Taking a Peek into SE Asia Business Culture Past Review
By Leanna Rutledge (University of Colorado - Colorado Springs) - abroad from 01/03/2017 to 01/12/2017 with
International Business Seminars: Winter Southeast Asia
I gained a greater understanding of Vietnam's history and culture, and an idea of where Thailand will be heading in the future. If given the change to do it again, I definitely would.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
In each city we were provided with maps and often had a knowledgeable tour guide to offer help. There were plenty of resources available to us in order to ensure safety while providing opportunities for new and exciting experiences. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our hotels were centrally located to many sightseeing locations and were in safe areas. |
| * Food: |
The hotels had decent food, but I feel like I could find better on my own. Overall, each country had amazing food and I am trying to find close substitutes to it here in the States. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There was not much interaction with the local people outside of visiting businesses. I definitely got an idea of how business culture works on a day to day basis though. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no issues while on the program, but having insurance provided definitely helped. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I have always wanted to visit SE Asia, but never thought I would have the chance. This trip gave me a glimpse of the culture in Vietnam and Thailand, and I will definitely be going back again. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Vietnam and Thailand both had very cheap food and souvenirs. I budgeted $200 for each country, and had a hard time spending that much. My advice: budget high and then once you get there, take out half that amount from the ATM (or exchange half). There may be other experiences you want to do to use up those funds (ie a Vespa ride to the Mekong Delta), but then funds are there for emergencies if needed. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan ahead |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | There wasn't much I didn't know as this was my second IBS trip I knew what to expect. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
