You will learn something, whether you try to or not Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I studied Japanese here and felt the classes were a bit too simple for me. They were nice and helpful, of course, but most of my learning I did on my own, interacting with people and the culture. I don't recommend taking too many courses at once, because I was constantly drowning in busywork.

On-site administration of your program

There are many resources, including your own personal "tutor", that really saved my sanity. There was always someone to talk to if you were confused by something.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The international dorms were full, so I stayed in a university-sponsored apartment and loved it. I had my own bathroom, kitchen, a spacious bedroom, and an actual air conditioner. I heard from friends, however, that the dorms were small, hot, and used a pay-shower.

There were many food options, which was especially nice for me as I can not cook well at all. Between the cafeteria, campus store, and the convenience stores littered about there was always something good to try or satisfy a craving.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There's only so much you can do to truly feel part of such a foreign culture, at least to me as an American, but everyone was more than excited to do what they could.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had to use the health services, but I knew where the University clinic was and how to pay for services at least.

Japan is well-known for their safety, so there were nearly no issues. I occasionally had to walk home after dark and never felt unsafe.

I highly recommend this program, but I, personally, would not pick it again. The thing about study abroad is that it might not change your life, you may end it with a "meh" rather than cries of sadness over leaving, but you absolutely will learn something. That's what makes it valuable and worthwhile. Morioka is a very interesting town that is bigger than a rural, middle of nowhere field, but smaller than a city like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka that can get stale fast. I enjoyed my time there, but after spending a week on my own in Tokyo I found that I much prefer a city with more options, more places to sight see, more shops to waste money at. For first-timers though, I definitely recommend Morioka if you want to be forced into a unique experience or forced to use Japanese.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Cooking yourself is definitely the cheapest option, but I am not that smart. Rent plus utilities was around $150 a month. Food about $70-80 a week was enough for me. With rent being so cheap, I did not have many monetary issues.

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

Everyone pushed me heavily to use and improve my Japanese. In classes almost 0 English was used and you will interact with many other exchange students from other countries who don't speak English, either.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• International Students

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• Americans
• International Students

• The support
• Being forced to use Japanese
• The experiences and opportunities set up by the university

• The tutors could play a more active role in introducing you to the area
• Some kind of update on local events or festivals would have been helpful
• A guide or explanation on shopping in Japan would help remove some of the initial anxiety of everyday life

The Academic or Linguist