Tokyo - An Excellent Adventure Past Review
By lindsey.e.wilson.3 (Cytotechnology, Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 08/28/2012 to 12/16/2012 with
IES Abroad: Tokyo - Language & Culture
I gained more than I can put here. This was my first time away from home. Away from everything that was familiar to me. It was really hard for me to adjust at first, but now I know that I have grown a lot as a person because of this experience. It was most worthwhile. Even if my Japanese didn't improve at all I have no regrets. Living abroad is a wonderful experience that I believe everyone should have. It opens your mind to seeing the world differently and to view something from another perspective without giving any judgment.
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. |
The language intensive program lives up to it's name. You have Japanese class for 3 hours a day, everyday. In the classroom only Japanese is used. In addition if you live with a family you will use Japanese at home as well. I became far more fluent in Japanese in just 3 months of this program than 2 years of classes at my home university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The IES Tokyo team is very helpful and readily available to assist any student's needs in both school and adjusting to life in Japan. They are very nice people! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a wonderful host family that has hosted students before so they knew how to make adjusting easier. I recommend living with a host family if you want to know about Japanese family life. But if you like going out at night then a dorm might be better for you. |
| * Food: |
My host mother cooked wonderful meals for me. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My program was at Meikai University, and really all the IES students mainly interacted with just each other as our building was separated from the main campus. You do have an Epal and conversation partner, but other than that you don't get many opportunities to meet other Japanese students. However, the program is moving to Kanda University, which has a greater international student exchange network for interaction between foreign and Japanese students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never got sick while abroad. But the IES staff is always willing to take students to the hospital who need medical care. |
| * Safety: |
Even walking around late at night I always felt safe in my home city. But you should always be alert of your surroundings, especially in the crowded streets of Tokyo. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Tokyo is expensive. The program itself is also rather pricey. With the strong Yen to the dollar made things even more expensive. I recommend having around $6,000 to use while there. I didn't use that much, but I also didn't go out to eat very much or to clubs. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300-$400. I love to shop, so I spent more than the average student I think. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you live in a homestay, always be home for dinner. It's prepaid and yummy. The dorm also has meals that you prepaid for, so try to not eat out much for dinner. |
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 |
Japanese class was taught only in Japanese. Other classes were taught in English, but Japanese was always encouraged. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Second year Japanese |
| 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? | Just talk with Japanese people! The best way to learn is by practice, try not to be shy and don't worry about making mistakes. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 as little stuff as possible. You will accumulate lots of stuff while abroad. |
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! |
