A Memorable Experience

I am a heritage student from Kentucky and signed up to study summer school through TEAN at Chiang Mai University. I was enrolled into three classes total: Thai Language, Cultural Foundations of Thai Society, and Thai Dance. For school, we had to wear a uniform that consists of white tops, black skirts (long pants for boys), and a belt.

The staff of TEAN and the professors who taught my classes were all so nice and helpful, also extremely enthusiastic with their jobs and actively wanted me and my peers to enjoy our time in Chiang Mai. We were put in a dorm called Uniloft with a Thai roommate--which made the program even better. The dorms were really nice, clean, and had air conditioning (oh and a swimming pool and a 7-11!). All of the Thai roommates were awesome and helped ease us into Thai culture by teaching us things that you can't get in a classroom.

TEAN did a good job at making sure we were always comfortable and adapting well into our new environment, and provided us with various excursions (as well as academic field trips, which were also great).

Chiang Mai is a beautiful and generally safe city, filled with locals as well as foreigners since it is a cultural city with a big tourist business. Since this is a summer program, expect to run into plenty of people from all around the world. I made friends with Thais as well as Canadians, other Americans, Italians, etc. Also because this is a cultural city, you'll be surrounded by so much history. I fully took advantage of the fact that I was surrounded by museums, historical monuments, and hundreds of temples--as well as the old walls of the ancient city itself.

This program helped me to see my own country from a different point of view and realise how special and unique it is. If I could study abroad in Chiang Mai again I most definitely would. :)