Spring Study Abroad Programs in Brisbane, Australia

Going to Brisbane, Australia and studying at the University of Queensland was one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life! I went abroad my junior year of college in the fall. I had to go earlier than most abroad programs (left in early July), so I was already so nervous. IFSA's staff was incredible. As soon as I got off the plane, my IFSA advisor helped me get a SIM card to contact my parents and tell them we landed. IFSA staff does a great job of being attentive and responding immediately to anything which may concern you. Whether it was directions to a bus stop or picking a place to go for the weekend, IFSA acted as a family would. They were my rock. They gave me advice. I was able to contact them about big and small issues. Also, IFSA planned several group trips, such as one to Morton Island, which was incredible! All you had to do was show up and be ready for an amazing weekend! Also, the University of Queensland's campus was breathtaking. It was the perfect place to get out after class and stroll on campus to a coffee spot or visit the library. I felt very comfortable navigating through campus. I love the sun shine and being outdoors, so studying on this campus involved days of reading outside on my favorite park bench. Brisbane stole my heart. The people, the memories, the friends. Everything I made there is irreplaceable. Going halfway around the world was worth every second. I visited beaches, met new people, and traveled around Australia while being a student as well. I got to surf and see kangaroos. I got to experience independence while never feeling alone. I highly suggest looking into IFSA's University of Queensland Study Abroad Program! I was worried about my studies while abroad, but travel and school was manageable. Also, the sunshine made me excited for each and every day!

My experience in Gold Coast was something irreplaceable, I would go back and do it a hundred times over. While deciding where I wanted to study, I always desired to see Australia. Unlike many people, I took an unusual root and signed up for the IFSA program without knowing one other person. I recommend IFSA to anyone who asks me about my experience. Even before taking off they give such detailed instructions for everything you need before you go abroad and assign you an advisor that can help with any questions you might have. I set up calls with mine so many times and I was always able to benefit from her advice. IFSA also makes sure to include excursions, our orientation took place in Sydney where I got to meet the rest of the 20 kids on my program. I still stay in touch with a majority of them we were a very tight-knit group. Our advisors there were always so eager to find us new night-life, restaurants, and sightseeing tips throughout the experience. My peers and I looked to those two women as our home away from home moms! There are monthly activities like boating, Morton Island weekend trip, Barefoot Bowls, Three Sisters, and more. Who wouldn't want to live in the heart of Gold Coast? The surfer century apartments are located a block from the beach and at the center of the hustle and bustle. I grew so much as a person starting fresh in a brand new place. No matter where you decide to study, just do it! There is no better time to put your life on pause for 6 months. It's a rare opportunity and a total blessing. In the Spring of my junior year, I did another program not through IFSA to Dublin, Ireland. I can say whole-heartedly IFSA is an amazingly organized program to trust to get you there in one piece and also be there when you need guidance. While living in the apartments, IFSA also partnered with a program at the school. Everyone who lived in my apartment all shared the same student mentor, who happened to be the student body president at Griffith! He gave us all the tips and tricks to navigate in a new place. He hosted events where we could meet other international students as well. Surfer's Paradise seemed gigantic at first but by the end seemed smaller and more like home, where I would see familiar faces on the tram, on Cavill Ave, at the grocery stores, and bars. I would take anything to go back and travel along the east coast of Australia and IFSA made it all possible. It was my hardest goodbye and my greatest love and to IFSA and Griffith University I am forever grateful.