Thursday, April 4, 2013

Why study abroad in Asia?

Thinking about studying abroad in the future or perhaps the very near future?
What destinations have you been considering? 
Why do most American students seem to pick a European country when studying abroad?


Hello, my name is Cindy Soto, and I am a senior at CSU Northridge which is located in California. I recently had the opportunity to study abroad just last spring. I, like most American students started considering a European country. I thought about studying in Spain, Ireland, and even London. 

So...how did I end up in Phuket, Thailand? 


I am a huge networker and love to meet new people and one day I was at a seminar and met a very nice man by the name of Craig Richards. He works for a very big company and one of the best people I know...+Anthony Robbins. Craig, was telling me how wonderful Thailand is and how he's lived there for quite some time now and he is raising his children there and it's been the best decision he's ever made. He also mentioned how beautiful the beaches are- That's what had me hooked. He told me I could come for a visit someday, and at the time I was only 21 and I didn't see how a trip to Asia was going to happen anytime soon.

However, the thought of Thailand lingered in the back of mind for a while and then I decided just a few months later that I wanted to study abroad. I was looking at all the programs that were in Europe, and I was also looking at there price tags...$$$$$. Some programs were anywhere from $8,000-$15,000 just for one semester. I couldn't believe my eyes. I started seeing how studying abroad may not be in the cards for me. 

Then I remembered Thailand! The programs my university were offering were again still too high for me and my financial aid wasn't going to cover all my expenses to get there let alone my room and board. 

I decided to go to google and typed in "cheap" study abroad programs. I immediately found a program that was located in Phuket, Thailand. What were the odds? The programs costs were literally less than my tuition at my current university so I couldn't pass it up. 

So my story had a happy ending-I went to Phuket, Thailand and I visited my friend Craig and his beautiful family. I also lived in Thailand for four months and my cost of living was about $2,500. How amazing is that? 

I understand the worries about Asia being such a diverse country and the worry about the language barriers, but honestly I had no trouble with that. I was able to study the language and made so many Thai friends who helped me along and there are many people who do speak English (not fluently, but enough). 

Most Americans will choose a European country, but Asia is way more culturally diverse and more adventurous. As far as your resume Asia will benefit you in that everyone is trying to learn from them as they are doing so well economically and if you aren't aware the people there are some of the friendliest people you will meet. Thailand is actually referred to as "The land of smiles". 

Most Americans don't really know anything about the Asian countries, and because of lack of information they are less likely to pick those destinations, but if you'd like to be one of the few or are interested on how you can learn more about studying abroad in Asia please contact me here:
cindy@cheapstudyabroad.com or text/call: 747-444-0102. (Also, if you'd like to learn more about how affordable it is to study in Asia and how to pay less than any tuition you will find in the US don't be afraid to email/call/text me.)

Good luck to you and I hope you have a wonderful experience studying abroad. 

Find more info here: http://www.cheapstudyabroad.com

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