Fun, educational, and life-changing! Past Review
By Cara T (Creative Writing., University of Redlands) - abroad from 01/13/2014 to 05/24/2014 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Thailand - Semester in Chiang Mai
I learned how much you can learn when you travel if you make yourself open to new experiences. I also gained a love for Southeast Asia!
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. |
The classes were moderately challenging but without a heavy work load. They definitely taught me more about Thailand and SE Asia than I expected to learn, and the professors were great resources. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The TEAN staff is amazing! They are extremely down to earth and approachable, and make it clear to you that they are available anytime for anything. Aside from being professional and resourceful, they are so much fun to be around. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments were nice, but small. Internet connection was a little bit unreliable. But security was incredible and made me feel very safe the whole semester. I also love love loved having a Thai roommate! And Uniloft is a really good location in terms of food and the university. |
| * Food: |
the food in Chiang Mai is arguably the best in Thailand and the cheapest! You will never have a hard time finding a delicious and filling meal for one dollar. *Go to Penny's right near the apartments! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Having Thai roommates really gave us the closest thing to a Thai perspective and I'm extremely grateful for that. They helped us learn Thai and be aware of the cultural customs. Also a good portion of the trips we did were highly integrative like the week long village homestay. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The health care in Thailand is amazing and cheap! There are a number of university and highly ranked hospitals in Chiang Mai with Western trained doctors. The on-site administrators are on call if you ever need to be taken to the hospital, however you will more than likely be able to solve any issue by going to a pharmacy of which there are many and you can get almost anything there. They are also all trained to know what you might need based on what you describe to them and the language barrier isn't an issue at all. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Chiang Mai. During orientation we were told that Chiang Mai has no bad neighborhoods so you cannot really wander into a bad spot. It's always smart to be cautious of your surroundings, but Chiang Mai is still a very safe place. |
| 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) |
Meals range from 1-4 dollars pretty much everywhere. I lived on less than 2,000 for four months including paying for all my meals and utilities and travel. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | less than 100 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just be sure not to get too excited about how cheap everything is. Save money for travel because that will be the biggest expense and some of the most meaningful opportunities. |
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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | 10+ |
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 knew how amazing the markets are and how easy it is to travel because I would have saved up more money. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
