Counseling Study Abroad Programs in Australia

Tropical Marine Biology at Murdoch was a great short-term program. I didn't want to commit to a full semester abroad, so just one month in Australia was perfect! The teaching staff at Murdoch was exceptional, and the 10-day field camp up in Coral Bay was worth the whole trip. It was winter in Australia, so be cautious that you will be in Perth during their rainy season!

Living on the Gold Coast was an incredible experience. It’s such an amazing place with stunning beaches and warm weather. On the Gold Coast there’s a really relaxed yet active lifestyle that makes it easy to enjoy every day. I lived off campus in Broadbeach, just a short 5-minute walk from Kurrawa Beach. I spent a lot of time at the beach going for walks, swimming, catching a tan, or watching the surfers! I stayed at Meriton Suites in Broadbeach, and it had everything I needed. The apartment was modern and comfortable, and the building had great amenities like a pool, hot tub, gym, sauna, and even a place to grill. Broadbeach was a balanced place to live. It was quiet enough to focus and unwind, but still had restaurants, cafes, and shops nearby. There’s so much to do in the Goldcoast. There were nearby mountains you could hike, several beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, amusement parks, restaurants, etc. It always felt like there was something new to see or try. At the same time, the area felt really livable, not just a tourist destination. Surfers Paradise was just a 6-minute tram ride or a 1.5 mile walk along the coast. This area was a lot more lively, with a busy social scene. I really felt like I had the best of both worlds living wise. The weather was a major highlight. Almost every day was sunny and warm, which made it easy to spend time outdoors and really enjoy the environment. By the end of my stay, I felt healthier, more connected to nature, and just overall refreshed. I studied at Griffith University on the Gold Coast campus, and it was honestly a great experience. The academics were good, and all my courses transferred smoothly back to my home university. The professors were super helpful and approachable, which made a big difference. The campus itself had a lot to offer, however there wasn't a huge social scene on campus like there is at my home university. I only had to go to campus three days a week, so I had a nice balance of study and free time to explore the area. If you’re thinking about studying abroad, I’d really recommend the Gold Coast. It offers a great mix of natural beauty, things to do, and a comfortable lifestyle that’s easy to settle into. This experience felt like a 4 month vacation while also getting an education!!

My nerves about study abroad were overcome by the exceeding of my expectations at Bond University. This semester was an amazing experience from the great Bond staff and faulty, traveling throughout Australia and New Zealand, and the relationships I formed! The professors that I had this semester were so knowledgeable in their fields and had so much to share. I discovered a new interest of mine through my Sport Development class. After studying during the week, the weekends were filled with traveling all over. My favorite places in Australia were Byron Bay and Cairns. These two places were different in their own ways but were great. And the South Island of New Zealand is amazing, the scenery is just beautiful!

I decided to study abroad in Australia due to the environment and how different all the plants and animals are from the rest of the world. TEAN allowed me to not only go abroad but discover all sorts of amazing things in both the environment and in social settings as well. Being able to go to North Stradbroke Island was incredible and set an amazing tone for the rest of my time abroad. Not to mention the orientation in Cairns. I got to cross two things off my bucket list in the first week of being in Australia: seeing the Great Barrier Reef and skydiving! I got to meet people from all over the world during my time in the Gold Coast, as well as make lifelong friends with locals. The people there are so incredibly friendly, it would a challenge to not make friends while there. I absolutely loved my experience, and it has left me with the desire to go back as soon as I can.

My semester at Bond University in Australia was an incredible experience that combined learning, adventure, and personal growth. The small class sizes and supportive professors made it easy to stay engaged, and I loved how the coursework connected to real-world situations. Beyond academics, Bond’s location on the Gold Coast meant I could spend my free time exploring amazing beaches, trying new foods like kangaroo and crocodile, and soaking in Australia’s unique culture. I also had the chance to travel to places like Auckland, Sydney, Perth, Uluru, Cairns, and Melbourne which were unforgettable. Living abroad taught me so much about being adaptable, stepping out of my comfort zone, and seeing the world from a new perspective—all while making lifelong friends. If you’re thinking about studying abroad, I couldn’t recommend Bond University more!

I went abroad to Gold Coast, Australia in spring of 2024, and I had the absolute best time. I saw new animals (lots of kangaroos!!) and visited all new places. I got to travel throughout Australia, and I even made it to parts of Asia and New Zealand which were amazing. I met amazing people from all different backgrounds and made some lifelong friends. The places that I got to travel to were absolutely breathtaking. And the beaches on the Gold Coast were unreal. If you are planning on going abroad, TEAN is a great program to go through! They are super supportive, and will help you all throughout the process. Overall, I cannot recommend going abroad enough!

