KCJS Past Review
By Lauren I (Japanese Language and Literature., Tufts University) for
Columbia University: Kyoto - Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies / KCJS
Extremely. It gave me much more confidence in myself, and really helped my language ability.
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. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration office is very helpful if you ever need to know directions or helping you out if you don't know how to go about getting something you need, ie. a doctor. The program size is about 40 or 50 students, so you get to know most of everyone pretty well, and by the end it can feel like it's a bit too small, but I feel it's a good size. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was excellent, there was an older mother about 60, and a daughter about 26 or so who didn't always live in the house. I was treated somewhere between a family member and a guest, but the mother was always interested in what I was doing and getting to know me. The neighborhood felt very safe, although the commute was long, about an hour on the trains. It was worth it though because I liked my family, and there were other students from the program living around me as well, so it wasn't always like I was stuck outside the city. Everyone is scattered about. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program sponsors a semesterly trip somewhere outside Kyoto, and they're well planned. I went to Okayama and Hiroshima, and also went many other places over the country on my own. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
The program helps with doctors appointments if you need them. I never had any issues with that though. Also, in terms of safety, I felt safer in Japan than I do at school in Boston. |
| 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? | Breakfast and dinner are provided by host families, and lunch at the cafeteria is very cheap. Transportation was dealt with by a monthly train pass, which made traveling back and forth in the city very economical for me. You do have to pay $50 (5000 yen) of your own transportation pass, but the program provides for the rest and gives you a monthly stipend for that plus a small amount for lunch each day. You end up spending a bit more than that usually, but the stipend is really helpful. I probably spent between $50-100 a week, depending. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food can be expensive, so keep a lookout for cheap places to eat if you're going to be going out. Usually karaoke is a cheap place to hang out, and a lot of people go there. Just try to spend as little as possible on food, and take advantage of your host family's meals. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | JPN 4 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Largely I practiced in class and with my host family. Most host families won't speak English with you, although some know a little bit of English and will want to try out what they know. Every day interactions are mostly in Japanese--going to the store, train station, etc. although Kyoto is a touristy area, so in the busy spots the store owners know very basic English, and you can get by. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A student who really wants to study the language and the culture while abroad should look into this program. I think KCJS is one of the best academic study abroad options for Japan, but if you want more chance to explore or get out of the city, another program might be better. |
