Buddhist temple in Thailand: A student from Dresden University of Applied Sciences spent her semester abroad in Bangkok.

Miriam's semester abroad in Thailand

Miriam, a student on the Master’s programme in Creative Direction, spent a semester at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) in the Faculty of Design and Architecture in Thailand. Thanks to her efforts, KMUTT has been secured as a new partner university for the FHD – thereby opening up the opportunity for other students to gain international experience at this renowned university.

Miriam shares a personal insight into her semester abroad in her experience report.

July – Arrival and Orientation

I travelled to Thailand in July, which meant I had a busy settling-in period in my new environment. During the Buddy and Orientation Week, I got to know both my buddies and the other international and exchange students. I also took part in a cultural tour to Kanchanaburi lasting several days, during which we were able to get to know each other better and gained a comprehensive insight into student life at KMUTT. During this time, I put together my timetable, met my lecturers, explored the campus and started my Thai language course.

August – Start of studies and settling in to Bangkok

The regular semester began in August. I attended my seminars every week and initially focused on establishing a calm and structured daily routine.
At the same time, I used my free time outside university to get to know Bangkok better: I went sightseeing, found my way around the city and started making my first friends at university.

September – Settling into university life and first projects

By September, I finally felt settled into my studies. Through numerous group projects, I was able to strengthen my connections and build a close-knit group of friends. A key project was an interdisciplinary open-studio seminar on Bangkok’s canals. As part of this, we went on a field trip to several sections of the khlongs, analysed the water quality on site and worked together with a team from the USA on a contribution for Bangkok Design Week. Through these practical insights, I got to know the city and its challenges even better.

October – Project progress and everyday life in Bangkok

October was generally a bit quieter, as various activities were put on hold following the death of the Queen Mother. Nevertheless, we continued working on our projects, all of which were making good progress. I used this quieter period to further settle into my daily life in Bangkok, spend more time with my new friends and get even more accustomed to the city.

November – Travel and exam period

In November, I travelled to Chiang Mai to take part in the traditional Festival of Lights and experience the cultural celebrations surrounding Loy Krathong and Yee Peng. At the same time, the busy part of the semester began at university: we finished our open-studio project, prepared presentations and started the exam period. Thanks to the increased workload, it was never boring and time often flew by far too quickly.

December – End of the semester

In December, I was already able to successfully complete two of my courses, whilst the remaining exams will take place in the coming days. Once I’ve handed in my final seminar assignments, I’ll be heading into the semester break. During this time, I plan to visit friends outside Bangkok, just as I did before the semester began in August. In a small provincial town about three hours from Bangkok, I will once again help out at a local school and stand in as an English teacher from time to time. I will also travel to other parts of Thailand with my family and get to know the country even better.

Further impressions

Plan your semester abroad now

Your contact person

Head of the International Office

Paola Yaconis

Kontakt
Campus Straßburger Platz | Raum 120
Tel +49 351 44 45-417
p.yaconis@fh-dresden.eu