Akita, Japan: Opening My Eyes Beyond the U.S. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I am pleased with the education I received at Akita International University. Most of my classes were Japanese language courses (which were conducted in Japanese). I think the Japanese teachers I had were excellent: they were firm in teaching/grading, but also very nice and helpful, and they definitely were knowledgeable in the subject they teach. I'd say I did get a lot of practice with my Japanese listening skills. Getting practice in Japanese speaking varied between classes, depending on the class size and coursework (i.e. more writing than speaking for Japanese Writing course).

On-site administration of your program

I think the AIU Student Services staff who assists international students were really nice and helpful. They gave us informational orientations, set up activities to interact with the other international students and Japanese students, and also set up field trips to actually explore Akita. I think they did their best to help my exchange experience be as fun and educational as they could. I guess a "weak point" to this would be the activities they set up to try to help you to interact with the Japanese students. They have very good intentions, but I don't think the activities they planned were really successful in helping me make close Japanese friends. I think it really depends on meeting people who have the same interests as you do.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My roommate was a Japanese student from Saitama (located near Tokyo); not a local person of Akita Prefecture. My roommate was nice, but I seldom spoke with her, on account of our different interests and extracurricular activities. Plus, she already had her own circle of friends and didn't really spend much time in our dorm room. Therefore, regarding language acquisition: there really was not much. I think the housing conditions were quite comfortable, however I do feel the dorms could use some renovation; in particular, the shared facilities (toilet, shower).

The food provided by the cafeteria included a variety of dishes from many cultures. Overall, I am satisfied with the food served. It was definitely different from the food I eat back at home. I didn't care for some of the dishes, though, but that was due to my own food preferences. One downside to the cafeteria food is that I felt they repeated some food choices too often (such as pizza, or ramen). AIU also has a convenience store (called the Kiosk), and a College Cafe. The Kiosk sold a large variety of snacks, drinks, and onigiri. The College Cafe also serves a nice food menu consisting of burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, and yummy drinks.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I could practice the Japanese language with other international students, my Japanese teachers, and the Japanese students at Akita International University. However, regarding my experiences, I seldom spoke with the Japanese students, unfortunately. Plus, when they would speak to me, it ended up being a mix of both Japanese and English. In certain settings however, I did have to rely on Japanese; such as in class, or at the shopping mall. At the school, mostly everyone could speak in English. However, outside of the school, it is rarely spoken by the local Akita people.

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• Dorm

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• Other