What's It Like Being An Exchange Student in Thailand? [S7.E53]

Greg interviews our new friend Jannik Hiller about his experience
as an exchange student in Thailand. Jannik explains that while a
university student, he decided he wanted to do an exchange year
in a country completely different from his native Germany, so he
settled on Thailand, despite never having been here before. 


 Greg wonders about the quality of
education in Thailand versus Germany, and Jannik explains that he
was willing to sacrifice some academic quality just for the
experience of traveling and living in a foreign land. Jannik then
recounts his first month in the country, getting ready for school
to start. After an initial shock, he fell in love with exploring
Bangkok and acclimated to a dorm at Chulalongkorn University for
international students. He talks about interacting with students
from the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and Italy, a cosmopolitan
experience that led him to pursue a Master's Degree outside of
Germany. 


Jannik then expounds on the differences in the academic
experience: Thai university is more formal than in Germany, given
that students have to wear uniforms and the professors are
treated with more deference. Further, the courses involved more
group work and presentations than his typical classes back home.
 


Overall, Jannik's experience at a Thai university was a very
positive contrast to his typical European education, and with the
help of the Bangkok Podcast, he has become a true Thai-phile
(like the rest of us!).


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