Leonie (20) and Barbara (25) did their exchange in Universiti Putra Malaysia. Both are from Vienna, Austria, where they are studying marketing & communication in St. Pölken. There they have been studying for 3 semesters. In this blog they wanted to discuss their study abroad experiences and give insights for other students that are looking forward to doing their studies abroad.
“We had to put effort into it since we had to organize everything by ourselves. That is when we found Asia Exchange, who helped us a lot and took a lot of work from us. I have to be honest, without Asia Exchange we probably would have not been able to do it.” – Barbara.
Leonie & Barbara didn’t have a mandatory exchange but wanted to still do one. Their home university offered exchange destinations inside of Europe in the neighboring countries, but they had their mind set on further destinations. That’s how they discovered Asia Exchange.
Life in Malaysia as an exchange student
In the beginning of their studies an Asia Exchange WhatsApp group was formed. There the students quickly got to know each other. There were also “get to know each other” evenings at the start of semester. Lot of the students lived in the same apartment complex which further helped with familiarizing everyone. Later this group grew, and other students joined in as well. It was used to post plans or ideas, and anyone who was interested could join. This kind of open communication made it easy to connect with people who had similar interests or were looking for something to do. Plus, since everyone was in the same boat being away from home and experiencing a new culture, they were more open to forming friendships and making the most of the time abroad.
As for school, Leonie and Barbara had 5 courses that they were attending during their semester abroad. These courses would run from Monday till Wednesday, which left them with plenty of time for other activities. One course is 5 ECTS which can be then transferred to their home university. The school area and other places in the city became familiar quickly. This was due to everyone having a buddy assigned by the school to show them around campus and to do some activities.
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Experiencing the multiculture of Malaysia
The international student life in Malaysia is vibrant and diverse. Students from all over the world bringing their unique perspectives and backgrounds into the mix. This diversity is enriching and makes every interaction an opportunity to learn something new. Not just about Malaysia, but also about different cultures and ways of thinking. It is a truly global experience, and that’s what makes it so special.
The cultural mixture of Malaysia is also very visible. Still people are really open and welcoming to everyone. They know a lot about different cultures because they live in one of the most multicultural cities, thus they are super friendly, respectful and helpful to others. This mix of cultures makes it so that the city sees a lot of festivals and events around the year.
Student Accommodation
Leonie and Barbara say that the student life in Kuala Lumpur is super, especially with the accommodation that they had. There were a lot of exchange students there, which made the community alive.
“For example, dream city recommended by Asia Exchange. We were 60 people living in Dream City filled with exchange students. That’s when you realize that you are living a student life, you go down to the pool and see 10 other students and everyone is happy.” – Barbara.
Living in the same building made it easy to plan spontaneous trips, hang out at the pool, or organize parties. The shared experience of being in a foreign country bonded them quickly. For example, if someone suggested a trip to Langkawi or another nearby destination, it wasn’t uncommon for a large group to jump on board and make it a group adventure. And that’s what they did a lot, almost every weekend traveling somewhere, whether it was inside or outside of the country.
Expectations
“I can’t say if it’s different from what I expected it to be, because I couldn’t imagine how it’s going to be like, but actually everything was perfect. Looking back there were so many beautiful moments.” – Barbara
When asked about their expectations on going to study abroad, Barbara explained how she had already done one semester in Sweden. Compared to it, Malaysia was something way different. Both beautiful unforgettable experiences in their own good ways.
When it came to planning out the studies in UPM, both agreed that it was quite chaotic from time to time. The course lists they received beforehand did not match the ones that were available at the university. Because of this they had to re-plan what courses they took for the semester, which caused small inconvenience.
Visa application process caused some stress for them too, since the acceptance letter, which is needed for the application, arrived only a couple of days before the semester started.
“A lot of students got the official acceptance letter almost right before the semester abroad started / at the last possible moment. That is why a lot of students arrived way too late.” – Barbara.
As for plans, Barbara and Leonie didn’t want to plan the exchange period itself too much. On the go everything can change, and the plans might become something completely different than they were.
“We went into it really openly and thought, let’s see what all of this will bring and what happens and that worked perfectly.” – Leonie.
Recommendations for future exchange students
Be flexible: A lot of the things can and will change during your studies abroad. This is why you should always leave some room for errors, whether it comes to the application process and planning your studies or travelling.
Be early with the visa application: You should have the visa application ready to go with every document you have. Once you receive the last documents needed, send it right away to assure you getting it in time.
Plan what to take with you: It is good to remember to take some warm clothes even if they seem unnecessary, because the AC in the classrooms and malls can be very cold from time to time.
“I’d like to mention one thing about student life which is the dress code at the university. Because of religion we had to wear long pants which cover the knees, shoulders and belly have to be covered and no cleavage. I think it’s important to pack a lot of pants and T-shirts. It is sometimes difficult in this heat but there was AC in every classroom.” – Leonie.
Be patient: Keep in mind that Malaysia is very different in a lot of ways to Europe for example. Some things might work differently, and you have to be patient. As Leonie and Barbara said, there were some issues with the course registrations and being told at the last minute that they had to apply for another course. Sometimes even the classroom could have changed without any notice which caused its own hassle.
Enjoy your time: most importantly, make every second of your exchange count! This is some of the best time of our lives and we should make the best of it.
Like Leonie and Barbara, you can enjoy productive and life-changing study abroad through Asia Exchange, a Keystone Education Group company. In addition to Malaysia, we offer other exciting destinations in Asia, Europe, and Latin America!
Apply now to start upgrading your education while enjoying the thrilling benefits of studying abroad! You may also book a free counseling session for inquiries.
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