Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Japan: A Life Changing Experience at Chubu University Past Review

By (International Studies- East Asia, Ohio University) for

Chubu University: Aichi - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Overall, it was worth it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was more than overwhelming at times, to point where I barely remembered anything because I was so focused on getting it all done in time. The grading system was fine and easy to understand, the teaching methods were extremely helpful. Where I honestly learned the most though, was when I was able to go out and explore on my own and interact with the people in Japan.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program was good overall, a lot of paperwork and unnecessary run-around, but good. All of our questions were initially answered right away, but once I was actually abroad, questions were left unanswered.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an International house on campus, that international (Female) students could live in. It was so much fun and I loved every second of it. It was safe, close to classes, no curfews, and we were provided with sheets and cleaning supplies. The R.A. of the house was a Japanese student at Chubu University as well, so she could help us with anything we needed.

* Food:

Food was always good, because of living in the house. I had to do all of my own shopping for food, so I picked what I wanted to eat.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I got to view a Japanese wedding ceremony, tea ceremony, and a local festival. Everything outside of the classroom was more or less amazing. Most of the school trips we went on were very interesting and fun, and being able to travel through Japan was absolutely amazing.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Extremely safe and easy to get around. The people are helpful and kind.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around $80-90 a week. It was easy to budget, as long as you paid attention to how much money you had.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Always, always watch your wallet and your cash.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
Language acquisition improvement?

Best way to improve is to put yourself in real situations, without the help of a prompt or being in a specific classroom situation. Some people did speak English, so it helped if I could not communicate properly. I did however,mostly need to use Japanese everyday.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Traveling
  • Language study
* What could be improved?
  • Amount of homework
  • Communications with home University Abroad Office
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be prepared to deal with a lot of very unpleasant things when it comes to getting ready to go abroad. It will be rough, upsetting, and very frustrating. However, when you get past all that, it's extremely fun! Being able to experience another country is so amazing, there are no words for it!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Conversation (Kaiwa)
Course Department:
Instructor: Suzuki
Instruction Language: Japanese
Comments: It was challenging sometimes, but always fun and enjoyable. Probably one of the easiest classes I had to take. The teacher was friendly and a lot of fun to be around, and answered all of our questions.
Credit Transfer Issues: None.