Ups and Downs of the Land of Hidden Garbage Cans and Heated Toilet Seats. Past Review
By Aaron H (EDUCATION., St. Cloud State University) - abroad from 09/24/2011 to 08/11/2012 with
Akita International University: Akita - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to push myself, how to try, and how to let go of silly things. It was the most worthwhile experience of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I had an amazing time. I just wish that the school had more international students to socialize with. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were pretty laid back, some of them I saw once a month. The guy who I was lead to believe to be my main contact though, I think I may have only seen a handful of times. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was tiny, but I absolutely loved it. I miss it very much. |
| * Food: |
The food in Japan is divine. It is something I will never be able to forget. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I got pretty good at the language, but I still always felt like I was an individual in a see of uniformity. The people were always uproariously nice though. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Japan's health care is godly. While I'm glad I didn't need it, I feel that I should have taken more advantage of it and gotten my wisdom teeth pulled or something. |
| * Safety: |
I have never felt safer in my life than in Japan. I hardly ever even locked my door. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
My Scholarship (JASSO) was heavenly. I even had enough money from it to travel a little, though not as much as I wanted to. So while my expenses weren't technically included in my program, the scholarship they gave me covered everything. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Approximately 5000 yen a week on food, and about 10,000 yen averaged out a week for bills, etc. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Learn to cook for yourself. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
English is rare in Akita, so learning and speaking Japanese was mandatory. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make lots of Japanese friends to practice with. I wasn't very social, I think this is what might have stopped me from maybe even becoming Fluent. Also, Audit the Japanese Class that is the level above yours. It'll be tough, but so worth it. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Where the clubs and shops were, information about the campus, and how rough my seasonal depression would be in the winter. |
