Difficult but Fun Past Review

By A student (University of Southern Indiana) - abroad from 07/01/2019 to 08/10/2019 with

CIEE: Tokyo - Summer Japanese Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Getting lost is the best part of exploring. Being in a country where I knew a little of the language, it was easy to get lost and turned around, but people were willing to help point us in the right direction. Also, Americans could care less about personal space. The only time I was ever shoved and not apologized to was on crowded trains during rush hour. Japanese people are very polite.

Review Photos

CIEE: Tokyo - Summer Japanese Studies Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I had no health issues during the program, but I know a few people who did. Ambulances are free in Japan and the staff did help with communication. There was a girl who hurt her ankle and was put on crutches and they provided a taxi to get her to and from school the last two days we had it.
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes Despite a few problems with CIEE, the overall experience was fun. The friendly staff made the problems worth it. I would probably only change one course I took as the problems that came with it definitely wasn't worth it. But the overall experience was amazing and I'd gladly go back again.

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)	I had saved up prior to the trip and wasn't worried about my spending money. Food was relatively cheap if you went to convenience stores, fast food, and cheap restaurants.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Before leaving, save up as much as possible. Once there, try to set up a weekly budget and only carry around that week's money. It will keep you from overspending on food or souvenirs. Start out by bringing at least $300 of foreign currency in case your cards get locked up then go from there. Depending on the country $300 goes a long way.

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?	Intermediate
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?	Intermediate
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Practice with people who already speak the language. They're most likely more than willing to help you. While there, it's best to review the basics and try communicating with the locals in their language even if they first start with English. If you know how to say you're learning the language, it's best to mention it. Not only will they be impressed with how much you already know, but they'll also be glad to see you're making an effort to communicate with them rather than assume they'll cater to your needs. It'll also help to review on the plane there and during the weeks before leaving.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students Other
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
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?	The location Excursions/field trips Getting reimbursed for field trips
* What could be improved?	Cost; we paid too much for our dorms Communication; students were unsure about a lot of parts of the program such as checking out of the dorms
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	You can't exchange coins at the bank, only paper currency.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Intermediate Japanese
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments:	The teacher seemed to hate the students and graded too harshly. She seemed to expect us to be fluent and assigned homework covering grammar points and kanji we hadn't covered in class during finals week. There were no instructions on the grammar/vocab portion of the final and students were expected to understand kanji we'd never seen before and wasn't covered in any of the lessons we'd gone over, including those taken prior to the start of the class.
Credit Transfer Issues: