An adventurous time learning more about Japan Past Review
By Haley (Baldwin-Wallace University) - abroad from 05/05/2019 to 05/27/2019 with
Baldwin Wallace University: Doing business in Japan, Hosted by the Asia Institute
I learned that Japan is a fast pace society, always moving to try and get to where they need to be. I also learned that not having any Japanese language experience was very hard to communicate in some instances.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The tour guides we had were very educational and knew the history of the areas we visited. |
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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? |
The Mystays in Kyoto was by far the best place. I wish it had some sort of sunroof to enjoy the views of the city. The traditional hotel was good to sleep in for one night and had the best breakfast. The Mystays Hotel in Tokyo was kind of disappointing. Their breakfast options were not good and very limited, and their wifi only worked in the lobby.. |
| * Food: |
Personally, I think the family style food did not work out. The first night had a lot more options for those who do not eat beef or pork but the portion size you got was nowhere near satisfying. There needed to be more food if they are going to do family style. I like meals where I can pick my food because I do not eat a lot of the meats other people do. The last night dinner was almost all pork based and it was very disappointing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wish we would have gotten more interaction with people who lived there. Even at the University visit I would have liked it if we were able to meet more students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I wanted to get more into the culture. Yes we went to some main sites of Japan, but I wanted more interaction with the people. |
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) |
It was hard having to pay for our own meals and having to put more money on our train cards. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $185 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The descriptions of the food do not always put everything in it. Be aware of what type of foods you are getting. I wasted so much money on food where the description said one thing, but had another item in it that was not in the description. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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? | I wish I knew more about Japanese history before going on the trip, but I learned a lot when I was there. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
