My name is Sabda Dian Nurani. I was born in Tarutung, Indonesia on March 18th, 1994. I am the fifth child of five siblings. My father and my mother live in Tarutung, Medan. My educational background is Economics Education at State University of Medan, and I completed my undergraduate education in 2015. Entering a state university is a pride for me because it takes a tough competition to get at a state university. Graduating at a state university made me have another dream, study abroad. After graduating from undergraduate education, I worked as a teacher at one of the educational institutions in Medan. I work for about 6 months. However, working as a teacher has not been able to meet my financial needs, and is not enough to make me grow academically. I also want to continue my dream of studying abroad. Therefore I decided to continue my education, and now I am undergoing a master's education at one of the best universities in Taiwan, namely National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT).

1. What made you decide to study in Taiwan?

I have a dream to study abroad. At first, Taiwan was not my destination country. I aspire to study to other countries which I think have a great opportunity to accept Indonesian students. But in fact, getting scholarship information abroad is not easy. Taiwan is the only country where information about the scholarship is easy to get. There are many socialization activities about studying to Taiwan in my area and it turns out that many of my seniors have studied in Taiwan. The information made it easier for me to enroll in Taiwan and I was eventually accepted in National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT). After staying in Taiwan for 1 week, I was amazed of the situation in Taiwan. Starting from the transportation system, education system, society life, and many things that make me very amazed. Therefore, at first I did not have a good reason why I came to Taiwan, then I fell so grateful and lucky to have the opportunity to live and study in Taiwan.

2. Briefly tell us about the program you are studying. What subjects are you studying? What have you enjoyed the most in your studies?

My department is International Business and Administration (IMBA) and I really enjoy and love my majors. It’s not because I already have a background on business and management, but because of the learning system I received. I learned about Marketing Management, Information Management, Management Science, Project Management, Financial Behavior, Accounting Management, Quality Management, and other lessons about business management. I feel that these topics are packaged in a simple way but has a deep analysis, which helps me as an International student to understand the lesson. I really enjoy the learning system from my teacher. They are very friendly and provide clear information about the lesson.

3. How is studying in Taiwan when compared to studying and being a student in your home country? (Teaching Quality、Environment、School Equipment、Laboratory or others)

If compared to the learning system in my country, I would say that I am much more satisfied with the learning system in Taiwan. From the teaching quality point of view, lecturers in Taiwan are more competent and professional, friendly and treat students well. The learning environment in Taiwan is better. From the school equipment point of view, equipment and facilities in Taiwan are more adequate. I am amazed at the complete learning facilities such as laboratories. In my country, it’s very rarely the students have a private laboratory as a place to learn. The learning facilities such as computer screen, computer center, library, and study room are very comfortable. The most important thing is internet facilities which are available everywhere, making it easier for students to learn. I feel that all the facilities and equipment meet my needs as a student and support my learning system.

4. What has been the most difficult part about applying to study in Taiwan? How did you overcome the difficulty?

The most difficult thing during apply to study in Taiwan is getting clear information about registration. I have guidelines for applying, but I feel that my English skills are also limited so that I have difficulties in understanding each of the procedures described in the guidelines. What I do to overcome this problem is to keep trying to understand what is written in the guidelines and ask the people who have experience with Taiwan scholarship.

5. What do you plan to do after you have finish your studies in Taiwan? Would you like to stay in Taiwan?  Why? 

After I finish my study in Taiwan, I want to go back to my country. It isn’t because I don’t want to live in Taiwan anymore, but because of my parents. I am the youngest child, and my parents asked me to work in my country so I could stay away from my family.

6. How do you think studying in Taiwan can benefit you in your future career?

Yes, studying in Taiwan gives me an advantage in my future career, because I get a lot of things in Taiwan. Not only academically, but also the amazing experience, social life and education system in Taiwan that opened my mind. It will be very beneficial for my career in the future.

7. What do you see as your key achievements when studying in Taiwan?

Completing my master's education with many difficulties, and earning an MBA degree, was a major achievement for me during my college days in Taiwan.

8. What advice do you have for other interested overseas students who want to come to Taiwan to study?

My advice is don’t miss the opportunity to study in Taiwan, because study in Taiwan will give you a big advantage.