Chasing Thailand Past Review
By A student (Political Science, Columbia College, Missouri) - abroad from 01/09/2015 to 05/19/2015 with
Rangsit University: Pathum Thani - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Independence, Patience, Respect, Confidence It was the most significant 6 months of my life.
Review Photos
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. |
Classes were less rigorous. The grading scale was a bit harder. Classes are 3 hour lectures once a week. There were many free trips to government buildings and UN offices. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very friendly and handled issues proficiently. Sometimes the administrative processes for things like visa renewal paperwork preparation were slow. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived off campus but the accommodation was near the university. It was a bit more expensive than other accommodations in the area but the location was good and I lived in a building with only westerners (Sita Villa Apartment). Had I not traveled alone to Thailand, I would have preferred an apartment closer to Bangkok which was about 30 minutes by taxi. |
| * Food: |
Thai food is amazing. The price of a meal near the university was about $1.30 and in Bangkok city (40 km away) a meal was about $3.00 |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
After learning some thai (counting, food vocabulary, basic phrases) I could function well. Thai people are very friendly and in Rangsit you are treated like all the other students and not many other foreigners are around. In Bangkok you are treated as a foreigner and people will occasionally try to take of advantage of you (taxi drivers will try to charge more etc). |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any health issues in the 6 months I was there. For others, the healthcare seemed comprehensive. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt unsafe in Thailand. |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Including housing and food, I spent around $5,000 my whole time in Thailand. In addition, I saw the whole country. I Spent 20% of my time in beach front bungalows on islands. Took a trip to Kathmandu. I ate well. I drank a lot of beer. Saw 20 movies in theaters. Etc. Etc. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Thailand is a lot cheaper to study abroad in than any country in Europe. |
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 |
Aside from Thai class, there was no use of Thai at school. However, outside of school, basic skills like "hello" and "thank you", counting, food vocabulary, and other basic phrases were essential for daily life because not many people speak fluent english. Especially in Rangsit. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 2 (NO thai courses) |
| 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? | 3 meals a day, any sort of transportation, 3-4 transactions per day at 7-Eleven, among thai friends |
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 |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The state of the art gym/fitness center is actually complete at the University. The sky train will reach Rangsit in about 5 years. The multiple entry visa (regardless of where it is acquired is only good for 90 days). There is no guarantee that English will be spoken anywhere. |
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. |
