Mahidol University

During my time abroad, I encountered a wide range of interesting people, cultures, languages, cuisines, and overall ways of life. My 5 months away brought out such an adventurous and curious side of me, a trait that I will always have because of my Thai immersion experience. From the moment I arrived at the BKK airport, it became clear that I was nowhere near my home in the States. I came with one backpack and that only, I instantly felt free touching Thai soil. The culture undoubtedly made me feel at home, regardless of never being on that side of the world. Their Mai Pen Rai way of life unlocked a feeling of community and peace that was so foreign to me. I immediately felt safe and accepted.

I think one of the biggest things for me about this program is the kindness and willingness to help of the support staff in the International Relations Office. The staff was super friendly and made you feel at home at the school full of Thai students. They gave us recommendations on where to visit, helped us with our visa extensions and even arranged transportation for us to travel on the weekends. They went above and beyond their responsibilities to make sure we had a wonderful experience at Mahidol. We had an orientation led by the Dean of the International School and a field trip to expose us to different cultural elements of Thailand. The teachers were amazing!! I had a professor from London who was doing marine biology research and another professor from Malaysia who had worked for a consulting company based out of New York. The professors made sure you understood everything in class and you could really tell they knew what they were talking about. The friends I made will forever stay in my heart. I loved everything about Thailand- the food, the beaches and most importantly the extremely kind people who I came to know. I would highly highly recommend this program to a friend. The dorms we stayed in where located in a neighborhood of Thai people. And there was a 7-11, two restaurants and a coffee shop within a 2 minute walk. It is likely that you won't have classes on Fridays so you can travel on the weekends! I was able to travel to Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and all over northern and southern Thailand. I met people from Europe, Canada and all over Asia. These are lifelong friends that I plan on visiting this summer! If you want to experience good food, warm weather, friendly people, Buddhism, beautiful nature, adventure (riding elephants!) I highly suggest Thailand! And Mahidol being the best university in Thailand is the place to do it!!

Although it initially took some getting used to, studying abroad was a life changing experience. The amount of knowledge that I gained outside of the classroom, in terms of becoming more personable, more resourceful, more independent, and more outgoing, were invaluable. When you are thrown in a country with very little of your native tongue and you have to adjust and adapt, you learn a lot about yourself that can be applied to your life, your future, your goal and decision making; it was the best experience, and I would absolutely recommend to anyone that they study abroad.