Indonesia
I came to Taiwan just to study, but somehow I found opportunities, confidence, and a version of myself I never knew before.
Hi everyone, I’m Tata—an Indonesian student who packed up her life to study design here in Taiwan.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s actually like to graduate abroad—navigating the late-night design crits, the language barriers, and the bittersweet pressure of the future—come walk with me through a day in my life. Looking back at my journey, here are three essential lessons I learned that changed everything for me.
As a design student, I learned very quickly that your portfolio is literally your everything. It’s your identity, your resume, and your ticket to the professional world. If you wait until graduation day to start building it, you’re already behind.
My advice? Start stacking up real-world experience as early as possible. Dive into internships, take on personal passion projects, accept freelance gigs, or honestly, just create anything that challenges you. Trust me, putting in that extra work early on will save you a massive amount of stress later when you’re transitioning into the workforce.
Real growth usually happens right at the moment you decide to do something before you feel 100% ready.
When I first moved here, I never imagined myself surviving—let alone graduating from—a class taught completely in Chinese while I was still visibly struggling with the language. At first, the fear of not being able to keep up with the locals was paralyzing. But I decided to go for it anyway.
What I found on the other side surprised me: my Taiwanese teachers and classmates didn't judge me. Instead, they supported me and lifted me up every step of the way. Stepping out of my comfort zone didn’t isolate me—it connected me.
Graduating as an international student brings a unique brand of pressure. Everyone around you is asking the same heavy questions: Are you going to stay abroad, or are you going back to your home country? It’s incredibly easy to get lost in the noise of what you "should" do.
I realized that this is one of the hardest but most crucial parts of the journey. The more you take the time to truly understand yourself—your unique strengths, your limitations, and the kind of environment where you actually thrive—the clearer and easier those big future decisions become.
Sometimes, the decisions that terrify us the most end up changing our lives the most. I originally came to Taiwan with a simple, straightforward goal: just to get a degree.
But along the way, I found so much more. I discovered unexpected career opportunities, built a deep sense of confidence, and met a stronger version of myself I never knew existed.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence, thinking about studying or building your future in Taiwan, consider this your official sign. Just go for it.
