Unforgettable Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Japanese classes were definitely very rigorous and had a lot of assigned work, quizzes, tests, etc. The lecture classes were a lot easier, especially for native English speakers. I did not find them boring in any way though. They were just designed for Japanese, non-English-speaking international students, and English speakers to be able to take the course.

On-site administration of your program

The Center for International Education at Kansai was open Monday-Saturday from around 8-8 and had many staff members working to answer your questions and provide you with help. They helped many students go to the doctor when they were sick, resolved conflicts between host families and their host students, and helped students find activities on campus and get to the places they wanted to go.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Seminar House 2 was a very nice dorm with a kitchen, lounge, and computer room. My room was in the traditional Japanese style, with tatami mats and a mattress on the floor. I also had a desk in my room and an armoir for my clothes. Seminar 2 was the only Seminar House with balconies. What I did not like about living in the Seminar house though, was that you could not have guests over your house past ten o'clock. I tried to visit many of my friends in the other Seminar Houses to watch a movie some nights, and I would always get kicked out of the house before we could finish the movie. It was very frustrating at times.

The food at the Kansai cafeteria is very delicious and fresh. They had a large variety of Japanese foods. There was also a Seattle's Best Coffee and McDonalds on campus. I usually bought lunch at school. All meals not bought at school had to be cooked yourself in your dorm. I cooked most nights, with the exception of weekends where I usually went out to eat with friends. I spent between $10-$25 a week on groceries.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I did feel somewhat integrated because Kansai encourages and promotes friendships between Japanese students and International Students. I had a speaking partner, a home-visit family, and many Japanese friends who showed me the local culture. Living in the Seminar House, however, did separate me from the culture because I had an American roommate and spoke English in the dorm.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any health problems while I was over there. Many of my friends did get sick and the school helped take them to the doctor. Also as a note, going to the doctor in Japan is their equivalent of "going to the hospital," so many students went to the hospital, but for fevers, colds, etc.

Japan is very safe. Everyone is very friendly and the most common crimes over there are bicycle theft. I always felt safe, but I also did make sure to walk home with someone if it was dark and take other safety precautions.

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

Japan was very expensive. By the end of the trip, I was very broke. I tried my best to budget my money and it is possible if you do not travel as much and go out on weekend. I, however, wanted to enjoy every minute of my time over there, so I ended up spending a lot of money.

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

The program encouraged me to use the language daily, whether at school, with my speaking partner, with the Japanese RAs in the dorm, or just out in the community.

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• Dorm

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• International Students

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• Local Students
• International Students

• the people
• the opportunities to travel
• the activities- dancing at graduation and international festival

• dorm curfew
• difficulty of Japanese classes