Khon Kaen University has my heart!!! October 02, 2024
By Haley M (Nutritional Science & Spanish, University of Nevada, Reno) - abroad from 05/31/2024 to 07/26/2024 with
USAC Thailand: Khon Kaen - Southeast Asian Studies, Health, and Wellness
I learned so much about myself and how we are often products of our environments. Going across the globe where almost everything is different, I realized that in an environment with different social pressures my desires shifted. It made me wonder what makes me me? I learned how to recognize my privilege and reserve my initial reactions to new things. For example, certain foods were shocking to me and would not have considered eating. But some of these foods were staples in this culture and often consumed because they were affordable.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Phenomenal learning experience with incredibly supportive and passionate faculty. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
On site staff are fantastic!! The international college department at Khon Kaen University take care of so many international students mainly from Southeast Asia. They organized so many activities for us including cultural immersion trips, cooking classes, and exploring the Khon Kaen region. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing arrangements took some adjusting but I felt very safe and exposure to bugs/critters was an opportunity to grow out of comfort zone. And living on the 5th floor ensured that I got moving at least twice a day!! |
| * Food: |
Food is delicious in Khon Kaen. Unfortunately vegan options are incredibly limited, if not practically impossible. So flexibility is definitelt important in this program. However I did find vegetarian and some vegan options! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt SO integrated!!! I only knew my 2 classmates from the United States that were from states so far from mine and had such unique perspectives. Otherwise everyone I met was from primarily Southeast Asia! Met people from over 27 countries! The collectivist mindset of society in Thailand made me feel so welcomed and accepted. I never once felt homesick. Students would come introduce themselves on the bus just to be friendly and practice their English. It was truly heart melting just how kind everyone was. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I fortunately didn't need to utilize any healthcare services however there were two hospitals very close by and one we, USAC students, were designated to use. I studied the healthcare system in Thailand and learned what an efficient and high quality system they have. You can find pharmacies on every corner and they are able to prescribe medication for 16 common illnesses on site without visiting a Dr.'s office. Thai traditional massage is also incredibly common and not expensive. The university has a spa! |
| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe in Khon Kaen. Mind you, I rarely was out past 10pm. But my housing had 24 hour security and I never went out alone at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Absolutely!!! I learned so much about the culture, language, healthcare system, traditional medicine. It was all so new and fascinating. I appreciated the bridge of spiritual and evidence based reasoning of medicinal practices and the integration of both traditional and modern medicine. The respect between faculty and students was remarkable. Faculty actually felt approachable and truly took time to help students. |
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 is incredibly feasible to do this program on a budget! I spent no more than $5-10 on a whole day's worth of food. Cost of living is very low compared to cost of living in the US. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $35-50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Even though everything seems inexpensive, your money still goes fast. So be careful going on shopping sprees. But also, treat yourself! Thailand has the best markets and the most adorable clothes!!! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| 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? | N/a |
| 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? | Listen to Thai music and search Thai teachers in social media and let your algorithm bring it up so you learn new words/phrases all the time. |
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? | Just to worry less before I left to Thailand. Its normal to get pretravel nerves but I didn't have anything to worry about!! Also be prepared to bring back a lot of amazing souvenirs!!! |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
International Research Assistantship |
| Course Department: | Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences |
| Instructor: | Natthida Weerapreyakul |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was a rigorous, however nurturing environment to learn about the research overall experience and to get a glimpse of what it is like to be in a Master's or PhD program. It was also such a privilege to see the comradery that students and faculty have at this institution as well as their priority on evidence based studies of biochemical activity of traditional/alternative medicines. I had the opportunity to conduct my own study and produce my own manuscript. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I had no difficulty at all! |
