Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Japan is awesome and I highly recommend it Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 05/29/2014 to 07/13/2014 with

IES Abroad: Tokyo - Tokyo Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Japan is a modernized country. Its easy to navigate and live there and learning and using Japanese is fun. If living conditions were better I'd have enjoyed it more. All the RAs and coordinators were fantastic! Aside from the head coordinator in Japan, Friday or whatever his name was. He doesn't do anything for the program.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 180-200 dollars a week on food, maybe more. and probably around 30-50 dollars a week for train travel.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Bring a lot of money. You will have to buy every single meal you eat. This program doesn't provide anything worthwhile as a meal plan. Expect sub par living arrangements as well.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? JPN 317C
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? Its really easy to just speak English, so try to speak Japanese among your friends as well as natives.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • RAs were fantastic
  • Location of stay was great
  • Good classes
* What could be improved?
  • Meal Plan
  • Living situation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Internet was hard to use, wifi is minimal at the center where we stayed, and that laundry is all done and dried on lines. Dryers suck in Japan.

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 Linguist
You 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!