One of the best experiences of my life Past Review
By Andrea King (Michigan State University) - abroad from 05/05/2018 to 06/05/2019 with
JCMU Japan Center: Career/Culture Hybrid Courses
This was one of the best programs I've ever done. The teachers were all amazing and super kind. I took the TEJ program and it was wonderful because we actually went to schools in Japan to help teach English so we got to do some hands on application. My plan is to teach English in other countries so being able to actually learn and apply my knowledge in the field was a great experience. If you want to the the TEJ program here I highly recommend it.
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. |
This was one of the best programs I've ever done. The teachers were all amazing and super kind. I took the TEJ program and it was wonderful because we actually went to schools in Japan to help teach English so we got to do some hands on application. My plan is to teach English in other countries so being able to actually learn and apply my knowledge in the field was a great experience. If you can go here I highly recommend it. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
My minor is teaching English to speakers of other language so the TEJ program was perfect for that. Furthermore, the friends I made, faculty and classmates alike, were all great people that made the experience all the more enjoyable. |
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) |
I'm also a pretty frugal person though, so it might be different for some people. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About maybe 30-60. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I guess my money - saving tips would have to be to limit yourself to certain things. I limited myself to only eating out twice a week and if I did a trip I would budget and give myself a limit of how much I was allowed to spend on the trip. If I hit that limit I wouldn't buy anything else. |
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? | Japanese 202 |
| 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? | Don't be embarrassed to mess up. For a moment it might seem like the end of the world, but the best way to learn a language is to use it, even if you mess up a lot. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew how to cook Japanese food before this program because going to a foreign grocery store and figuring out what to do for dinner was a little challenging for me personally. |
