A Truly Wonderous Experience of Life in Japan Past Review
By Ryan S (Political Science/Economics, Trinity University) for
CET Japan
This experience was amazing. I learned Japanese rapidly and made all kinds of friends. But just as importantly I learned a great amount about myself, my values, and my goals. I can't speak highly enough about the kind of life-changing experience it is to go to a convenience store or order at a restaurant all by yourself. There is nothing more incredible than having deep true and lasting friendships with people of different cultures and that is what this program gave me. I am immensely grateful and hope to return to Japan soon to work and study.
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. |
I came out of the program with a much better grasp of Japanese language, and a greater variety of language tools to make use of, thanks to the large amount of time spent in class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff of both the university's international center and CET itself were immensely helpful and available. They were a key source of knowledge and support and met my expectations incredibly well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The cafeteria was great and there are so many amazing places to eat in Osaka. It is good to explore, but eating out can get expensive. Luckily, groceries are pretty cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had a lot of field trips to historic towns and sites and got to really engage with the local culture and history of Kansai |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Japan is an incredibly safe country. The biggest worry is probably pickpockets. It is not uncommon for women to walk home alone at night. There was a hospital near our school and all health concerns were addressed quickly and professionally |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Japan is an expensive country, but within Japan Osaka is a fairly inexpensive city. The Japanese like fashion and so there are a lot of high end retailers, but despite this, you can live simply there. It just depends on your priorities. Be aware that you will take the train a lot so plan for those expenses |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had taken a year of Japanese |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
There was a Japanese only language pledge which meant we couldn't speak english. The result was that no matter who I was speaking with, I was practicing Japanese. My Japanese roommate proved to be an invaluable help to my speaking skills, providing hours of interesting conversations and interactions. |
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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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? | Anyone who is willing to seriously engage with the language and culture of Japan should look into this program. At times it is challenging, both academically and culturally, but the gains are worth it. There is so much to learn, and eight weeks doesn't seem like much, but I will say that after only 2 months I felt like I had known my Japanese friends my whole life. |
