Exchange in Malaysia

She describes the trip as one of the most incredible experiences she’s ever had. But it wasn’t without some nerves she left Sweden for a new country.

“I’d never done anything like this before, so I didn't know what to expect” she says. “It took a few weeks before I was able to locate myself on campus and to get an idea of the group of all the other exchange students.”

Once Malin had gotten comfortable in her new environment – with studies, new friends, and so on – she was ready for some more new things.

“From a geographical perspective, Malaysia allows for an incredible number of spectacular destinations” she says. “I have been to four islands domestically, then we also visited South Korea and Singapore.”

Traveling has been a big part of Malins time abroad. And her best memories were spent visiting South Korea.

Educational and cultural differences

Of course, the trip to Malaysia have also included some studying. The school itself, Malin describes as very modern. Taylor’s University is the number one private university in Southeast Asia.

“There are obvious differences in the way teaching is done here compared to the rest of Europe” Malin describes.

And it was not only in the classroom things varied compared to home in Sweden.

“I must say that the cultural difference was bigger than expected” Malin says. “However, people are very friendly and kind, and most can speak English since Malaysia is an old British colony.”

Malin says that these cultural, and environmental, differences were the greatest challenge during her time abroad.

“The fact that Malaysia is so close to the equator and all that comes with that, provides a striking difference from the Swedish climate, which I was not use to” she says. “And as for the cultural differences, it was at first a challenge to understand and adapt to the rules, norms and way to behave”.

A great opportunity for development