opposed to American classes that have many smaller assignments throughout the semester. Australian courses are also more independent, and classes are more 'optional', with the implication that you will complete much of your coursework outside of class. I felt that the grading was harsher, although the assignments seemed easier compared to the work I do at my home university. Teaching methods were definitely different, as most of my classes were considered 'tutes', and it was more like an informal question and answer session than an actual class.
I didn't feel as if there was much 'support' to students from America, and my opinion was that professors abroad seemed to think Americans didn't care much about the education we received in the class. I had met with one of my professors a few times, and it wasn't much help to me in learning how to complete the assignments. The classes I took were primarily general education courses, so I wasn't too concerned with really absorbing the knowledge, but it would have been easier if I had felt more welcome in the classroom.

Housing
For my housing, I was placed into apartment housing at the Griffith Uni Village. Some students lived with all Americans, some only lived with Americans from the AustraLearn program, and other had a mix. I lived with two Australian girls, an Australian guy, and a Norwegian guy. I liked the fact that I had diversity in my living arrangements and was able to experience more of the culture right in my own home.
I never felt as if safety were a problem, I never felt unsafe and was usually with my friends all the time. The Village is right next to campus, about a ten-fifteen minute walk to get to my classes. It's also about a fifteen minute walk to get to the bus stop, which we rode into town to get groceries, catch a train or plane when we were traveling, and how we got downtown to go out if we didn't take a cab (about twenty minutes from Surfer's Paradise).
Since I was living with people who had already been settled in to the Village and who were also locals, housing basics such as cook wear were already supplied and my roommates welcomed me to use whatever was theirs in the apartment. The apartments themselves were furnished, so there was furniture, dressers, beds, a desk, etc. Australearn supplied sheets a pillow, so my expenses to live in the apartment were few. I ended up buying basic things, such as a few hangers, a small mirror, toiletries, food, etc.

Food
Food is SO expensive in Australia!!! I'm a frequenter of Dollar Stores here in America to get basic supplies, so to find that those don't really exist in Australia was such a letdown! There are no Wal-Marts either, although their K-Marts are similar, only more 'high quality' and of course, more expensive. If living near Griffith Uni in Southport, go to the Ashmore City Shopping Centre, only a few miles away and definitely within walking distance. They have a 'Crazy Clarks' store, which is about as close to a dollar store as I ever found over there-we found cheap crafts, toiletries, kitchen supplies,food, snacks, etc. There's also a Chemist (pharmacy), fruit market, and IGA (grocery store), along with a bank (ANZ) and Liquor Store right around the corner. If we were saving our bus money or just wanted to grab a few things or take a walk, this is where we went to get groceries. IGA is definitely a little more expensive than Coles or Woolworths (located in Southport at the Australia Fair shopping centre, both grocery stores similar to WalMart) but if you didnt want to take the bus 30 min away it's a nice alternative. Also remember, there aren't 'superstores' in Australia like in the US-it's going to be wayyyy more expensive to buy everything at the same store than to go to the separate specialty stores for supplies, and most grocery stores don't even sell alcohol. One of the nice things about Australian food is that there are no preservatives and nasty crap like we have here in America, so that contributes to prices as well. My diet while abroad consisted of lots of stir frys, rice, meat & veg combinations, specifically revolving around what was on sale that week. Australia Fair also has a cheap produce market that we would try to get to about every 2 weeks or so.

Traveling & Safety
I did a ton of traveling throughout my stay in Australia, including visiting multiple places throughout Queensland, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Sydney, Cairns, and the Outback. Each place had their own unique style and I loved everything about it! My trip specifically included a trip to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef before arriving at our abroad unis, which was a fantastic way to network with other students and make friends before getting settled in with school. Traveling was my favorite part of the study abroad experience, by far.

Everyday Life
Highlights were definitely the access to travel around the country and meet people from different backgrounds than myself. I absolutely loved the accessibility-you can virtually take a train or bus to just about anywhere you would want to go within the country. The people were extremely accommodating and helpful in every aspect. There were struggles, such as not having enough money to do everything I wanted to, trying to overcome learning differences in the classroom, etc. but overall the difficulties is what made the trip unique and different than a "tourist" visit. Being able to immerse myself in the culture and actual live in Australia, as opposed to merely visiting, really made all the difference.

Australearn included many seminars about abroad life in our orientation before we headed to our different unis, and safety was stressed. We were provided many resources and information about who to call and what to do if we were in an emergency situation. I never felt unsafe or worried for my safety at any time throughout the trip.
I did have to visit the doctor several times for a bad sinus infection, and it was MUCH simpler than visiting a dr in the states...AustraLearn has student health insurance included in their package, so you just get a card when you arrive and can use the clinic on campus. I barely had to wait for my appointment, and the cost was extremely reasonable-even better than the healthcare I have in my OWN country. There is a cap on medications too, you only have to pay up to a specific amount of money. I did not need any specific vaccines prior to going abroad.

