EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

Most likely it is impossible to describe this semester in just one page, but I will try my best. For those of you wondering why this text is written in English, it is for those VGTU students who do not understand Lithuanian and might be interested to participate in this programme as well. And since you are planning to go abroad, where speaking English is going to be a part of your daily life, hopefully this will not be a problem.

This was truly the best opportunity given to me by VGTU and I hope that by sharing my experience I will encourage all of you who still have doubts taking this big step.

WHY MALAYSIA?

Being a student of Civil Engineering faculty I had three opportunities that do not include European countries.  It was South Korea, Taiwan or Malaysia. As you already know, I chose Malaysia and my reasons were:

1. Perfect position. It being in the middle of South East Asia (SEA) makes it extremely easy and cheap to travel around.

2. Tropical country. Sounds extremely exotic, distant and a little scary, right? Just perfect to fulfill those adventure cravings.

3. English Language. Since Malaysia was a British colony for quite some time, English speaking level in the country is extremely high, which makes life there so much easier.

4. Great University. UTM has a bunch of high rankings and is popular as having a very international environment.

Obviously, I don’t know much about the other two countries, so I won’t tell you that Malaysia is the best choice. What I can tell you is that I couldn’t be happier about it.

THE OBSTACLES

As you know, most of the good things in life don’t come easy. But oh this one is worth trying for! It is best to be prepared for some of the hardships you might face before having the best time of your life:

1. Being eligible. I am talking about passing VGTU requirements. Having a good course evaluation might not be that easy in Civil Engineering faculty, knowing the English language to a sufficient level might be a problem to some of you and finally passing the interview could scare some of you off. Do not worry! For better grades just work a bit harder and try talking to professors explaining why you need a better mark. English language is the easiest thing to learn these days, just indulge yourself in it as much as you can: watching movies, series only in their original language, reading books in English, talking to foreign people. Finally, the interview is definitely not that difficult. Just be confident and know that you are the best candidate they have!

2. The bureaucracy. This one almost made me quit this whole thing a couple of times. In VGTU we already have a considerable amount of documentation to fill out, but it can never compare to the amount UTM requires. You have to be a real adult here, so Scrutinous work and Patience are key. It takes an extremely long time for them to reply to your emails and the whole VISA process is just a big mess. But don’t worry, it is definitely doable and again, it is sooooo worth it.

3. Finances. Of course, you receive a 2000 Eur scholarship from VGTU but that is not nearly enough for the whole semester. The flights are expensive, there are many initial fees at the university and starting a life in a new place is always pricey. You must have some sort of income or savings of your own. The good part is that Malaysia is extremely cheap compared to Lithuania. Living expenses are very low there, but if you want to travel, you will have to save up. Tip on saving some money: look for cheap flights in the nearby countries as well. Flying in SE Asia is really cheap, so you will save money in the long run.

THE ARRIVAL

Oh, I cannot even begin to describe how happy I was when my Visa was finally approved and I bought my tickets to Bangkok. Yes, Bangkok, it is one of the cheapest places to fly into SEA and I found a flight from Riga to Bangkok for 280 Eur! It was a week earlier than my semester start in UTM, so I decided to stay and enjoy the capital of Thailand, which ended up being one of my favourite cities in the world.

As I mentioned before, traveling in SE Asia can be extremely cheap, so using airlines like Air Asia, Scoot, Tiger Airways, Nok Air and so on was almost my weekly activity. For example, while being in Bangkok I found return flights to Chiang Mai for 30 eur, so I just went for a last minute short-trip. Turned out to be quite an experience:

Pic 1. Spending a full day in Elephant Sanctrualy that included: trekking a jungle and taking mud bath with Elephants, discovering rare species of spiders, and walking upstream a mountain river before reaching a beautful waterfall.

After this I flew into Singapore for only 40 Eur and took 2 hours to drive into Malaysia with barely 4 Eur (taking a local bus across the border). Then it took around 30 min in a taxi (sadly there is no legit public transport in Johor Bahru) to reach UTM Campus, where I was greeted by my Exchange Buddy and her friend. Later I met a Spanish girl who became my roommate. These three girls turned out to be one of the best friends that I made during my whole semester.

Pic 2. Dressing up in traditional Malay clothing ‘Baju Kurung’ and holding a Malaysian flag ‘Jalur Gemilang’ with a Spanish girl Belen (left) and two Malay girls Yasmin and Nisa (middle).

THE STUDIES

1. Higher education in Malaysia is taught in English, meaning the locals and the professors have a high English speaking level. This made it super easy to follow the lectures.

2. Attendance is obligatory for 80% of all the classes. BUT, it is possible to find a good reason to skip more if you have a trip planned or any other reason. They are very understanding as long as you are polite and respectful.

3. Teaching level is pretty high in UTM, so you will have to actually study. But it is definitely not as rough as I thought it might be before going there.

Pic 3. Examination hall that was fully packed with students during the exam I took.

4. You will most likely be the only European person in your classes or even the whole faculty (as what was in my case). This definitely attracts a lot of attention to you from the students and the professors, but they are the nicest people on planet Earth and you can learn so much from them.

Pic 4. Having dinner with the locals. Everybody eats out, since a decent meal is just a bit over 1eur.

5. The university itself is a piece of work. The campus is so big it is impossible to walk by foot from one end to another. It has horse stables, a mosque, several football fields, a swimming pool, a park and so on.. The classrooms are one of the few places in your faculty that has all four walls and Air Con. There are CATS everywhere. Drinks in the cafeteria are served in plastic bags. And most of the toilets is a hole in the ground (which you get used to faster than you think).