Studying at Bond University is something I will never forget. The school itself had the most beautiful campus I'd ever been on. I was so excited to wake up every morning and walk around campus. It is quiet during the week with so many good spots to study, inside and outside areas. There were many opportunities to attend events and meet other students. I always felt safe on campus whether it was super late at night or just by myself. The facilities and classes are great, and professors are helpful. I would love to go back and finish my schooling there if I had the opportunity.

I was consumed by anxiety as I prepared to embark on my Australian adventure. Yet, the experience transcended all expectations, emerging as the most extraordinary period of my life. I forged an enduring friendship with an individual who I am still close with. The privilege of exploring Australia's rich history through dedicated coursework was an invaluable opportunity. Each sunrise, I reveled in the spectacle of sunrise as I ran along the coast. Residing on campus facilitated unforgettable encounters with a diverse array of locals. My time in Australia is an irreplaceable treasure, and I implore everyone to seize the chance to study abroad there.

From the orientation at the Great Barrier Reef to the nonstop laughs in the dorms, I truly had the best time on the Gold Coast with TEAN. Writing this review makes me want to book another flight back. My two onsite trip leaders were great resources and very helpful when it came to acclimating to an entirely different country. Australia is an amazing country, but I believe it's the people who make the place. This program came with the best people and let me meet the greatest people. Go start your adventure!

This was truly one of the best experiences I have had. From many of the courses having field trips to meeting people from all over the world, I truly could not have had a better abroad experience. I lived on campus and was able to be part of the community and become part of the university as well by volunteering in a lab on campus and having an on campus job. I traveled all over the country and to a few other countries as well! I was so excited for this opportunity and I now have an opportunity from the university to come back for further studies.

Going to Perth I had no idea what to expect. I went in knowing nobody but ended up with more friends than I could imagine. Before studying TEAN had us meet in Cairns for a week to meet other people in the program. I made friends that went to Murdoch as well and I hung out with them every week; even the ones that went to Sydney became close friends as I saw them throughout the semester. In Perth I was quickly immersed into every day life which I loved. Me and some TEAN friends along with others I had met went on lots of road trips and camping trips all the way from Esperance down south to Karijini waaaaay in the outback. Through TEAN I was able to surf and explore the island right off the coast of the city. As for classes, it was a rough adjustment from school in the US, but my TEAN advisor was very helpful through every step. Although I didn't need to use my health insurance, it was nice to know it was there if needed.

