Winter Study Abroad Programs in Melbourne, Australia

I loved this experience I endured in January! Although it was a little bit difficult to navigate the course work, I still had a blast! I absolutely loved be able to surf and go on so many excursions that were offered! (Especially skydiving ;)

I dreamt about going to Australia since I was old enough to remember. I always had this mental map of what I expected it to look and feel like, but studying abroad through USAC showed me so much for than I planned for. The unique culture of Melbourne, the laid back attitudes, famous coffee, and the student experience all combined to make my time abroad amazing. I learned so much about myself while abroad, and I will highly recommend any student looking for a study abroad to go through USAC and consider the Melbourne program. This experience was irreplaceable by far, and I made lifelong best friends from around the world.

I am studying abroad at Deakin University in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and I am having a wonderful time! I have never had the chance to travel to another continent, so this opportunity to live in Australia has been a life-changing experience. Being able to take a day trip to adventure in the mountains, relax at the beach, or explore the central business district has been fun and unique. This has opened my eyes to how exciting travel is, and I can't wait to continue adventuring. Coming from a small town in Minnesota, this is the first time I have ever been able to do any of these experiences with such ease. Even more exciting has been the friends I have made along the way, especially my roommate! He was very helpful in immersing me in the environment and introducing me to this new lifestyle, and I presume that we will continue to be good friends, even after I go back home. My time in Melbourne has been the best experience of my life, and I hope that one day I will be able to come back!

I remember when I first talked to my advisor about possibly studying abroad. As soon as I expressed my desire, I was immediately told "Yes! That would be such a good thing for you!" Suddenly whirlwind year of applying, prepping, planning, and saving passed, and I found myself and leaving my home country for the first time ever with a final destination of Melbourne, Australia. I was accepted into a USAC study abroad program in which I would I would be living in Geelong, Victoria which is a city about an hour south of Melbourne. Once I arrived, I quickly fell in love with the smaller city feel and the ocean vibes. I lived a little under a mile (or about 2 kilometers as they say) from the ocean. As time went on, I quickly became friends with my housemates and classmates, and they were able to show me many little adventures. I went on lots of hiking trips and was able to experience a completely new part of life. Eventually, my fabulous four months came to an end. When I returned to my home campus in the following fall, I was able to look my advisor in the eye and honestly say, "You're right, that was a really good thing for me."

I loved my program. I got to meet so many interesting people from all over the world, not just Australians. I also got to see more than just Melbourne. I went on multiple trips, including the Great Ocean Road and the Great Barrier Reef. This program is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Came in knowing little about starting a business. In a single week, I was pitching my business idea to real investors. Best learning experience I have ever undertaken, couldn't recommend something more than this. I also have permanent access to their thriving community of entrepreneurs. A super positive group of people, wouldn't want to miss an opportunity like this

I Love your camaraderie, connections, and insights given by the HEX tutors and alumni. I was not sure at first, But the HEX program gave me the confidence to put myself out there, experience each of a start-up, from ideation to conceptualization, rapid prototyping, user-testing, passing by market research, interviews, surveys. This roadmap for start-up building helped me visualize the journey ahead for me. HEC connected me with founders and experts in their field, we discussed their shortfalls, successes, and sacrifices. I could not recommend the HEX Program enough.

I guess from a personal and emotional perspective, HEX has taught me the value of resilience and powering through something even though it’s hard. Because by the time you come out at the other end, you may just be rewarded with something unexpected (like winning a pitch!). From a skills perspective, I didn’t really consider myself as an entrepreneur, but this program has allowed me to see things from an entrepreneur’s perspective and what it takes to put up a business from ideation to pitching.

The 5 day sprint program is an intense, collaborative, and an unmatched experience. It gives you an opportunity to not only build on your start-up idea but also to connect with industry experts that can provide the much needed validation and advice. This program introduces you to several techniques to refine and validate your idea. HEX's staff is very supportive and makes sure that every minute you spend is worthwhile. To sum up, this program is a great way to network and grow personally.

