Chiang Mai changed my life! Past Review
By Skylar Yee (University of Massachusetts Amherst / UMass) - abroad from 01/09/2019 to 05/18/2019 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Thailand - Semester in Chiang Mai
My time abroad was definitely worthwhile. Prior to this trip, I had no international travel. Now, I consider myself to be a more confident person in general. I gained more awareness of my role as a global citizen. Studying abroad broadened my world view and made me gain a deeper appreciation of people and the earth. I learned to embrace a slower pace of life and go with the flow. I also gained a deeper sense of my identity as an Asian American, which is one of the reasons why I chose to study in Southeast Asia.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were engaging and challenging, and many of them had field trips where you could get a deeper immersion into Thai society. I learned so much from my classes, especially considering I have never taken a class from a SE Asian perspective. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was greatly satisfied with the living arrangements. I lived at Uniloft, which was a dorm where I lived with other international students. There was a 7/11 attached to one of the nearby complexes, which was extremely convenient to get a quick bit to eat. I think my dorm in Chiang Mai was better than the dorms at my home university. |
| * Food: |
The food was amazing. I enjoyed getting street food for breakfast every morning, either pork belly with sticky rice, or fried rice, or freshly cut fruit. It was also super cheap! There are also bubble tea shops on every corner, as well as an ample amount of 7/11s. The food is one of the main things that I miss most from my time abroad. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
TEAN prepared us for the potential cultural differences that we may encounter through holding classes during orientation, which was extremely helpful in my attempts to integrate into Thai society. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safety was a large concern for me prior to arriving in Thailand, but upon arriving in Chiang Mai, my worries were instantly eased. I nearly always felt safe in Chiang Mai. |
| 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) |
It was extremely affordable to live in Chiang Mai. I lived very comfortably, especially considering that I did not have an income during my time abroad. |
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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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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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 remember being very concerned about so many different aspects of living abroad. From initially not knowing anyone in the program, to not knowing the language, all my worries were eased within the first week of being there. I spent a lot of time anticipating everything, but I wish I took more time to just enjoy the process because everything worked out in the end. |