Pic 5. Faculty hallways looking like the middle of a jungle

6. The dormitory quality is really poor, and for just 50eur/month more you can live in a 4* Resort surrounded by golf courses having several swimming pools in its territory (check out Pulai Springs Resort, Cinta Ayu Appartments). I shared a 3 room apartment with a Spanish girl, so for 200eur per month I lived in complete luxury.

Pic 6. Pulai Springs Resort Hotel Pool. Since temperature in Malaysia rarely goes bellow +30°C

all year round, it is nice to have a swimming pool accessible at all times.

7. As I mentioned before, there is no public transport in the whole JB area. Some people take taxis (Grab or Uber app is a must) every day, which is quite cheap, but still adds up to quite a big sum at the end. I chose a cheaper and more fun version: buying a scooter! You can buy a used motorbike for around 300 Eur and sell it for 200 Eur or more.

Pic 7. Daily drive to university on my beloved Modenas Kriss scooter.

8. Dress code is important. Collared shirts and closed shoes are preferred. And you must dress conservatively (no short pants or skirts, no open shoulders). This might be rough in the beginning, since the heat is quite severe, but you definitely get used to wearing jeans all the time.

9. The town of Johor Bahru, Skudai is definitely not a very ‘happening’ place. There are almost no bars or restaurants that sell alcohol because it is a Muslim area. The nearest clubs are 30km away in downtown JB. Obviously, you can find some fun places, but I took my time in JB as an opportunity to save up some money and travel a lot more than intended.

Pic 8. Some other European people who studied in UTM lived in the same hotel as me, so we did have a lot of fun and even traveled together for a bit.

THE ADVENTURES

While being in Malaysia I travelled to Penang, Melacca and several times to Kuala Lumpur (KL). Busses in Malaysia are super comfortable, all of them having massive reclining chairs, plenty of space and some of them even massage chairs. The longest ride I took was heading to Penang, it lasted 10 hours and cost 7 Eur, so travelling by bus in Malaysia is definitely the way to go.

Pic 9. The famous Petronas towers in KL, Malaysia

During the semester break, I went to travel around Indonesia for around 2 weeks. In that time I took 5 flights (as I mentioned before, you can really find some cheap flights there)! I travelled around Java, Bali, Lombok and Gili T Islands. Places like Bali or Gili T are the famous ones, although they still maintain their charm even after being attacked by the tourism industry. Java is the one to go for the more authentic feel. You will most likely feel like a celebrity, with people constantly approaching you asking for a picture with them.

Pic 10. After being approached so many times I asked for a picture with the Indonesian girls myself.

One of the greatest adventures in Indonesia was getting completely lost among the mountain villages of Java island just to discover the most beautiful hidden places or witness a life that is so different from our own.

Pic 11. Hiking through the jungle and rice fields while being greeted by the biggest smiles

Occasionally leaping into a more adrenaline filled rides also added up to the great experience:

Pic 12. Discovering a hidden place by the Indian Ocean and jumping into a ride matching only Indonesian safety standards

While studying in UTM I also went on a few weekend trips to Singapore.

Pic 13. Sightseeing in downtown Singapore

Also, during one long weekend me and some friends of mine flew into Thailand to attend a Half Moon festival in Koh Phangan Island.

Pic 14. Spending a night in a local Thai boat while it was being rocked by Tropical storm was an incredible experience.

After I finished my studies in UTM I packed everything I need in a small backpack and left to travel for two months by myself. For some people it might sound a bit scary to travel on their own. To be honest, I had never imagined that there are so many Solo Backpackers in SE Asia, so as long as you stay in youth hostels you will never be alone. During most of my trips I had great company by my side, and for the remaining part I was alone only by my own choice. I cannot reccommend Solo travelling enough!

During this solo backpacking trip I spend one month exploring Vietnam and the other travelling around Cambodia and Thailand.

Pic 15. Fully functional train tracks in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam

Staying in Youth Hostels might require to give up some comfort, but most places offer an incredible price and quality ratio (Hostelworld and Agoda are my favourite sites for that).

Pic 16. A hostel room with a stunning view in Cat Ba Island (Halong Bay) for 4eur/night

It is best to explore SE Asia by renting a motorbike (roughly 5eur/day). It might sound scary in the beginning, but it will end up being the easiest and most exciting thing you’ll ever do.

Pic 17. Discovering backroads surrounded by limestone karsts and harvested rice fields in Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam

Life in these countries is extremely different from the one we are used to, but this is what makes travelling here so special. You can learn to look into things from a completely new perspective.

Pic 18. Watching the sunrise over Ho Chi Minh (former Saigon). Life here starts very early due to the severe daytime heat.

And not to mention the cultural importance of these areas. Indulging into different traditions, beliefs and environment is a priceless experience that opens up your mind to see the world around you in a different way.

Pic 19. Spending a whole day in the Angkor Wat temple city, Cambodia is not nearly enough time to admire all of the masterpieces of mankind from the 12th century

WHAT I LEARNED

Malaysian people have taught me that modesty and humility are crucially important character traits. Indonesia has shown me how we must constantly take care of our environment. Thailand made me fall in love with chaos and diversity. In Vietnam I witnessed the effect that historical events have on our current lives. And Cambodian people proved to me that you don’t have to own any possessions to be happy.

TO CONCLUDE

I would love to share all of the adventures that I had during this time, but hopefully giving you a glimpse of what this exchange could bring was enough to ensure you that it is definitely an opportunity you just cannot miss.

Anyone interested to see more pictures with some descriptions, check out my Instagram account @pat.in.neverland.

Patricija Kadagytė