An amazing and eye opening opportunity! Past Review
By Lyric McCardle (Eastern Florida State College) - abroad from 12/11/2018 to 12/23/2018 with
Eastern Florida State College: Urban Ecology of Japan
Definitely worthwhile. I learned a lot. My biggest takeaway was how different cultures can be, and how amazing that is. I learned so much about other peoples views of the world, and how others live. It's so important, and every student should experience another culture before they graduate.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My time abroad with this program gave me new experiences and looks on culture and my own country. I was learning every second of the trip, and took back vast amounts of knowledge from all aspects of education. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It's super easy to get involved and everyone I met and worked with was so kind! It's a wonderful experience with an awesome professor who really knows the country and is excited to share it. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We stayed in the most beautiful places. We did share rooms, but that was part of the fun. We were able to form close friendships with each other while staying in some of the coolest places I've ever been. Especially a hostel in Nagano. |
| * Food: |
We were introduced and given the opportunity to experience all sorts of foods that we have never seen. With all the walking I figured I would have lost weight, but I ate so many new foods that I ended up gaining! We weren't forced to eat anything we did want to, but highly advised to go to certain places. Especially if there was a food only local to that area of Japan, we always knew what to look for and which new treat to try! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I learned so much about the local culture. Japan is so different than the U.S, so there was an initial culture shock. But our group was educated the whole way about proper etiquette and why things were set up different ways. We also were lead to some very cool spots and introduced to local foods and culture. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Absolutely amazing, I felt very connected to Japan by the end of the trip. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no problems, but others in my group were sensitive to food allergies, or had minor pains from traveling. It was nothing serious but they were taken very well care of and if anything went wrong (headaches, nausea, etc) it was addressed immediately and the students were good to go with a little rest! The food allergy students had almost no problem finding solutions at every stop! |
| * Safety: |
One of the safest places I've ever been. I never felt out of place, scared, or lost. We always had to have a buddy, so that made things very safe. Like anyplace there is probably always something sketchy happening, but compared to home it was nothing. I never felt threatened, scared, or even in the least bit uncomfortable. If you can handle NYC you can definitely handle anyplace in Japan, no problem! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I had so much fun in such a short time. Japan is by far my favorite country and in just a little over a week I was able to experience so much of it. It's 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) |
You're told before hand how much you'll need. I definitely spent a lot on souvenirs, clothes, and gifts to bring back home. Its very easy to get by though. I spent most of my money on food, but no more than $30 a day. You're only there for 12 days, so it's pretty easy to get by. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | No more than 30$ a day at max. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Once you sign up, you're told how much you need. So you have a few months to prepare! I saved up those few months with a 20$ here and there into a jar. Also, the 7/11s in Japan are the BEST! Super cheap and great train food! I saved a lot of money on food there, and they have a bunch of stuff you can't get in the U.S. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | Pack light, ever lighter than you normally would. Especially if you know you're going to buy clothes! Bring thicker socks, Japan is freezing in the winter. Other than that, I felt very prepared and educated before going abroad! |
