One Year in Malaysia: Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone
- 16.07.2026
- International
Christina’s semester abroad in Malaysia was shaped by international exchange, personal growth, and the realization that being open to new experiences creates the most meaningful connections.
Student Christina Schößwendter is spending two semesters at Taylor’s University in Malaysia. She deliberately chose to study far from home, found an international environment, took part in many group projects, and learned to embrace new experiences with an open mind.
As part of the bachelor’s degree program in International Business Management at FH Kufstein Tirol, Christina Schößwendter is completing two semesters abroad at Taylor’s University in Malaysia from August 2025 to August 2026. She intentionally chose a partner university far away from home in order to step out of her comfort zone and gain new perspectives. Once there, everyday life was shaped by the vibrant campus atmosphere and a strongly group-oriented teaching format. This allowed her to apply academic skills in international teams while also redefining her personal boundaries.
Daily Campus Life and Academic Experiences
Her days often began with breakfast on campus before lectures and tutorials filled her schedule. Since around 80% of the tutorials were project- and team-based, individual work played a smaller role, while coordination with fellow students from around the world became a central part of everyday academic life.
Looking back, I can see that my communication skills - especially in a foreign language - as well as my flexibility in dealing with unfamiliar situations have improved significantly.
Christina
Student
“Looking back, I can see that my communication skills - especially in a foreign language - as well as my flexibility in dealing with unfamiliar situations have improved significantly,” Christina says.
This became especially clear in the practical projects: different perspectives came together, ideas were developed further as a team, and then directly applied in practice. This intensive collaboration resulted not only in valuable academic experience, but also in new friendships and many spontaneous encounters that greatly enriched her day-to-day student life.
Culture, Support, and Advice for Future Students
Culturally, Christina was particularly struck by the rather reserved nature of many people in Malaysia. What initially seemed somewhat introverted gradually developed into open and trusting relationships. She also felt well supported organizationally: the International Relations Office was always available and responded quickly to inquiries, while the student residence located directly on campus made settling in much easier.
For Christina, the strong international character of the partner university made the experience especially valuable, as it created many opportunities for new encounters and meaningful learning moments. Her advice to future exchange students is therefore not to plan everything down to the last detail, to approach others with openness, and to make the most of the opportunities on site.
Her personal conclusion is: “My biggest takeaway was learning to approach new experiences with an open mind.”
