The best decision I've ever made Past Review
By Brynne S (Communication, College of Charleston) - abroad from 01/15/2013 to 05/25/2013 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Thailand - Semester in Chiang Mai
It was 1000% worthwhile! I learned how to live with a person from a different background, learned how to speak a foreign language and live/navigate my way through a foreign city. I learned incredible things about a part of the world that I had no prior knowledge of and was exposed to some of the most breathtaking natural landscapes I've ever seen in my life. I met amazing people (both local and international) that helped me gain valuable insight into an amazing culture. My experience abroad taught me that there is so much out there in the world and I'm absolutely aching to get back on a plane and get out there again.
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. |
Classes were relevant, interesting, and helped enhance my overall understanding and experience of South East Asian cultures. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Staff was readily available for communication and help whenever we needed it |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing arrangements were awesome. The dorms were brand new and very comfortable to live in. |
| * Food: |
Food was not provided by TEAN, but we did receive a 1000 baht (~ $33) stipend each month to help cover at least two meals each week, which was more than enough, considering a typical meal in Thailand costs about $1. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The unique part about TEAN is that they pair you to live with a Thai roommate. This was by far one of the most fulfilling parts of my experience because it gave me a peek into what local Thai life is truly like. The Thai roommates and students on my program grew to be a family by the end of the semester. So much so, each American student got a special send-off by the Thai students when it was time for them to return home. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
TEAN gives you free overseas health insurance while you are in your host country. They also have a local Thai resident director located in Chiang Mai who was a huge help to those of us who ran into health issues and needed to see a doctor. |
| * Safety: |
Chiang Mai was a very safe city. Unless you are being completely self-unaware, it is very unlikely that something will happen to you. There was never a time during my 6 months in South East Asia where I felt unsafe or uncomfortable. My advice for future students studying ANYWHERE (not just Chiang Mai) would be to make sure they are situationally aware at all times. |
| 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) |
4. The cost of living in Thailand is significantly cheaper than America, so it was very easy to live on a student budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I don't have an exact account of how much I spent each week, but I can say that I would withdraw 1000 baht ( ~$33) about every week and a half. It really helped that we had the food stipend from TEAN. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The cheaper the food in Thailand, the better....at least that's how it usually goes. There are many Western restaurants in Chiang Mai that serve Italian food, cheeseburgers, Mexican food, etc., but those meals are always in the 120 baht range as opposed to the 30 baht range that Thai food goes for. So my advice would be to break out of your Western eating habits and delve into the amazingness of Thai food! |
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 |
The great thing about the language class was that we were taught words and phrases that were necessary to get by, rather than focusing on hours of grammar and structure. Since Thai is a tonal language, it's quite difficult to get the hang of at first, so it really helped to just learn a bunch of useful vocabulary words that we could use in every day situations (i.e. in restaurants, at the market, etc.) It was also extremely helpful to have Thai roommates; they were obviously very willing and excited to help us learn the language. Learning how to speak and write (a little) Thai was definitely one of the highlights of this program because it's such a unique and foreign language, and Thai people LOVE it when foreigners speak to them in Thai! There is a very high number of English speakers in Thailand as well, so there really were only a few instances were communication was difficult. Gestures and motions can go a long way... |
| 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? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practice speaking with your Thai roommate....they will love it! It looks and feels overwhelming at first, but it's easy to pick up if you put in the effort. It's also quite a fun language to learn |
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 honestly can't think of anything... |
