All That Glitters is Not Gold Past Review
By A student (Japanese Language, Literature, Oakland University) - abroad from 01/04/2017 to 04/21/2017 with
JCMU Japan Center: Intensive Japanese Language & Culture
I definitely learned how to interact with people that have a different first language and don't quite understand English and its quirks. It was painful to have to lie about enjoying my time at the program there all the time, though. I personally wished I had just visited Japan instead of studying abroad, especially at this program. I can say this program definitely made me regret studying abroad. It's hard to say you're studying abroad when it just feels like you're taking language courses in your own country.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The professors rarely praise you or tell you what you are doing right. You are just told that everything you've been taught needs work. When I was actually told that I was doing a lot better, my daily rating still stayed the same, so whether or not you try you basically get whatever they decide to give you. There is no review of the tests, you just have to guess how you did it wrong and hope you can meet with the professor to go over whether or not you know what you did wrong. They want you to do so much studying and homework that you don't have time to interact with the community or enjoy much Japanese culture. The program's building is so Americanized I forgot I was in Japan most of the time so it felt like a waste to even be in a different country. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They seemed to rely mostly on one person to do all of the scheduling of events and make sure people were where they needed to be. I feel bad for him because I think there should have been at least 2 or 3 people to do that job effectively. A lot of the time we weren't told about events until 3 days prior, by which time a lot of us had already made different plans. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
When I arrived at JCMU, my room was so filthy and unkempt with years of grime that I considered getting a hotel for the night and going back to America in the morning. I even found a dead cockroach and menstruation stains on my mattress, as did another girl who even tried flipping hers over and found even more. Sadly no refunds after you are in Japan. There were "cleaning ladies" that would come before and after someone moved in but they might as well not even come because I witnessed them complaining about little things in other rooms when it was supposed to be their jobs to clean them. Separately, I had a great host family. I would rate them 5 because of how sweet, giving, and hospitable they were. It was only a weekend homestay because I am a picky eater and didn't want to impose on someone else too long. |
| * Food: |
This certain aspect is very personal and changes based on taste. I personally didn't like very much food in Japan, but others did. If you can't eat any seafood I would recommend tonkatsu or a frozen spaghetti from 7-11 that I basically lived on. There are also great vegetable and fruit options that may be a little pricey and far to bike from JCMU because it's in the middle of NOWHERE. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Due to our location and Americanized buildings, I felt like I was still in America most of the time. When I actually had time to go out it was very interesting and fun, but a lot of times I was busy or they didn't announce events until right before or they had them on a small paper that was hidden on the board. Most of the time they didn't even say anything, it was just supposed to be passed through word of mouth so it didn't always get to everyone. I am, however, very grateful for the host family I received. I wouldn't want to change that for the world. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally didn't have to deal with health issues during my trip, thankfully, but I have only heard good things from others regarding this. |
| * Safety: |
Very few safety concerns while I was in Japan. It isn't rated the 9th safest country in the world for nothing. (America is about 103rd, btw) |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
This program lacked a backbone, planning, and overall interaction. The location also took a lot away from it. |
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) |
You definitely have to have a good amount of money saved up because prices can differ depending on your personal tastes. Some things that you can get cheap in America can be pretty pricey in Japan. Also some things will get wasted because you buy a lot in one trip at the grocery store due to not wanting to have to bike/walk over 1.5 miles every day. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 - $150+ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Only buy things you know you are going to eat. If you know you can try new things and still eat it if it isn't the best then go for it. However, if you know you are a picky eater try not to spend too much on trying new things. Especially if you can't read it. |
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 |
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| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 370 |
| 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? | You really do have to listen to the CD that comes with the book and try to do the chapter exercises with it. Kanji are really difficult, but personally I find that doing practice tests with them work your brain to remember them. You can also buy a separate book with Kanji radicals and learn those so it's easier to piece them into Kanji later. |
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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| 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? | How being in a small town would be a handicap as opposed to an advantage. I also wish I looked into more programs before deciding on this one. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Teaching English in Japan |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Chris Garth |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It definitely made you think of how Japanese people learn languages and how they think about languages in general. It even helps when you are trying to learn Japanese. While not all of the field trips were necessary, they were eye-opening. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