My New Year’s resolution for myself in 2020 was to get out of my comfort zone. I nicknamed this year “my year of yes”. My one rule? If presented an opportunity, I would say yes. And that is exactly how my year started. Whether it was saying yes to a random spur of the moment road trip with my best friend or deciding to ski one day when I had never touched a pair of skis before in my life, my answer was always going to be a yes. But my favorite ‘yes’ was actually at the end of 2019 when I decided that 2020 would be the year I would go abroad. I remember going straight to my university’s study abroad office the moment I got this idea in my head. I took all the brochures and made a list ranking them in order. After many hours and lots of research I had “narrowed” my list down to Galway, London, and well, all of Australia. So what did I do? I flipped a coin, and what the coin said I did. I spent the first week of February packing up my life into two big suitcases and saying my goodbyes to my friends and family. When the morning of February 10th came I was nervous, yet overwhelmed with excitement. I hugged my dad goodbye at the airport and walked towards my gate with my freshly issued passport in hand. I boarded the plane and waited patiently for the flight to take off while I tried to wrap my head around the fact that in just 53 hours I would be stepping foot into Australia for the first time. From the moment that I landed at the Cairns Airport, my TEAN family was there to make my experience the absolute best that they could. I remember my mentor Melissa waiting at the gate with a sign and as soon as I approached her she treated me like a long lost friend. Once the group had assembled we were shown to the coach bus which would take us to our hotel that we would be staying in for the following week. I sat in the window seat so that I could soak in all the views of my new temporary home. When we arrived at the hotel our TEAN guides did not waste any moments. We were welcomed with a massive buffet of fresh food that was located on the open deck floor of the building where we were able to catch a glimpse of our first Australian sunset. During my time in Cairns I did so much. Through TEAN we were given the opportunity to expand our culinary palettes and try traditional Australian foods like vegemite, kangaroo burgers and alligator ribs. Within the first few days that we spent with our TEAN mentors were given the chance to interact with the Australian wildlife at the zoo, snorkel around the barrier reef, and have a quiet beach day to soak in all the natural beauty around us. When that first adjustment week was up, we all boarded a plane again and headed to our final destinations. In my case, it was Perth, Australia or more specifically the University of Murdoch in Perth, Australia. I lived in the university housing during my time at Murdoch. Our dorm was a spacious 5 bed 2 bath apartment with a kitchen, living room and balcony. I was originally supposed to have 4 other roommates, but due to the Covid19 Pandemic travel bans I only ever met three of them. One girl was an Australian native and the other two girls were study abroad students from Dubai and India. After unpacking I decided to take a walk around the gigantic campus, which is how I met my group of friends. I met one girl from Germany, one girl from Amsterdam and one boy from India. Instantly we all became great friends. The girl from Amsterdam, Kim, did not live on campus. Instead she was residing with a host family. Kim and I became inseparable over the first week and her host family took me under their wing as well. We would have family movie nights with Australian snacks that we had never tried before, picnic dinners on the beach to watch the famous Perth sunsets over the water, and sometimes they would take us to the weekend food truck markets in Fremantle to try more special Australian delicacies. I enrolled in a variety of classes at Murdoch. I took an Australian criminal justice course, an ecotourism course, a psychology course, and a film history course. The ecotourism course was by far my favorite because we were never in the classroom. Instead we were constantly going on field trips to different places to experience ecotourism. The most memorable trip we went on was when we took a trip to Penguin Island. Penguin Island was a small island off the mainland where penguins were taken to help become rehabilitated. We saw tons of penguins around the island, sea lions perched up on the sand banks along the coast, and dolphins swimming alongside our ferry. In between classes students would try to be outside as much as possible. Many would sunbathe in the courtyard, play volleyball or go surfing if they had worn their bathing suits to class. Kim and I often would sit in the big red and black bean bags in the courtyard and do our readings for class together. When we had longer breaks we would grab food from the market and have a picnic on the beach that was only one bus ride away from campus. As more talk of the Covid 19 pandemic whirled around campus, our TEAN mentors checked in on us more and more. A lot of the study abroad students were choosing to go back home to their countries. I was scared of the unknown, but I wanted to experience as much as I could before it was too late. I enrolled in surfing lessons, I planned a day trip to Rottnest Island, and I planned a camping trip to go sandboarding in the outback. Unfortunately the COVID-19 restrictions started to have an effect on Australia faster than I thought. I was able to surf one time and go on my trip to see the Quokkas that lived on Rottnest island. However my trip to the outback never happened. Australia soon imposed domestic travel restrictions between the different states. When talk spread of travel restrictions between countries along with news of what was happening in other countries, there was a lot of worry for the safety of the study abroad students and the issues concerning our travel visas. It was at that time when many study abroad organizations started to pull their programs from the school and send their students home. TEAN held out on pulling their students for as long as they could, which I am truly grateful for, but eventually they had to do what was in the best interest and safety of us students. TEANs emergency evacuation system was seamless. They were in touch with each of us and helped us arrange emergency flights back home, they helped us with any transportation needs, and program/housing refunds to ensure we had the financial resources to get back home. Altogether I was in Australia for about one month before I had to move back to the pandemic dystopian that was my home. I was able to finish all my courses online and stayed in touch with all of my new friends. Even though my time with TEAN was cut short, I am forever grateful to them for the opportunities they had presented me with. Through them I was given opportunities and experiences that I would have never had otherwise. TEAN truly cares about the learning experiences of their students and always puts their students' safety and needs above everything else. And again to them I am ever so grateful.

Studying abroad with TEAN made me feel absolutely prepared and excited for the new things I was about to experience! I loved how they had little games to immerse ourselves in the Australian culture during orientation and the prizes were absolutely wonderful (I won one, it was a free snorkeling tour of the Great Barrier Reef! How cool is that??). Once we got to our host cities, I never felt like we were truly alone. Someone from TEAN was always hosting a get together or had a fun activity planned, and their monthly newsletters of activities was always helpful. Cole was also always there to give advice. Going to school there was definitely new and completely different than in the US, but it was very easy to get used to and I actually prefer their method of teaching now! And of course, the TEAN group was always there for each other, and while we made our own friends in Australia, I knew we always had each other to relate to. It was very calming to know that everyone was feeling the same way. TEAN was able to give me experiences that I would not have been able to experience if I hadn't gone with them, and I am forever grateful for the people involved with the program and the company itself!

When I say this was the best 5 months of my life... I mean it. I actually loved my study abroad experience in the Gold Coast so much that I am planning on moving back once I graduate! Not a day goes by I don't think about that place and all of the amazing memories it holds for me. From the beaches, the healthy and active lifestyle, the nicest people, the weather, to the endless opportunities for travel... I could not say enough good things about my experience abroad. I lived in a luxurious hotel one block from the beach with a bunch of new friends, I mean it really doesn't get better. A day in the life looked like waking up early to catch the sunrise on a beach walk (grab a coffee on the way), heading to pilates at a studio right under my living accommodation, maybe grabbing an acai bowl next door on my way home, getting ready for school in my amazing hotel room, catching the tram to Griffith University, attending a class or two with some fellow abroad friends and of course with the local Aussies I've grown to love and call my friends, heading home on the tram and meeting some friends at the market for dinner, maybe frozen-yogurt on the way home, hot-tub sesh with friends back at the hotel and calling it a night. I could go on and on about the things this experience taught me, how much I grew from it, and the lifelong friends it brought me, but I don't want to spoil it all... you'll have to go find out for yourself! But seriously, I promise you won't be able to stop talking about it once you come home from this abroad experience, it has genuinely become a personality trait of mine now...

