Fantastic Past Review
By emily.cole.522 (University of North Texas) - abroad from 10/08/2012 to 12/21/2012 with
KCP International Japanese Language School: Tokyo - Intensive Japanese Language Immersion
In addition to gaining fluency and confidence in Japanese, I learned a lot about myself, and gained perspective about both America and Japanese. It was definitely a worthwhile experience and I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
KCP vastly exceeded my expectations on all levels. After taking the placement test, the teachers and staff spend a considerable amount of time talking with me to ensure that I would be placed in the appropriate level. The teachers were always very kind and patient both inside and outside the classroom. The class is very fast paced and challenging, but as long as I put forth effort I felt that I was getting the results I wanted. After class teachers would stay a few extra hours to help anyone with questions. Each teacher I had went out of his or her way to make sure that I understood what was being taught in class. KCP also offers extra support for English speakers, so, even if one might find instruction taught in class difficult, extra help is always available. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site support staff was awesome. They greeted incoming students at the airport and purchased tickets to transportation into the city. Once at our dorms, we were met by a KCP teacher who took us to our dorm, and then stayed an extra hour to make sure we were properly settled in. The administration staff always hung around after class to chat with the students and make sure everything was going okay both at school and at homestay or the dorm. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorm I stayed in was quite far from school, but I still loved it. The food was delicious and the building management very warm and welcoming. |
| * Food: |
The food was delicious. I ate breakfast every day at my dorm, and dinner most nights. My favorite was curry night, every Thursday. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Not very. Because I stayed in a dorm that did not cater to students, I found that I had little chance to interact with people outside of school. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
If you stay out late at night, I would advise sticking to main or crowded streets. Especially for females, don't walk down empty streets alone at night! Also, I was approached by a lot of strangers on the street and subway. I found that it was always best just to ignore the people. |
| 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? | 50-60 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Resist the urge to eat out every night. |
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 |
The classroom was Japanese-only, so being in that environment forced me to speak Japanese and not rely on English. Further, most of the kids in my class were Chinese or Korean and couldn't speak English, so I wouldn't have gotten very far by speaking English anyway. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | 3rd year Japanese at my university |
| 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? | Talk as much as possible!!! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | If I had known that KCP was going to be such a fun and enriching experience, I would have signed up for more than just one semester |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
