Great School great City Past Review

By A student (Southeast Asian Studies, Berea College) - abroad from 08/03/2015 to 12/05/2015 with

Payap University: Chiang Mai - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was so worthwhile. There is something about being abroad and seeing a culture and religion in person that you can't learn from books. The experience also helped me to mature a great deal as I had to face new challenges and overcome obstacles.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administrators were very helpful was very helpful, always there for me, and gave me much one on one attention.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	The food in the international dorm was delicious. This is not the best place for vegetarians or vegans though. Chiang Mai has vegan options but they are hard to find.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Insurance through the school is supposed to be available but it takes forever to get the card. In general though the hospitals in Chiang Mai are clean modern and you can get by with just English if you are patient.
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)	Thailand is so affordable. A great meal was 1-2 usd. Drinks 50 cents. Snacks are all 25 cents- 1 usd.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Don't buy your dorm room needs from the mall go to Big C super center instead 50 usd for bed sheets versus 12 usd.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	You can get by great in Chiang Mai with only using English and minimum Thai. You can also you Thai all you want to.
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?	None
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	The food was great First hand cultural experience One on One attention
* What could be improved?	Classes starting on time Better communication about expectations A little bigger class sizes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	That I would be the only one in the program for several months before another student would join me.

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 Avid Adventurer The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	SAN 248
Course Department:	South East Asian Studies
Instructor:	Multiple
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class involved multiple awesome filed trips to all over Thailand. The class was very flexible and I was able to choose what my main focus in the class would be either religion, economics or history.
Credit Transfer Issues: