What I learned during my stay at the RMUTT

What I learned during my stay at the RMUTT
By Stephanie Wurzer
My name is Stephanie Wurzer and I am a student at the University of Applied Science
Gelsenkirchen in Germany. Last year, I made the decision to go abroad for an exchange
semester. My target was to create an international curriculum vitae at the beginning of my
study. So this possibility to do something new and that no one in my family ever did
something like that was the reasons to do this exchange semester. I choose Thailand as my
target country. Our university has a partnership to the Rajamangala University of
Technology, Thanyaburi.
Why I have chosen Thailand? I don't know exactly. I didn't want to make an exchange
semester in a country with a culture nearly similar to the german culture. I wanted to make
some new experiences.
In the first days I was shocked about Thailand. Bangkok worked on me as a city of chaos. All
was noisy and dirty. I was thinking about going home back to Germany. But I didn't want to
capitulate. Then we left Bangkok for our trip through
the country. In these days I got to know a “new”
Thailand.
We visited first the island Koh Chang. One of the most
beautiful islands I ever saw. We stayed at this place for
one week. In this time we met many people of different
nations. We made our first friendship with the owner of
our Resort. Her nickname is Lex. She is a very nice and lovely person. She takes care about
her guests. We had a great time with her. She gave us tips and told us some things about
the Thai culture.
2: Singapore Merlion Statue
Our trip went on towards Malaysia. There we visited the
capital city, Kuala Lumpur. In this city I conquered for
the first time my acrophobia. I visited the lookout point
of the Petronas Towers in 172 meters. After a few days
sightseeing we went on to Singapore. It was very
interesting to visit an island city-state which is the
smallest nation in Southeast Asia. We spent the last
days of October at Koh Samet another island of
Thailand to get some recreation.
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1: Koh Chang - October

At the last weekend of October we arrived in Thanyaburi. I was curious about what will wait
for me. I was amazed about our accommodations. Our dormitory was only for girls and we
had security staff. I felt safe in this dormitory.
For our first days some Thai Students of the
RMUTT supported us. They went with us to
a supermarket to buy the initial stuff we
would need for our accommodation and
helped us with the first problems. Our
contact person, Adjan Nok, helped us to buy
our uniform for the university. Wearing a
uniform was a very strange experience. But
it has its positive as well as negative
aspects.
When I visited for the first time the campus area I was overwhelmed. One faculty consists of
many buildings and the RMUTT comprises 11 faculties. So the campus area is very huge.
The RMUTT owns many green spaces and a big lake which is in front of the main building of
the university. The university offers many sport activities for their students. They have a gym,
tennis courts, a swimming pool, a fitness studio, etc.
The first week we were busy with introducing ourselves and telling the Thai Students some
things about Germany and about the FH Gelsenkirchen. On the one hand they were very
4: Thai Students, Victoria, me - February
3: Int. Business Class - November
interested in us but on the other hand too shy to
speak with us. The classrooms are similar to the
seminar rooms of our university. We were
taught in small classes with around 20 or 30
people. The education style differs in various
things to the style of the FH Gelsenkirchen. We
worked with many lectures like in Germany.
Sometimes we developed the topics in group
work which we had to present to the class. So not only the professor compile the topics but
also the students with their presentations. In every subject we had to do homework which we
had to submit to the professor. In classes we made some assignments to practice. We must
do some group presentations or group reports. The professor graded this work and it was
integrated in our final grade. So we had to learn constantly. Another difference to Germany is
that we had to write two exams. The midterm exam happened around Christmas and the
final exams happened in the last week of February. The marks in Thailand consist of different
parts, like attendance, assignments, presentations, reports, midterm and final exam, etc. We
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had only to learn in small parts not like in Germany. There we had to learn a huge amount of
stuff for one exam.
We have not been the only exchange students at the RMUTT. They have many exchange
students from Asia. In our classes we had students from Vietnam and China. For a short time
we got to know a student from Poland.
During our stay we were fortunate to celebrate with the Thais some
feasts. We celebrated the buddhistical festival Loi Krathong which
celebrates annually throughout in Thailand. Apart from venerating the
Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the
candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and
defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot.
One time a year a sport event happens on the campus area. It starts
with a big parade and covers a few days. In this time many sport
6: Chinese Presentation – Jan. ‚09
activities would perform to the audience. Another event was the
birthday celebration of the RMUTT. For this all exchange students
must practice a presentation about their country. It was nice to
prepare such a presentation but it was stressful, too.
The Living in Thanyaburi was different to live in a german city. Most
of the people couldn’t speak English. My ambition was to learn the
Thai language. It was interesting to learn this language, because of
the difference with languages I learned before. The Thai people were
glad if we talked in Thai with them. Sometimes it was very funny
because we didn’t know well the articulation. All Thai people are very friendly and helpful. I
felt very welcomed. During my stay I learned a lot of the Thai culture, especially in
Thanyaburi, because it is a province town and there we were
the only foreigners (in Thai: farangs). In our free time we
visited many islands/cities, so we had the choice to get to
know the “real” life in Thailand and the “touristic” life in
Thailand. Thailand is called the land of smile and I would
agree with this statement. All the time the Thai people smile
but it isn’t every time a smile of happiness. In the Thai culture
you can lose your face if you show feelings, like crying,
screaming, etc. One interesting part of the Thai culture belief
in ghosts. These ghosts live in the land or in the buildings. If a
Thai people want to build a house or to move in a new house,
he must build a ghost house. In this house the ghosts can
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5: Loi Krathong - 12.11.08
7: Ghost House with gifts

“move” and the Thai people give the ghost every week or at special feasts food and
beverages.
The love to the King was flashy. You saw many people with wristbands which announce the
love to the King. The King’s Birthday is a general holiday. Whenever the anthem of the king
plays, all Thai people stop all work they do. In cinemas it was impressive to see that all
people stand up, when the hymn would play before the movie starts. But all of this the King
don’t want. The Thai people want to honor their King who did so much good to his nation. It
is impressive.
I made so many new experiences. This was my first journey I did with people I didn’t know
well. So the most important experience was to learn to live with people, I didn’t know well and
to compromise with them for a harmonically cooperation. It was the first time that I lived
alone in an apartment. I conquered my fears, like my acrophobia, my fear to go in elevators
and my fear to speak English. I got to know many people in this time and I could improve my
English. I learned the basics of a new language which update my curriculum vitae. I got to
know my limits in many different things and I learned to cherish all I have in Germany. I think
I come of age a little bit more. I see things in a different way. It was the best decision I could
make to go abroad. It strengthened my self-confidence. I demonstrate myself that I can do
things if I stand for this.
8: Friends in Thailand
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