Words of wisdom for anyone thinking of going abroad with Australearn is to TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL and make sure you come with enough money so you don't have to find a job once you arrive! So many people immediately got jobs from my program once we arrived in Southport, and it seems contradictory to live the same life abroad as you do at home, when this experience is truly once in a lifetime. Make sure you construct a budget as well, so you're making the best use of your money and not just blowing everything on alcohol and partying. Most importantly, say hello to everyone and don't be afraid to initiate a conversation! Most of my friendships, whom I still am in contact with now, began with a simple smile & "hello" :)

I loved the Lady Elliot Island 5-day stay. We got to swim around the Great Barrier Reef island while taking underwater photography. We were 40 miles off the coast of Aus. The stars at night were amazing and the overall isolation from the mainland emphasised our overall group bonding and dynamics.

I absolutely loved going abroad, it definitely was the time of my life! Putting my entire experience of about 6 months into a paragraph or two is nearly impossible for me to do - I could talk about this for weeks. In short, I met so many great people from all over the world and since I have been back in the United States its been fun traveling to visit some of the people I met in Australia and even hosting a few Aussies at my home University!

I've also grown as a person which became more clear to me when I returned to my home University the following semester. After going abroad I am more independent and confident in nearly everything I do! This is because while I was abroad I was completely on my own which sounds easy but it was a bit overwhelming at first. I was in control of my money and had to maintain a budget to last me until I came home (nearly a whole 6 months!), I made my own flight arrangements - picked something that I wanted to do and went there. I even rented a car and learned how to drive on the other side of the road! And even simple things like learning how to take the city bus and go food shopping were all things I had to figure out how to do (Woolworths definitely was a life saver, a grocery store that delivers! I wish my home University had that!).

Overall experiencing life in another country was amazing. Everyday was exciting and something different I was always busy and thrilled about simple things that many of the locals take for granted. For example, walking to the beach was really interesting because I liked passing by houses and seeing how different they were to ones from my hometown and I loved riding the bus because I would be able to make small talk with locals and learn about a cool spot to see or event that was coming! And its even the same with everyday things like cars, street signs, buildings, clothing, foods - everything was new to me and I loved exploring!

We had such an epic time while attending Griffith! We lived on the beach (although we were left to attain our own accommodations) in a great Holiday Apartment and loved the nightlife in Surfers Paradise.

The Campus was very nice and always updating classrooms to stay up to date. My classes were challenging, I was a part of the theater troupe and participated in student government. I really felt like a part of the community.

Studying abroad on the Gold Coast was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Everyone is really friendly and they love to party! If you decide to study at Griffith, living at the Griffith University Village is a must. It isn't 5 star accommodation but it is a lot a fun. It is a ten-minute walk to campus and a ten-minute walk to the grocery store. If you want to go to the beach, it is only a 25-minute bus ride. Griffith is very academically challenging. I would recommend taking classes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so you can travel and enjoy yourself on the weekends. Studying abroad makes you more independent and more outgoing. The only advice I wish I had before I left would be to not worry about what people think about you and just go all out. Go big or go home.

The Gold Coast is a resort town... well, make that resort city. It's lots - sorry, heaps of fun, but it is definitely geared towards tourists. On that note though, there are plenty of great places to shop and dine, and the beaches are amazing. It's mid winter as I write this and I'm laying on the beach and swimming in the ocean regularly. Also, the nightlife in the downtown areas of the Gold Coast is a lot of fun, every night of the week. There are plenty of bars, clubs, and late night munchy eateries.

Griffith University Gold Coast is an awesome campus, I couldn't be more happy with it. The campus itself seems brand new. It's very clean and well-landscaped. It's compact enough to get around quick without feeling claustrophobic. The teachers are also very good. I took mostly film and music production/business classes while here. Since the teachers actually come from backgrounds in the areas they're teaching, they're very passionate and knowledgeable in a practical, real-world sense. Many of them will teach a class, then go to a gig.

I live in Griffith University Village, which is an unaffiliated apartment complex near campus. It's only about a ten minute walk to campus, which is really convenient. It's a lot of fun, but can be loud at times. Basically you can always party when you want to party, but if you want quiet study time you might have to do it on campus. I have no problem with it, everyone is really friendly and down for anything.
This is a great location for travel if you do want to get out of the Gold Coast and see some 'real' Australia. Brisbane is a $5 bus/train ride from campus and from there you can get anywhere else. I just booked a trip to New Zealand pretty cheaply for spring break, flying out of there.

The only downside to Australia in general that I've found is that it is extremely expensive. The minimum wage here is almost double what it is in the US, so everything is pricier, relative to that. It also doesn't help that our dollar isn't very strong at the moment, but that fluctuates. It's still worth coming, just plan ahead for that kind of budget. I would say about $5,000-6,000 of additional spending money would get you through the semester very comfortably, going on a few trips and going out regularly. Since I only planned for around $3,000, this was a bit of a wake up call. If you plan ahead, this will be one of the best times of your life.