IES Tokyo Review Past Review
By A student (University of Puget Sound) - abroad from 08/28/2018 to 12/16/2018 with
IES Abroad: Tokyo - Language & Culture
I really improved my language skills, as well as learned many new things about Japan and the United States. It was definitely worth it!
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. |
The program provides all the resources that you could need, but the classes are on the easier side. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff are wonderful and able to help with everything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very happy living with a host family. |
| * Food: |
The food was provided by my host family, not by IES itself. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were many opportunities to get to know students at the university, as well as participate in some of the wider community. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was easy to access and incredibly cheap because of Japan's healthcare system. IES staff accompanied me to the doctor's office whenever I was sick. |
| * Safety: |
Japan is a very safe country overall. There are cases of sexual assault such as groping in crowded areas. |
| 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) |
The trains in Japan are very, very expensive, so a lot of money is required for transportation. Living with a host family cuts down on the cost of food. |
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 |
The foreign language classes were in 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? | Living with a host family is the best way to improve your Japanese. |
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? | I wish I had known how much the trains would cost |
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! |
