I was 27 and I had a plan to study abroad. I like the challenge of living in different cultures. It can be frustrating at times, but I feel like I learn something new almost every day.
Perhaps because my first experience in another country was in Korea, I have always had a cultural interest in Asia.
So I applied a process to narrow down my choices of University. My criteria were:
- Somewhere I could live and study for under AUD10,000 a year after part time work
- Courses taught in English
- Part time work no more than 10 hours per week to focus on meditation and study
Initially, South Korea and Japan were obvious choices. There are a few international courses, but it would be very difficult to meet the financial criteria only working 10 hours per week. The language barrier would also be a major issue. Teaching English is not legal there until a person has an undergraduate degree. And I didn't wish to do anything that would jeopardize my studies. So they were out.
China was another option, however I worried about political censorship in general. However at the time there where no international colleges teaching in English, apart from a few American colleges that charged American prices. China was out.
India had the opposite problem. Almost every course was offered in English. I searched for international business colleges and found over 100 of them. That's 100 colleges through the country that I knew nothing about. Also having almost left Thailand after the first 6 months due to culture shock, I'm glad I didn't settle on India. I probably wouldn't have made it. India was out.
Taiwan and Thailand offered the most promising courses. Taiwan had some international programs and as a plus I would be able to learn Chinese there. So I sent off emails to colleges.
Thailand has a half dozen international colleges, but most with good links are in Bangkok. I've been to Thailand, so it was a little familiar and less intimidating, but I freaking hated Bangkok. My last few experiences in the city have confirmed that I still hate it. It really is my least favorite city in the world. However I stumbled upon a university in Chiang Mai that had good links around the world, what sounded like a good program, and met my criteria. I sent them an email.
That college ended up being Payap University.
The university has teachers from all over the world and is exceptionally affordable, compared to most universities. It sounded too good to be true.
In some ways it was. At least in the first few semesters, the teaching standard was not up to my standard. Adding in some cultural shock, and administrative hassles, and I was ready to move or transfer after the first semester.
I don't know why but I stuck it out. And it's gotten a lot better. The senior teachers are usually quite knowledgeable and some have extensive experience (international NGOs, Wharton University, Asian Development Bank). All pretty impressive given the remote location of this University and its financial constraints.
The administrative hassles are still here, but they aren't anything more than the excessive bureaucracy that exists in most universities on top of a Thai love for arbitrary complications. You learn to deal with them. You also learn that in a country like this, the maxim "It's not what you know, but who you know" is even more important than in the west.
While the expectations of students are lower here, and they are not pushed as hard to study or threatened with failing marks as much, there is the same opportunity presented to learn here as in a western university. It's just that here the student needs to motivate themselves to exceed expectations. I find in some ways this is a much better preparation for the real world than having your hand held the whole way.
I will graduate in a years time satisfied that I have made a good choice. I have learned a lot about how to analyze business, I have absorbed a few cultural intricacies and I have matured a lot along the way.
And the Taiwanese universities? They never bothered replying.
