In the fall of 2018 I was luck enough to study abroad on the Gold Coast of Australia! I signed up with CISabroad and it was one of the best decisions that I made! The program director Jackie Chapman was incredible! We had an awesome orientation where

she informed us about the Australian lingo, gave us emergency contacts and most importantly made us feel at home. We had group ice breakers and I met some of my best friends who I still keep in touch with today. Throughout the semester CIS set up trips to Byron Bay, to a market called Miami Marketta and other great places to check-in with each other. I am so glad that I went through this program and would definitely recommend it to anyone considering studying on the Gold Coast!!

I was not up for leaving the country at all, I'm not sure what made me go finally but I am so glad I did! Bond University has a beautiful campus and very well qualified professors. I took a similar class that I had taken back in the US but learned 10x

more! There are many cool places to go in the area like Burleigh Heads, Surfers Paradise, and Miami (their version of our beloved Floridian city). Go a little farther to Byron Bay, Brisbane, and Sydney! I went to all the above places and had so much fun at each. The food, culture, and people were all better than here in the US. My Study Abroad group was involved in lots of the places I went such as snorkeling the great barrier reef, going to a rainforest in Cairns, and going surfing in Byron bay.

My amazing study abroad experience was thanks to CISabroad. They were there throughout the whole experience. From starting my application, to settling back in the United States, the team was there to make sure I was happy, well, and safe. The program

has amazing excursions that allowed us to learn more about Australia and its cultures and values; as well as become immersed in the culture and become Aussies ourselves. It has always been a dream of mine to see the Great Barrier Reef, and to have been able to do swim in the reef was a dream come true! People on the Gold Coast, and in Australia in general, are so kind and relaxed. It was completely different environment and feeling compared to New York. I found myself very involved, and outspoken. I met a lot of new people including locals and international students both on and off campus. There are a few locals I have befriended that I have continued to keep in contact with, and I am so grateful to have that connection to the Gold Coast. Jackie, the on-site director, was like a second mom. She is an adventurous, outgoing, and kind person who was there through ups and downs, and always made sure we had the best time. The experiences and memories I made during my time abroad will stick with me forever, and I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to study abroad with CIS.

After living in the Gold Coast, Australia for four and a half month, traveling to numerous other cities, and meeting hundreds of beautiful people in gorgeous places, I sit here now with nothing but an open heart, open mind, and an infinite amount of thanks

to everyone who helped me get abroad, my parents, and everyone else along the way. My abroad experience was life changing and helped me see all the beauty around me each and every day. I'm excited to get up each day and learn something new whether it be in the classroom, the ice rink, the ocean or any other area. I'm excited to travel, meet new people, and to push myself beyond my limits! I am forever grateful for this opportunity and am so happy I went for it!

To say that my semester abroad was the best 4 months of my life is a bit cliché, but it is the truth. I had an incredible experience on the Gold Coast of Queensland. I met heaps of awesome people and got to see unbelievably cool places and animals. Australia

definitely lived up to the hype.

Education: The classes I took at Bond University were overall small in size, and taught by great instructors. If at any point I felt like I was falling behind, I could easily ask for help and it was given. Also, from my experience the professors were

all very accommodating of traveling contingent upon you expressing that you will make up the work you missed! Housing: Some of the best dorm style housing I have ever seen. I lived in the "accommodation center", in a double dorm (with one roommate and a full sized bathroom in the dorm). On a weekly basis the dorms have housekeeping that comes in to clean your room (wash the sheets, make the bed, clean the bathroom, etc.) One of the other great perks is that all the bedding and toiletries were already provided and restocked by the housekeeping, which made it super easy as a study abroad student already on a budget! Food: The dining hall features a menu that only changes slightly throughout the semester, and it is done on a pay per item basis (rather than a buffet style like those featured in schools within the US). This was one of the only challenges, as you have to budget pretty efficiently through balancing eating out and cooking meals in order to not run out of money by the end of the semester. However, there are several great restaurants in the downtown area that feature affordably priced food options and there are kitchens on every floor of the dorms. Safety: The safety in the both the school as well as Gold Coast as a city was great. I did not at any point feel unsafe, even when I would travel on the public transportation alone at night. Overview: I would 100% study abroad through this program again. CIS does a great job of integrating you into Australian culture from the minute you step off the plane. The excursions that we were taken on through the program added immensely into the overall experience, and the on site support for any questions or concerns was extremely prompt and helpful!

How did you make the most of your experience in your host city/culture? I made the most during my semester on the Gold Coast by taking the time to get to know the area, the culture, the people that live in the area, and explore as much of the country

as I possibly could. Why should the student reading this review choose this CISabroad program? CISabroad gave me the opportunity of a lifetime by accepting me into a program that gave me a once in a lifetime chance to explore a country that was my dream country to live to since I was little. I got to meet so many wonderful people, work with great staff members who work for CISabroad, meet great staff members within the University abroad, and so much more. How did this CISabroad program change your life? CISabroad gave me the most amazing semester of my undergraduate degree. I made life long friends, traveled all over the country that I was studying abroad while also traveling to other countries, and lasting memories all while getting the same education that I could get at my home University. The classes abroad were unique in my major that some of the classes that I took are never offered in any University in the United States. What are some decisions you made that made a positive impact on your overall experience? (e.g. local activities,excursions,homestay,classes, etc.) What did you gain from your CISabroad program? I gained more independence, more confidence, learned how to rely on myself, and so much more.