An okay experience in Japan Past Review
By Bryan T (International Business., The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Tokyo - Language & Culture
Yes, I enjoyed lots of time traveling.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some courses were barely put together, while some had extensive course requirements. In the program where the language was primarily the focus, the other core courses hindered one's ability to learn Japanese more rapidly. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
While they are always ready to support you, their services are not at the level you would expect for the price you must pay to enter the program. Field trips and book fees are actually charged as an additional expense not in the program fee. Good for flexibility, but bad for program reputation. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Spoke English with the host mom most of the time because of communication conflicts. |
| * Food: |
Host mom was quite the chef. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While I haven't really met up with any Japanese, I did enjoy a lot of my time alone seeing the country. |
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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? |
If you come to Japan, your Japanese will be better regardless of the program. However, the program had some structural flaws which included the segregation of American and other countries students due to different semester schedules. This is not good for students who want to gain a broad range of knowledge and communicate with many people from around the world and not just American peers. |
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? | Pick the Nagoya IES program. |
