Thai Uni: How Strict?

[ThanonFarang]

Starting a graduate program on Monday at a prestigious Thai University. Despite the school's good standing, I have heard from students and even admissions staff that the students tend to be lazy and slack off.

The school says the following:

-Attendance is mandatory

-Laptops are required, but cannot be used in class for anything other than note-taking or class related activities.

I got nearly straight A's for my BA in the states. Attendance was optional, you just had to turn in your papers and take the exams. The rest was up to you. I was able to get excellent grades in this environment only going to class 50-75% of the time. A few courses I seriously just showed up the first day and for the exams.

I have little doubt that I could get straight A's in this program without going to class everyday if attendance were not required. Anybody have an idea how flexible they will be about this?

What about the computer thing? Are they really going to bust my balls if I'm surfing or checking email during class?

I understand I'll have a better idea once the program starts but would like to get some advice here from those who may know.

Commence jealous hater trolling in 3, 2, 1....

[kpmsprtd]

Is your goal to get A's, or to learn/experience? I don't see them as the same thing. That is, I think it is relatively easy to get an A and gain next to nothing that will help you in the future.

For myself, if I were doing a graduate degree in Thailand, I would want as much interaction as possible with my Thai and international classmates. That has the potential to be the experience of a lifetime.

I don't know about "jealous hater trolling" as I can assure you I am not jealous. Indeed, I feel sorry for you. Why not just purchase the degree you want, with all A's, and be done with it? Highly efficient, and you can sit in your apartment and surf the Internet all day rather than being stuck in a classroom with interesting people from all over the world...

[hawthorne]

What is the purpose of going to college if you do not attend class and actually learn anything?

Is it only to obtain and piece of paper with some ink on it? If it is the paper then why not atleast go for the most prestigous school you can? Or is working hard not your thing?

There are plenty of majors that would challenge you if that is what you are interested in doing. My suggestion is to try some of the harder engineering degrees if you think going to class one time and taking the exam is so easy.

When I was in college it was amazing to see business majors ( and other liberal arts majors )lined outside the bars after 12 and we were just finishing up a study group. I am not equating majors and salaries here only the time it took to learn the subject and do well.

[ThanonFarang]

I meant jealous people and/or haters and/or trolls. You two I would classify as hater trolls. Trying to tell me how to live my life and making all sorts of assumptions and asking me personal questions, all the while answering questions I did not ask and failing to answer the questions that I did.

My USA college experience was the best time of my life. Very little of that positive experience came from sitting in a classroom. My main reasons for attending this program are networking, learning and getting the degree. I can do all of these just fine by only going to class 60% of the time. If its anything like my Undergrad I'll network even better because I'll be known as 'that guy who never comes to class but gets straight A's' - people are still asking me how I did that to this day. It makes me Mr. Mysterious. Much better than 'Mr. Dorky Farang who shows up 20 minutes early and sits in the front row everyday and asks too many questions'. Don't think anybody will want to have a beer with that guy...

I'm quite certain you cannot buy a degree from this University, and I want a degree from this University (not any University).

Again, I'm an adult who is more than capable of making my own decisions - so I'd appreciate it if you guys can keep the life advice and psychoanalysis to yourselves and just answer the questions that I asked:

-Does this University (likely) mean it when they say attendance is required?

-Will they actually stop us from surfing the internet in class?

[Ijustwannateach]

1. It's impossible to give you answers to your questions without identifying the university- they're not all the same.

2. Guess you're going to have to wait and find out.

3. Inflammatory behaviour- such as calling everyone hater trolls- is against the rules.

Since this thread is going nowhere, I'm closing it.