I moved to Thailand for graduate school. The free degree I received is not recognized in the US, but it inspired my side business.

So, after I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2017 and was still trying to decide where to go for a graduate degree, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity.

I was open to moving anywhere and also applied to schools in Spain and New Zealand, but Kasetsart University in Thailand was the first school to offer me full boarding for a two-year Master of Engineering program.

My mother was afraid of what she was doing I would be far away. He didn’t come until the day we went to the airport. His concern made me afraid to walk too. But I had made a plan: if things went south, I would drop out of school and spend all my savings on a long vacation.

I thought my school was in the capital, but I found out it was in the countryside

When the university representatives took me to the airport and told me it would be a two-hour drive to campus, I was confused.

“What do you mean it’s a two hour drive? It’s only 20 minutes,” I said. They looked at each other and started laughing.

They replied, “That’s the Bangkok campus. You’re going through the Kamphaeng Saen campus!”

My whole stomach dropped. I had no idea what I was getting into. When I applied for the scholarship, I thought Bangkok was the only campus.

It turns out that this school has three other campuses. I didn’t understand the university website, maybe because it is especially in Thai, and has been reading a translated copy.

I felt lonely for the first few months

Since the students on campus did not know English, my professor was the only person I could talk to. Sometimes, I would spend days without talking to anyone but my mother on the phone.

Depending on the class, the professors would teach in Thai and translate into English for me, or I would be taught by myself.

I thought about quitting several times in the first few weeks but decided to give myself six months and try to learn the language. My plan was that if I still hated it, I would quit.

I tried my best to learn Thai. I studied it for about two hours every day on a device called ThaiPod101. After four months, I understood my first sentence. Six months later, I was able to have a basic interview.

I made good friends in Thailand, and that made life better. I immersed myself in the Thai culture because I could talk to them. My Thai friends would invite me to their homes on weekends to eat with their families. They welcomed me with open arms.

The university experience was different from what I was used to

At my university in Thailand, they were taught engineering from the ground up. For example, they would learn how to organize a spreadsheet and make it work because they do everything to save costs. So, I learned more about all this technology.

My American university felt new. As an undergraduate in the United States, I had to think creatively to solve engineering problems. In Thailand, they preferred that I follow procedures and manuals.

The cost of living was also very low. I didn’t cook at all for two years, because every meal costs $1.50.

I lived in an off-campus dormitory, and it had a TV, a fridge, a toilet and a balcony. The expenses were covered by my scholarship.

Without the scholarship, the graduate program would have been less expensive than pursuing a bachelor’s degree in America.

According to Kasetsart University’s website, master’s students pay approximately $1,200 to $1,500 per year for tuition and an additional international student fee of $512 per semester.

In comparison, tuition for the same program at Oklahoma State University for out-of-state students, excluding other fees, is $17,890 per year.

I’m back in the US but I go back to Thailand often

After completing my graduate degree in 2020, I returned to the US. Although my master’s degree was not American-accredited, it made for interesting discussions during the interview process. I am currently working as a cybersecurity professional.

I have also started a side business, where I run group tours of about 20 people to Thailand once or twice a year. We travel to places like Chiang Mai and Bangkok to see waterfalls and hill tribes and see Thailand together. I charge about $1,800 to $2,000 per person, depending on the destination.

Now, I live in Houston, and in my two years there, I have only met two of my neighbors.

But in Thailand, people were always outside wherever I went, and they talked and got to know me.

I liked that about living in Thailand – you are never lonely there.

Do you have a story about choosing to go to college outside the US that you want to share? Contact reporter, Erin: eliam@businessinsider.com.