Past Review
By Michael T (Asian Studies; Japanese, University of Hawaii - Manoa) for
Hakuoh University: Oyama - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It all depends on how you use your own personalities, knowledge, and life/language skills to take advantage of and make the most of your study abroad experience.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Mostly, classes are conducted in lecture format, while there may also be a tiny few sessions of student discussions. But it will depend on the size and topic of the class. There isn't really much "homework", but a large portion of your grade comes from attendance, which can be worth as much as 40-70%. Most classes have a mid term, final, and a final report. Sometimes, only one of the three is required to pass the class! As for my classes, There was only a final report/final exam to do. As with any other university in Japan, the workload isn't even half as rigorous as American universities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Many things were done at the last-minute, which made it very inconvenient for exchange students. Also, exchange weren't given much online access to the things which regular Japanese students had. Therefore, important information (i.e. class registration, university events, exam times/locations, etc.) was difficult to come across. As a result, exchange students needed to rely on advisors too much, thus inconveniencing their time as well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Overall....very decent, inexpensive lifestyle. |
| * Food: |
Many convenient places to eat: supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, cafes, etc. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Instructor's foreign language skills were VERY poor. Therefore, exchange students who were at a very low language level sometimes couldn't receive all the help they needed during certain times of confusion. Much of the material was also impractical for daily usage, thus preventing the most important things that needed to be learned to get by in Japanese daily life. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be very patient while studying abroad. Always be willing to learn new things and adjust to different lifestyles. |
