Abac - Assumption Universty - Opinions And Critisms Please :)

[jdash86]

I've been very interested in studying in Thailand for a while but have also been put of by the majors. Business, Tourism, Computers... Personally, I'm a science dork and the only thing I really want to major in is something like agriculture bioengineering.

So yesterday, I ran into the ABAC website and found ---- Agriculture Biotechnology as a major! The course seemed very interesting, the location in Bangkok is nice, and of course the cheap tuition fees were a plus. However, searching around ThaiVisa.com led me to a very dismaying thread (English Speaking University In Bangkok) that, at times, bashed ABAC. Thus, questions and concerns....

Is it really that bad???

How is the quality of education?

How is the student culture?

How is it, as a farang, to go there?

How is their Thai language course for foreigners?

Any comments about the Bangkapi area?

Are there are other schools in Thailand that offer a BS in biotechnology (or something like it)?

Any other thoughts would be appreciated!

-Johnny

[Dpolenz]

i cant really give you much helpfull info to be honest,all i can say is that My gf studied there and she turned out alright lol

[gotlost]

This may be of interest. http://www.mju.ac.th/about/mju-about-2004/INDEX.html

Maejo University, Chiang Mai.

[heykki]

I would say the quality is good, contrary to what you may have heard before. I know students from all majors. The facilities are new at Bangna campus, a bit older at Huamak. Bangkapi area is excellent for a student, easy and inexpensive lifestyle. Don't expect to learn any Thai at ABAC, they do not really encourage it. As a farang you will be treated well but depending on your personality you may feel isolated from the Thais - it's all up to you. At least Engineering and Business departments offer quality education and a good degree.

[Briggsy]

How old are you?

What are your career goals?

Why do you want to or have to do your degree in Thailand?

[jdash86]

heykki, thanks for your reply. I guess I'll have to study Thai on my own

How old are you?

What are your career goals?

Why do you want to or have to do your degree in Thailand?

1: 23 (yes, I'm a late bloomer)

2: As far as the world hunger issue goes I see three major routes... Politics, working on-site in an impovershed country, or working on engineering crops for various benefits. I'm only interested in the latter....

3: I don't HAVE to have it here but I certainly do want to. I love Thailand and I have wanted to live here for years. This seems like a good excuse. Also, I would like to get as close to fluent Thai as I can in 4 years. Currently and can read and write but my vocabulary and listening skills are so limited that I can't really use it in normal conversation.

As far as a Masters or Doctorate, I'd probably save that for the States.

[Gluestick]

Is it really that bad???

- What have you heard about it being bad? I've taught students under the Assumption system and it seems the schools are more interested in money over quality education. I also have friends (other teachers) who have gone to study at ABAC and they seem ok with it. The students are alright with it but what do they know? I personally would not study there.

How is the quality of education?

-It is generally a feeder school for the whole Assumption school system that is setup in Thailand. Teach them from 1st grade until 12th grade and if they haven't learned that Assumption is not really teaching them anything, then they have been hooked into going to ABAC. Usually, no good school will take them due to their lack of education. Assumption for life! There are factors such as money, connections, outside tuition, etc. that come into play. The students that have learned through outside tuition and realize what Assumption is about generally leave the school as soon as possible. I am sure many other universities pale in comparison to ABAC, but I feel there are better alternatives to ABAC.

How is the student culture?

-I wouldn't know from personal experience. Those that have studied there have told me that it's pretty easy. You do meet a lot of rich kids from rich families. These are generally the lazy and rich ones that have floated through the system (by paying) and now are looking towards that last step to getting a degree.

How is it, as a farang, to go there?

-Depends...you're young so they'll probably like you. Cute and you've got it made.

How is their Thai language course for foreigners?

-Don't know. My friends that have studied there don't really show much improvement with their Thai language.

Any comments about the Bangkapi area?

-If it's the campus on Bangna, it's ghetto. It's far from the city and not much but factories around that area.

Are there are other schools in Thailand that offer a BS in biotechnology (or something like it)?

-Not sure.

Any other thoughts would be appreciated!

-Check out Mahidol's program. They might have something that interests you and they are usually #1 or #2 in competition with Chula. I have talked to some students from Chula and it seems that the international program at Mahidol is better.

This is general information that I provide. There are exceptions and whatnot. Take it was you will.

Edited November 21, 2009 by Gluestick

[heykki]

You cannot graduate by paying. I know rich kids who spent 6 years doing a 4-year degree because the bar is set high for the junior and senior year courses. The faculty is also very strict about attendance and all kinds of regulations, so it isn't quite what was previously described.

Huamak campus is in Bangkapi. Bangna campus is in Samut Prakan but actually the campus itself is quite a remarkable sight. They have actually made the area nearby where students live quite nice also. I don't remember the name of the project but it can easily be searched.

I would also recommend looking into Kasetsart University.

[puyaidon]

I was a student there for my BBA degree and for my MA. I was also a teacher there in two faculties for over ten years. Send me a private message as the rules of the forum may restrict my comments. They will not be good.