HEX was a powerful experience. It's a unique program structure, building an idea from scratch and pitching it with the help of inspiring mentors. Not to mention the exciting social and networking events where I made new friends and connected with amazing minds from all over the world. This is where an aspiring entrepreneur's journey begins.

I wanted to thank you again for the incredible opportunity this year., It was a transformative experience for me and I am very grateful to have worked with you on it. Thanks for uplifting me with confidence and opportunity!

Out of the entrepreneurial extracurriculars I’ve taken, HEX was the first arena that enabled me to explore my own idea. Often, I’d do team based work or work on someone’s case idea. I’ve realised that I don’t need to get into the legal/diplomat professionals to make an impact in the social impact space

It was a pleasant experience to work and study with incredible people. All the guests are amazing which let me learnt many things that I might not have chance to learn in the uni. Mentors are extremely helpful and friendly. Love to work with Hex!!!

The best part about my trip in San Francisco was the knowledge that I gained in two weeks. During the two weeks I also developed myself as a person and grew a lot from the experience. Networking in San Francisco made me aware of the talent that is out there which motivates me to push myself and be better.

hmmm where to start. Firstly I don't know many people who have been to Israel but I know a lot that would like to go. It is by far one of the most interesting and different places I have ever been too. It is rare to meet such passionate and down to earth people who one minute are talking about building companies, landing technology jobs, or working in the army to having a casual chat about sports and family over a beer. I made some life long friends and a professional network I could have only dreamed of. I met people from Facebook, WIX, Fitness 22, Singtel Inovv8 and the list goes on. By far the best part was learning from highly experienced and successful people who have succeeded and failed professionally and personally, being able to ask them very open questions and learn from people who have done what you might want to or at least what you have always thought of is cool and sometimes hard to hear but a true eye-opener. This program has given me and other participants who are now my friends the edge in job interviews, networking events, business meetings, business competitions and many more settings. If you are a student looking to get a job in any industry being able to talk about innovation and the culture of moving fast to success is something any emplyer is going to be amazed about especially when you mention the name of some of the companies you visited. It is also just a good opportunity to travel and learn no matter if you are interested in startups, entrepreneurship or not you are guaranteed to get more practical and real-world experience out of this two weeks living and breathing the Israeli lifestyle in Tel Aviv than any other course you study. p.s. the nightlife is beyond your mind and make sure you check out "tether" for a pizza and techno music.

The entire experience was amazing!! The Hacker Exchange ran a brilliant program that immersed us beautifully into the local Israeli culture, with an well-planned emphasis on The Startup Nation's unique startup sub-culture. Program events were well chosen, and well run, with a surprising amount of access to world-class startups, industry experts, and cultural guides. I could not imagine a more effective, productive and enjoyable trip abroad!

I attended the 2018 Tel Aviv trip and it was an incredible experience. I come from a strong business/finance background and I learnt something almost every hour of the trip and met some incredible contacts. It was worth the time and money no doubt and still one of the best trips I've done to date in my life and I've seen over 30 countries now. You can't go wrong with the HEX programs and it'll be a trip you never forget for the rest of your life.

A lot of programs promise offerings that sound WAY too good to be true. The Hacker Exchange is NOT one of them. I was completely blown away by the quality and breadth that the program covered in such a short amount of time. It was completely life-changing, and I'm still experiencing the benefits of the program daily almost a year on. We learned so many invaluable skills, met some AMAZING people, and I improved my existing business so much. On top of that, their team is full of inspiring people that are supportive and welcoming, and who treat you as a startup founder, not just a student. They overdelivered on what was promised right from the get-go, and the whole experience was worth every cent. The Hacker Exchange has an incredibly strong alumni network which is a testament to both the program and the awesome people HEX attracts. There's a reason why we all rave about the program.

When I first heard about Hex I knew I had to go. I also loved the combination with Israel because I always wanted to learn more about the culture there. The program was excellent and I took so much away from it.

When I first heard about Hex I knew I had to go. Not just from a Startup perspective but in general to learn for life. I learned more than I had asked for and will benefit from this for the rest of my life. Loved the whole program but also meeting new people and making friends.