A break from chaos and exploring my identity. July 06, 2022

By A student (Japanese, Middlebury College) - abroad from 03/08/2022 to 06/30/2022 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Tokyo

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I was able to reconnect in some ways with my Japanese identity and am generally more comfortable with living in Japan now. Being in a city also helped me to explore other parts of my identity and open up more. I also really needed a mental health break from my home institution so being able to go abroad was a lifesaver.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes Coming to Japan is very important to me personally as a half-Japanese person since I didn't have a clear idea of what this identity meant to me. Going abroad helped me to visualize just a bit more what role I want Japan to play in my life from now on. Also I originally wanted to come for one year, but it was sadly shortened to one semester due to covid. So yes, I would choose the same program.

Finances

* 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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	With just food about 7000 yen, including other activities it would go up to 10000 yen
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Find a good, cheap grocery store for stuff like raw food, drinks, and snacks. Definitely allocate money for going out since it is a huge part of having fun in Japanese culture, but don't spend more than you should.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	We had a pledge to do our best to only speak in Japanese.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Japanese 401
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?	Consume media that uses the foreign language, study commonly used words and phrases, and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	People Exploring Tokyo Food
* What could be improved?	Clarity on required documentation (Travel and living in Japan)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I realized quicker how willing people at ICU are generally to become friends and do things together. I feel like there were a lot of people I wanted to get to know but there just wasn't enough time.

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	World of Music
Course Department:
Instructor:	Nozomi Sato
Instruction Language:	Japanese
Comments:	It was decently challenging since the course was taught in Japanese, but in regards to the content (choir), I have prior experience so it wasn't too difficult. The class overall was fun, but there were a bit too many students and as a result too wide of a disparity in terms of skill level. Rather than a class for obtaining knowledge, this class is more useful for the experience in my opinion. It's a good opportunity to communicate with other students in Japanese and get to know people you otherwise wouldn't interact with.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I am not able to access my grades yet so I'm not sure.

Course Name/Rating:	Exploration
Course Department:	Japanese Studies
Instructor:	Miki Arakaki
Instruction Language:	Japanese
Comments:	I thought the Middlebury program exploration class was both engaging and taught me a lot. Though the class was on the smaller side (only two students), I always looked forward to this class and the new things we learned. As one of the main courses of the program, I believe this course accomplished exactly what it needed to. It improved Japanese language ability, introduced Japanese culture and modern day issues, and overall was very applicable to daily life as I adjusted to the Japanese lifestyle.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Since this class is part of my home institution's program there should be no issue transferring the credit.

Course Name/Rating:	E-portfolio
Course Department:	Japanese Studies
Instructor:	Sanae Eda
Instruction Language:	Japanese
Comments:	The main purpose of this course was to allocate time to writing articles/essays and curating an online portfolio in the form of a blog. It wasn't challenging per say, but required a lot of consistency since an essay would be required every week, in addition to other written assignments. It was a bit difficult at times when motivation was low, but overall contributed greatly to improving my writing ability in Japanese.
Credit Transfer Issues:	This course is part of my home institution's program.

Course Name/Rating:	Community Engagement
Course Department:	Japanese Studies
Instructor:	Sanae Eda
Instruction Language:	Japanese
Comments:	This course's purpose was to supplement our journey as we immersed ourselves in Japanese culture and also took on a short internship. Overall the course did what it was meant to do. Personally, it wasn't as useful for me since I already have experience with Japanese culture, but would definitely be great for people without experience.
Credit Transfer Issues:	This course is a part of my home institution's program.

Course Name/Rating:	JLP
Course Department:
Instructor:	Kyoko Fujimoto
Instruction Language:	Japanese
Comments:	A pretty typical Japanese class. Overall the teachers were great and enthusiastic and the content was relevant to life in Japan. The best part of the class was definitely all of the students though. Everyone was friends it was overall a very supportive environment.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I am not able to access my grades yet.