Embracing the study abroad experience in the USA

I love that I can interact with a lot of students in my graduate degree who have full-time jobs and are studying part-time at DePaul University.

A helping hand from IDP

When I was in Thailand working as a marketing executive, I didn’t know anything about studying abroad.

I went to an expo and came across an IDP booth, where I met Pebank, who became my IDP counsellor.

Pebank gave me a framework of the entire application process, from application due dates to the English language test scores I needed to apply. I also learnt how to write my SOP and how to talk to my professors and employers to get a recommendation letter.

My counsellor not only spent two hours with me during every appointment but also talked to my parents.

This was because I needed my parents’ approval of the universities I chose. Pebank provided me and my parents a list of universities and my Dad decided the ones I would apply to.

Arriving and settling in a new country

It was scary at first when I arrived in the USA, only because I was in a different country away from my home, on my own.

But it became easier when I arrived in Chicago and tried to set myself up in the city.

My counsellor had given me the contact details of the students who were already living in Chicago. I contacted them before I headed to the USA, to ask about English Language Academy (ELA) classes and also about the weather in the USA.

I am still in touch with the first student I contacted. I also met another Thai IDP student when I first arrived, and she has now become my best friend. We hang out together every week.

I have made a lot of friends in this country. And if I had to do it all over again, I would still choose to study at DePaul University in the USA.

What I love about studying abroad

Usually, I am the only Asian student in my class. And I am gaining a lot of experience studying abroad.

In my class, I get to meet people who have different backgrounds and pursue their careers in various fields.

Now I want to expand my connections in the entertainment industry and become a marketing manager in that field in Thailand.