The Best 5 Months of my Life Past Review
By Katherine Gallagher (Pace University) - abroad from 01/11/2017 to 05/19/2017 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Thailand - Semester in Chiang Mai
I'm a peer advisor in Pace's Study Abroad office, and what I always tell my students is that the number one thing I got, and that people tend to get from study abroad, is personal growth. I became so much more open and willing to do things and expand my horizons, and I was more adventurous than I've ever been before in my life. I also learned a lot about immersing yourself in a culture you have no previous familiarity with, and abandoning any preconceptions to build your own experience there. I studied things I hadn't studied before, and I got to see places I had been dreaming about for years. I also made friends that I'll stay in touch with for a long time, and still see in the US when I can (and in SE Asia when I go back). It was 100% worthwhile, and I would 100% choose it all over again if I could.
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. |
TEAN is awesome! They're so organized and supportive, and I loved their program so much. The academic institution that hosts the program could be a little disorganized at times, but it was overall a fantastic experience, and I learned so much! Being able to learn about Thai politics, religion, and culture in Thailand makes everything that much more interesting and they do a great job with the program. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
P'Nooy was fantastic and so was Lauren! P'Nooy was the on-site staff member who helped us adjust and picked us up from the airport, as well as helping us figure out transportation and stuff like that-- not to mention she's super sweet and made everyone's adjustment easier! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Uniloft is great, you have your own room and a living room and 7/11 is open 24/7 |
| * Food: |
University food is great, most food I had was great |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The village homestay at the beginning really helps integrate students into the culture, and learning Thai does as well! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Doctors were super easily accessible, and the local staff (shout out to P'Nooy) helped make appointments and took us to the doctor if we needed her to! Medication is very easy to get, pharmacies will prescribe things on site and it's very helpful! |
| * Safety: |
Quite honestly, Chiang Mai was the safest I've ever felt, especially as a woman who likes to do things alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
TEAN offered interesting academics, I learned a ton, and they organize really great outings for us! They also had great staff in-country and were overall super supportive. Their focus on the specific Asia-Pacific region makes them all the more organized and knowledgeable about how to best structure the program to benefit the student. |
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) |
Most meals were $1-2 and drinks were in the $2-5 range, public transportation was usually less than a dollar. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 on everything a week- food, transportation, clothing, alcohol, travel expenses, and that's on the high end. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget! Don't buy everything you might want to eat as you see it- even though everything is super cheap, it can still add up and the endless snacks got me a little. |
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 |
It was easy to get by without Thai, but the small amount we learned really helped us and they encouraged us to interact with people in Thai as much as we could. The program made it clear that how much effort we put into immersing ourselves beyond the class was going to be how much we ended up learning! |
| 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? |
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? | That everything is going to be totally new and foreign, but by the time you leave it will feel like home. |
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. |
