AIU (Akita Is Unique) Past Review
By Taylor Cordaro (Cottey College) - abroad from 04/01/2018 to 08/07/2018 with
Akita International University: Akita - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was worthwhile! I learned a new language and culture, and got to leave America for four months. Four wonderfully peaceful months.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was very similar to Cottey’s. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was cozy. They lend you bedsheets every week, otherwise you have to clean the room yourself. Also you have to buy your own toilet paper. |
| * Food: |
A little too expensive for mediocre food, but I highly suggest getting a meal plan because the food off campus is also expensive. Avoid salad bar. Lunch is better than dinner. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
They focus on this. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I hurt my shoulder and the on-campus gave me patches to help it. The nurse struggles with English however. I never went off campus for anything. The program wanted a flu and MMR vaccine (I think. I got it as a child.) |
| * Safety: |
Akita City is so safe. Campus, however, not so much. Keep your door locked. There are thieves! There’s also a sexual assault issue. Neither happened to me and I believe it’s mainly other international students who do this, but I could always be wrong. There’s a bar right next door, which is usually frequented by international students, and they often get drunk and sometimes violent. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I’d wanna go to the international tech school in Kochi instead. However, that doesn’t mean Akita was horrible. I quite liked it. |
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) |
1? I didn’t get a job, and had an extra $4000 that was gone in 2 months because of travel for Golden Week. By August I was stressed. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Too much. It’s hard to estimate. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a 10 meal plan. You have freedom on weekends. |
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 |
5. You thank people a lot in Japan, for one. Campus was mostly English but off campus wasn’t, of course. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Use it constantly. Read signs, especially. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | It costs a lot to not get a meal plan. |