Edited November 21, 2009 by puyaidon

[jdash86]

Checked out the Mahidol U site. Seems by far a better choice with their Biology program. Thanks for all the help everyone. Though I'd still appreciate any new comments.

[Moonrakers]

You cannot graduate by paying. 

This, as they say, is Thailand.

[akarmaka]

crap school, from what i've heard most of their instructors don't even have PhDs and most of them are washed up masters graduates who never got a job. look elsewhere, thammasat, chula, or mahidol.

[mmushr00m]

Not from my personal experience...but i have heard from my staff that Assumption's standards have gone down. They equate it Thai Chamber fo Commerce univ which is supposedly really bad. They say the faculty is now mainly recruited from south Asia or the Phillipines.

They suggested Mahidol, Chula, Tamasat or Kasetart. (they also happen to be graduates from those unis)

Actually know a girl who graduated from the Thai Chanber of Commerce Univ and she told me propective employers ahd to her her degree was worthless.

[heykki]

Previous comments are not quite true. I recommend you try searching the alumni in each organization and ask them directly. I know the business grads from ABAC have been landing excellent jobs and gone to top unis for masters (MIT, LSE). In your field, however, other universities might give better chances.

Thai Chamber of Commerce University is much, much worse.

[Tinkelbell]

Almost every Thai dreams of going to these elite schools : Thammasart, Chula, and, Mahidol, but not everyone make it though (sorry, not every dream comes true).

So what happens to the ones who couldn't pass the entrance ?

They gone to Abac, Ramkamhaeng ...and the likes.

To the OP, since you mentioned that you love Thailand and wanting to stay here many years. May I suggest you should aim for the best by trying to get into these elite univ , I'm sure you are capable of doing so. With the degree that you have earned from those places, it will surely put you in the same par with the highly educated ruling class Thais, which would open many doors of oportunities later.

Good luck on whatever avenue you choose anyway.

[thithi]

lots of ABAC students come to study at the IIS Ramkhamhaeng after they found that place is crap.

They said....

[heykki]

Lots of ABAC students go to Ramkhamhaeng because they are lazy brats and cannot fill up their 80% attendance requirements and they keep failing the courses because of high standard (thus never graduate). About half of the people in Calculus I fail the course on first try (maybe that half are just crap students). I cannot understand how this school is crap when some people who graduate from ABAC get into Ivy League schools for masters.

Edited November 24, 2009 by heykki

[akarmaka]

Lots of ABAC students go to Ramkhamhaeng because they are lazy brats and cannot fill up their 80% attendance requirements and they keep failing the courses because of high standard (thus never graduate). About half of the people in Calculus I fail the course on first try (maybe that half are just crap students). I cannot understand how this school is crap when some people who graduate from ABAC get into Ivy League schools for masters.

to get into an ivy league school in the states they consider your standardized test scores more than your actual grades, such as your SAT/GRE/GMAT scores. those standardized test scores carry more weight than your gpa, though your gpa is still very important.

how many students do you know who have gone to ivy league schools after they graduated from abac? sure it's possible, you can't assume that since half the students are crap that there won't be one gem of a student who aces all his/her classes. so think about that, but in general from what i've heard, it is not a good school.

chula, mahidol, and TU all have better reputations in thailand than abac.

also, about your post about students failing calculus on their first try. calculus is the same all over the world, regardless of where you learn it, but your attitude, and the professor/teacher's attitude in teaching you is what matters. i'm guessing half the students fail because either the professor (or in this case a teacher with a master's degree) is not good enough of a teacher, or, the students just don't care. either ways, both factors are not really helping the reputation of the university.

so if you believe in yourself to be a great student and don't really care about reputation, by all means go to abac because that's where most of the international students are out of all the thai universities.

[heykki]

so if you believe in yourself to be a great student and don't really care about reputation, by all means go to abac because that's where most of the international students are out of all the thai universities.

This is why I went to ABAC myself. The degree isn't going to get me a job and I'm not expecting it to do so. There are plenty of brilliant students and an equal amount of slackers. Works for myself and many others, though.

I'm truly speaking from experience when I say the quality is underrated here in Thaivisa, having an experience from a better university than Chula is (previous studies).

[TAWP]

My wife and her friends all went to ABAC and they seem to have turned out alright. Some speak better English than others, as always. It is up to if you want to learn or just trying to get through and survive...

[MrHammer]

I have not gone to ABAC, but I have met some who studied there and as always there were mixed opinions.

I did study at Thammasat and the quality of teaching was good though different from what I was used too, no reading of books was encouraged, more weight was placed on doing presentations.

Depending on how smart you are, you may find university in Thailand to be more like high school.

Anyway, you'll have a good time and make lots of new friends. Learn some Thai and join some campus activities and you'll have a social circle in no time. Don't expect to be treated like royalty though. There's always going to be some hi-so Thais who will have negative opinions on you, just because you're a foreigner.