Magical Southeast Asia Past Review
By Lydia W (Anthropology., Ohio University) - abroad from 01/14/2014 to 05/23/2014 with
Payap University: Chiang Mai - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Studying abroad was something I wanted to do since I was in high school. I loved the idea of it. What I didn't realize was that it would change me as much as it did. Living in two countries over the course of six months opens your eyes to various aspects of life that normally pass you by without you thinking twice about them. For instance, bread. I never realized just how intensely I would miss the wide selection of breads and cheeses available to me in America. That's a silly example but it applied to larger and more life changing experiences as well. Being in a country where you are the outsider, where children call you a 'farang' (or foreigner) on the streets, where you know very little of the language humbles you and pushes you to explore yourself and your new host country. What I found affected me more than I thought it could.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The professors working with TEAN are phenomenal. You work with both Thai and American professors on topics including international relations, Buddhism, politics, art, and language. Every class I took was fascinating and provided insight on my host country. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Pii Kai (the in country director in Thailand) and Lauren (a TEAN media staff) are phenomenal! Not only are they there for all logistical issues, they are also amazing people and super fun to be around. Megan (the in country director in Cambodia) was one of the greatest resources I had in my time there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms we lived in in Thailand were very nice. They were clean, close to the university, had laundry machines, provided wifi, and were furnished with a TV, fridge, private bathroom, desk, etc. They also had some awesome perks such as a laundry mat, workout room, study rooms, dance room, pools, 7-11, and numerous ATMs. The living arrangements in Cambodia were less concrete as it is a smaller program. I chose to live in smaller guest houses which were all very nice and close to all activities. |
| * Food: |
Oh. My. Goodness. Thai and Khmer food were both delicious in every way! Not to mention streets lined with food vendors into all hours of the night just a block away from your house. Fresh smoothies, crepes, omelets, delicious sticky rice, and traditional cuisine always at your fingertips. And it's cheap! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
TEAN has a wonderful itinerary including a local village stay, Thai cooking class, trips to temples, and even to the legendary beaches of Southern Thailand. The program also pairs you with a Thai roommate who is the greatest resource to students when it comes to language and local food or activities. With them we were able to attend university festivals and community events we may have otherwise never known about. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got sick twice while abroad and each time my in country staff and my professors were there to help me get anything I needed and take me to doctors or clinics etc. Each time I felt safe and well cared for in the hands of TEAN staff and their familiarity with healthcare in my host countries. |
| * Safety: |
Just like any other city in the world, both in the states or abroad, be smart about how you act and what you do in an unfamiliar environment. Make sure you know enough of the language to get yourself a cab home and whatnot. That said, I never ran into any safety issues in either of my host countries. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Southeast Asia is one of the more affordable locations for study abroad, but never at the cost of safety, comfort, or delicious food! Travel is cheap, food is cheap, and you can easily live on a reasonable budget without missing out on all the cities have to offer. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $100 (or even less) could easily get me through a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Limit your homesick splurges to once a week or so (as hard as that is). It's that Mexican restaurant downtown that's going to break the piggybank (at a whopping $6 per meal). Also, use the water purification systems to refill large containers of water so that you're not buying bottled water every day. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I hadn't taken any Thai. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Ask one of your Thai roommates to help you out. They're always eager to help you work on your language skills and they all speak English very well. |
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? |
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? | I wish I had known just how challenging it would be to learn two different languages. My head got so jumbled up with Thai and Khmer. I wish I had known that you can adapt to spicy foods and that I could have begun training for that before I left America. Mostly, I wish I had known just how much this experience would change my life. It was challenging at times. Studying abroad in Asia is a unique experience that entails a lot more flexibility and patience than I had anticipated. Luckily I had all the support and resources I needed to get as much out of the program and the culture as I could! |
