Wish I Could Go Again Past Review
By Krystal Sousley (Central Washington University) - abroad from 09/03/2018 to 12/23/2018 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Kyoto - Semester in Japan
I was able to improve my Japanese proficiency as well as discovery a new passion for flower arrangement. It was absolutely worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
At the beginning of the program you take an entrance exam as well as an oral interview to determine your of fluency in Japanese. Depending on your level the interview may be more or less intense. Some people got asked what a pens color is, others got asked what their home life is like, my friend Lucy and I got asked what the economic difference is between the East and West coast of America. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Jeff is the site director for this program. Although he lives in Tokyo, he travels often to Kyoto to do excursions with us and is very quick to respond to questions or concerns on LINE. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The rooms were actually fairly big for Japanese standards and even came with washing machines. I just wish my complex had included a microwave. |
| * Food: |
Try the Indian curry there. So good!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CISabroad and KUFS do a great job in offering many opportunities to get involved and experience the local culture. Such as volunteering at a Japanese festival in the more rural parts of Kyoto, or participating in a shinto ceremony at a shrine! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
All students studying abroad in Japan have to purchase national health insurance. It only costs about 16 dollars a month (has really great coverage), which can be paid at literally any 7/11 or Lawsons. |
| * Safety: |
Japan is a really safe country and the area around KUFS is also really safe. However, be aware that bikers ride on the sidewalk and they ride fast, so it is best to stay out of their way. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program was a lifesaver! My university requires Japanese major students to study abroad for at least one semester, however, I learned that due to complications that they would be only allowing two students to go through the school. Since my best friend Jenny and I wanted to be placed in the same school we decided it would be best to look for a third party program; and I am so glad we chose CISabroad! From the get-go the program was super organized. They had a portal set up so that I could see what paperwork I had to get done and when. Also, I was immediately set up with an advisor that I could get in contact with super easily throughout the whole process (this was extremely helpful when it came time to do visa applications!). Once I got to Japan, they gave us a fun orientation in Tokyo where we got to browse all of the local hotspots and get to know our site director, Jeff (he is amazing!). The whole time that we were there we could contact Jeff at literally any hour and he would get back to us super quickly. He also took us on excursions throughout the trip, like getting to see a Shinto ceremony at a shrine (that was closed only for us!), or feeding deer at Nara! It was absolutely amazing! |
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) |
I budgeted about 600 dollars a month for my stay and including excursions and food that covered me pretty well. However, I was limited to how often I could go out with friends. Some of the people in my program spent more like 800-900 a month. So less than 600 a month might be a little bit difficult. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Chain restaurants and the cafeteria are your friends! You can easily get meals for around 3 dollars. Also, avoid bars except during happy hour. They are expensive and some even have initial charges. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
In our Japanese language courses we were only allowed to speak Japanese. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 363 |
| 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? | Join a club! That was one of the main reasons that I improved so much, especially when it came to casual conversations. Not to mention it is a great way to make native friends! |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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 that I knew how the registration for classes worked, because it was a little weird. In the beginning you take your proficiency exams and are placed in a level (1-9). You have two blocks of your level of Japanese a day that are already set. On your first week of classes you go to your level classes and attend the elective classes you think you want, and then register for them. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
