Railway Octopus: A Semester of Food, Culture, and Travel in Japan Past Review
By A student (International/Global Studies., Trinity University) - abroad from 09/02/2013 to 12/21/2013 with
CET Japan
First and foremost, I gained college-level Japanese language skills; that alone makes the trip worthwhile. Second, my art class provided me the chance to explore areas of Japanese culture, such as the backstage of the National Bunraku (Japanese puppetry) Theater.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I have always wanted to take a college level Japanese course and CET easily fulfilled that goal. We were constantly learning new grammar and vocabulary and applying it daily in school and at home |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
While it did get a little chilly in the later months of the program, it was nothing a cheap space heater couldn't fix. |
| * Food: |
On-campus food was always enjoyable to eat and the cafeteria was well-stocked in all manner of Japanese rice bowls, bentos, and noodle soups. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Aside from class trips up to Mie Prefecture and Mt. Rokko, Osaka's location makes individual travel incredibly easy. Many famous locations in Japan such as Todaiji Temple in Nara and the Osaka Fish Market are all easily accessible by train. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
|
| 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, Trinity University does not offer Japanese Courses, so I had studied with private tutors in the past. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Cheap Hotels in Tokyo for when I went over for a three-day weekend and didn't properly manage my budget for the trip. |
