An incredibly meaningful experience, that benefited every aspect of my life May 26, 2022

By (International Development, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/15/2022 to 05/13/2022 with

University of Minnesota: MSID - International Development in Thailand

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
- I learned to be more comfortable with going with the flow and living in the moment. - Understanding the pros/ cons of international development in the context of Thailand. - Understanding a government so different from our own. - The importance of working with and learning from locals in order to fully understand the culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I loved all of my teachers and instructors and really enjoyed the field study aspect of this program as it allowed me to get a much better sense of the culture. Support for classes was provided by the school. The only issue I faced was some unclear academic expectations, and getting used to very traditional teaching when it came to learning Thai.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

All of our instructors were SO amazing! they functioned as professors, field instructors, support systems, administrators, etc.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Our program did a really good job making sure we learned about the culture before participating in it, and from there allowed us to have fantastic hands-on experiences, both through their teaching and through our relationships with our internship placements with local NGOS.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

-Program let us know months before we left what vaccines/ meds we might need - I needed to go to the hospital while abroad, and one of my instructors was with me the whole time and acted as a translator and support system.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

This program gave me everything I needed, it was experiential and very hands-on, but still provided structure and guidance while also allowing us to explore and travel on our own. All activities that I participated in with the school genuinely benefited my experience.

Finances

* 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)

Because we did not have kitchens, and were not eating at school, they provided us with a monthly stipend which was the equivalent of about $250 a month, which was intended to cover food and transportation. While it was enough to cover food, I often wished I had a bit more money for transportation, as we commuted to our internships everyday, and that money was coming out of pocket.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Im not sure how much extra I spent weekly outside of my stipend, but by the end of each month I would usually need about $50 more dollars.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? `Spanish 104
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? Start practicing the basics before you leave, Thai is really difficult to learn in a short time, I would recommend using mondly!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The people
  • The hands on/ experiential aspect of the program
  • The food
* What could be improved?
  • More structure within internship module
  • More support for students with accommodations
  • More stipend money specifically for transportation costs.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Due to the nature of studying abroad during covid, there was a lot we didn't know before leaving, which proved to be both a good and a bad thing. I do wish we knew a bit more about the country and culture before coming, though we did get a good sense of it once we arrived.