From a small town in Texas to studying on a tropical island – for Benjamin one of the best decisions that he ever made. Taking part in the immersive winter school program Bali Beyond Borders was a life-changing experience for him. He is more than happy to have taken this opportunity to immerse himself into a foreign culture. Read in this article how it has affected both his academic and personal growth.
Get to Know Benjamin
Benjamin is a finance major in his junior year at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) in Texas. Besides his already busy study schedule, he has a lot of hobbies and is very active and involved in the campus life at PVAMU. One of his favorite activities is skating, which is why he is part of the PVAMU skating club. Additionally, he is part of six other university organizations, such as the gardening club and the National Association of Accountants. Recently Benjamin has also taken up his post as the Chair of Innovation at PVAMU, a position that he applied for during his stay in Bali.
Bali Beyond Borders Insights
Combining academic content with cultural exchange and practical experiences is one of Bali Beyond Borders core values. Participating students get to spend two weeks in Bali, where they gain an understanding of Bali’s economy and environmental management. They immerse themselves into the Balinese culture and on top of that explore the beautiful island. Additionally, they go into cultural exchange with the other students, who come from diverse backgrounds. Bali Beyond Borders is an intense and unique program for students who want to expand their horizons.
Among 12 other students from different nationalities, Benjamin took part in the Bali Beyond Borders Winter 2024 Program. The group consisted of students from the United States, Vietnam, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Egypt and Finland. Even though the BBB program was two weeks long, there was only three full days of sitting in a classroom. The program focuses on gathering practical experience. Benjamin really appreciated the variety of teaching methods and activities. He especially enjoyed the excursions to local companies.
“Where would Bali be today, if they wouldn’t have gained the independence?” – Benjamin
Besides visiting businesses, they also went for example to the Bali museum. There they got a chance to learn about Balinese history. The fact that Bali only gained its independence in 1945 after being colonized was shocking to Benjamin. He was touched by all the hurdles and conflicts that Bali had to go through before finally becoming independent. At the same time, it was great to see how they have developed since then. The Balinese culture has been influenced by the colonization of the Dutch, different kingdoms throughout the centuries, as well as religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
Connecting with Locals
Benjamin didn’t want to see Bali only from a tourist’s perspective. He was curious to get to know the Balinese people. He had a lot of casual conversations with locals and really enjoyed talking to them. Same as he was interested in exchanging with them, they were also keen on hearing where he is from and what brings him to Bali. Both sides benefitted from the exchange.
“Nothing I do at home is what they do here” – Benjamin
Texas and Bali are more than 15.000 km (9.6000 miles) apart from each other, so it’s not a big surprise that there are significant cultural differences between them. Benjamin noticed that Balinese people have quite a different mentality than Americans. One example is their hosting mentality. While the service staff in restaurants was nice, they were much more reserved than in the United States. In general, Benjamin found the Balinese people to be laid back and he felt safe in Bali.
Villa and Hotel Combo: Get the Best of Both Worlds
During the duration of the Bali Beyond Borders program Benjamin and the rest of the group stayed in two accommodations. The first half they spent in a villa, while they slept the second half of the time in a hotel. The hotels rooms were rather compact. Benjamin had a small issue in his room, but the hotel staff was helpful and he was able to change his room quickly. Another positive point was that daily breakfast was included at the hotel. Compared to the hotel, Benjamin enjoyed more to stay at the villa. It was nice and spacious. Thanks to big glass doors being in the villa basically felt like being outside. All bedrooms were equipped with air conditioning, thus always pleasantly cool. A tropical place like Bali makes you appreciate air conditioning even more.
Benjamin shared a room with Brenley, who is also from the United States. With her he could exchange about their experiences and impressions. Even though they are from two different states, it was still nice to exchange about the differences of the Balinese culture and the US culture. Since the rest of the group of the Bali Beyond Borders program was from other nationalities, it felt great to talk to someone who has a similar background.
Benjamin’s Advice to Future Abroad Students
- Do research about the place that you are going to – you should know for example what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in the local culture!
- Check beforehand what cities and places are safe, which ones are tourist areas.
- Document your memories – take notes and pictures/videos!
- Get out of your comfort zone – once you are in a different country people don’t know you and you don’t need to be afraid that they judge you.
- Be loose – reach out to locals and other people.
- Be yourself – stay true to yourself but also try out new things, expand your horizon!
Learn More About Benjamin’s Story
In next week’s blog post we will share more of Benjamin’s experiences. He has some good tips on how to get around in Bali, connecting with nature, building friendships and giving something back to the Balinese people. Stay tuned!
Are You Ready for Your Own Study Abroad Experience on a Tropical Island?
Join the Spring edition of Bali Beyond Borders (01.05.2025 – 13.05.2025), there is still time to apply for it until the 1st of April 2025. Find more information here or check out the other study abroad programs in Bali that Asia Exchange has to offer here.
