The Slings and Arrows of Studying in Nagoya Past Review
By Matthew H (Theatre Arts, Nebraska Wesleyan University) for
ISEP Exchange: Nagoya - Exchange Program at Chukyo University
Oh yes! My Japanese skills grew, I discovered areas of employment possibilities in Japan, and I made tons of friends. I realized that as a Theatre Major, I will have a difficult time finding a job, considering the strict culture in Japan, but I can certainly try. I want to act, sing, and dance for a professional theatre company or film industry. This can be achievable, but it will take determination.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was quite large, but it was because Japanese is a very difficult language to learn, and you won't learn it unless you put in the time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The faculty of the study abroad office at Chukyo were the most wonderful people ever. They were all very kind and did their best to help us out. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived in single apartments near campus. All of the international students lived in the same building. The apartment was small but contained everything I needed in order to live comfortably. It was quiet so that I could do homework and hang out with my friends afterward. We did have to buy some things in order to cook with, but these were obtained with the stipend provided. The lady who owned the building was very nice and helped us so much. She was wonderful. |
| * Food: |
I love Japanese food and it was always good and healthy. We were also provided with a stipend, so we didn't always have to eat in the cafeteria, which was nice. But sometimes, the stipend wasn't enough, and we had to pay for food out of our own pockets on occasion. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went on several trips together. We experienced several festivals and saw many different sights. It was amazing. We went to Kyoto for a few days and had the most amazing time. We saw the famous sights and drank Japanese green tea and had traditionally cooked food. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Japan is very safe. The crime is so low that I never was afraid, ever. Doctors were available and accessible. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100-150 per week. Cost of living is quite high. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy food at the grocery store and cook at home. If you go out at night, don't drink so much because that's how places make their money. Alcohol is more expensive than food, so be careful. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
This program required that the students take at least basic japanese language classes. We took tests to find out what level we were at. They have three different levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Practicing the language with other international students was difficult because they get embarrassed and just use English, even though we needed to speak Japanese every day to the professors and with the people in the community. Most everyone spoke Japanese except the international students. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | Use the trains to get to where you need to go. Get a card and get the month long plans. It's cheaper than using it every day at the normal price. Japan is an expensive place to live, so be sure to plan accordingly. Talk to people. Don't sit in your room and study too long. Go out and make new friends, immerse yourself into the culture. |
