Southeast Asia: Great People and Experiences! Past Review
By Chad Nolte (Accounting, Northern Illinois University) - abroad from 01/01/2018 to 01/13/2018 with
International Business Seminars: Winter Southeast Asia
I gained a greater understanding into local business practices, including thinking about solutions to issues that I may have never thought of in the past. I also gained greater insight into myself and my upbringing and how I can conduct myself to foster better relationship with people from other backgrounds.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
You get to visit multiple companies and hear directly from upper level executives. I believe that this provided great insight as opposed to reading about the company online. A lot of the information relates to how they operate based on cultural differences. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IBS leaders were always available to answer questions, provide insights and recommendations on the areas, and help out in any way needed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Wifi could have been better in the Thailand hotel but everything else was amazing. The hotels were centrally located which provided access to many activities. Breakfast was provided and good quality at both places. |
| * Food: |
Breakfast included at each hotel and all local restaurants suggested were very good. The street food in each city was the best food available and very cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Many of the places we went attracted more tourists but there were times that we were able to directly interact with local who were always friendly. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A - Never had to deal with any healthcare issues but insurance provided on the program gave peace of mind. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in any area that I went. Just always be mindful of your surrounding and belongings. It is also always best to travel in groups when in new places. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program provided great insights into local businesses, the culture, and general global business customs. You become very close with the people that you travel with and make great lifelong friends. |
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) |
I personally spent a lot more than most people. The cost of food/product in Thailand and Vietnam is very cheap and it is easy to keep spending low. I just chose to "live large". |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Approximately $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Become good at negotiating, especially when talking to vendors on the street. You can sometimes negotiate an item to about a third of the price. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 0 |
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? | Being my third time on the program, I was well prepared and don't believe that there was anything I didn't know for this program. |