My semester abroad in Australia was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. I had the privilege of meeting people from all over the world, and being immersed in Australian culture as well as others that had moved there as well. I would do it all over again and would recommend this to anyone who wanted to do it

I was able to study abroad through the TEAN program in Australia even when I thought it wouldn't be possible, and I'm beyond grateful for that. It was my dream to study abroad in Australia and the whole experience was insane!! Bond University is an amazing place for meeting many different people. I made best friends for life here. The Gold Coast is a super convenient location to travel around Australia and I was able to visit Byron Bay, Sydney, Tasmania, and more. I loved the classes as well, I wish I could've taken them all. I also appreciate TEAN's flexibility throughout the application process.

Studing abroad at Griffith University was the greatest decision of my entire life. Going through the TEAN organization was a blessing. TEAN is the way to do it, they offer immediate friends, support, and guidance. Without the TEAN program and the staff, my experience would have been lessened. I cannot express how incredible this experience was and I cannot recommend the TEAN program enough. The Gold Coast of Australia is such a beautiful place. The community is very welcoming and the city is great for new cultural activities. It is also close to Sydney and Melbourne if you're interested in a quick weekend there!

Studying abroad with TEAN was just as life changing as they talk about during orientation. Obviously moving across the world with no one you know can be intimidating, however not once did I feel alone. They do an amazing job at introducing you to the new culture and world while also providing an environment to build friendships and a new sense of adventure. When talking about my experience abroad the best word to describe it was surreal. There was so much to see and do, yet that only enhanced my confidence in travel and independence.

I absolutely LOVED my TEAN experience studying abroad at Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia!!! The trip started out with an amazing TEAN orientation the week prior to the start of classes where I got to SCUBA dive on the Great Barrier Reef, skydive, and hold a koala bear at a wildlife sanctuary! Bond University’s campus is in the perfect location to take advantage of all that the Gold Coast has to offer! A number of famous Australian beaches, a huge shopping center, and tons of cultural restaurants were just a bus ride away! Whether or not you decide to plan any extra trips to other parts of Australia or other countries, you will find that there is so much to do near the Gold Coast alone! The natural landscape is so stunning and lush that you will want to be a part of it - there is ample opportunity to take surfing lessons, go on long hikes, visit breathtaking waterfalls, or just grab a book to read on the beach! An excursion to Sydney is a must! While there, I visited the world famous Sydney Opera House and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. Just a short bus ride over to the beach, I spent a day over at Bondi Beach, where the Bondi Icebergs Pool is located. Allegedly the most photographed pool in the world, the Bondi Iceberg Pool, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, is an unbelievable sight. With the ocean waves splashing over into the pool, my swim in this pool was a highlight of my trip that I wish everyone could experience. All of these experiences could not have been possible without TEAN. My TEAN leaders were so welcoming and personable and were available throughout the semester if we needed help or just wanted to chat. I found the TEAN weekly Coffee Chats, optional field trips, and the variety of other activities to be impressive. While adapting to a new culture and environment, it was comforting to know that they were just a text or call away and were available to address any of my questions or needs. I made so many friends from all over the world and learned so much both inside and outside the classroom. TEAN knew exactly how to set my classmates and me up for success in Australia - I could not recommend an experience more!

My time abroad with TEAN at Griffith University in the Gold Coast, Australia was most likely the most fun and pivotal experience in my life thus far. This program allowed me to travel to and live in Australia, a country filled with culture, beautiful scenery, famous landmarks, and plenty of nature. TEAN allowed me to fulfill my lifelong passion of traveling the world while still working toward my education as well. TEAN’s support during the planning, moving, and living stages of my time abroad was also a great resource that contributed to the quality of my time down under. They had great staff always willing to help solve a problem and give recommendations for traveling. They also held great events including our program to help us meet our fellow travellers and get immersed in the Australian continent and culture. This program showed me how important it is to take steps out of your comfort zones and to follow your dreams and goals, even if working toward them may seem daunting at first. Overall, I fulfilled my passion for traveling, learning about new cultures, meeting new people, and continuing my education while abroad with TEAN. I will never forget the experiences I had and the memories I made during this trip.