Kimochi no Omoide ~ Great Memories Past Review
By A student (Modern Language Studies, University of Texas - San Antonio) - abroad from 03/15/2012 to 07/13/2012 with
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies: Nagoya - Japanese Language and Japanese Studies Program / JLJSP Direct Enrollment
This was the first time I have lived on my own and it was in another country in a totally different language. It was very strange for me at first, but it was very worthwhile. It was an experience of living on my own without being entirely on my own. It was a challenge I am glad that I took.
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. |
Concerning the language courses, I would give a full five stars. Unfortunately, I feel that the culture courses that were offered were very poorly conducted. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful. Always there when you need them to be. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very convenient and a nice community. |
| * Food: |
I'm not sure if you're asking for food at the school or in the country in general, but both were fantastic. Our dorm was a short walking distance away from a grocery store, so it was very easy to keep oneself fed. My only complaint would be a lack of real peanut butter! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel I was about as integrated as a white American with poor Japanese skills could be. The local residents of Nagoya were very accepting and patient. Very nice people. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not personally need any vaccines and did not get sick enough to use the local healthcare. My friends that used it were very pleased, from what I hear. |
| * Safety: |
When we arrived, we were told that Nagoya had the highest rate of car accidents and crime, but I never had any problems. As long as you travel smart, you should not have any problems. |
| 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) |
If you ignore the cost of buying gifts, of course, it is very easy to get by at this school. The stipend that they provide is plenty to eat off of. The dormitory and apartments are right next to school, so there are no necessary transportation fees. The only things that drain the money that is provided by the school are luxuries. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you want foreign foods like Peanut Butter, bring some with you at the start of your abroad experience. Foreign foods like peanut butter and graham crackers are hard to find and rather pricy. Otherwise, there are plenty of good tasting foods that are also cheap. One meal I liked to have often in Japan is Yakisoba. I simply invested in a bottle of Komi sauce, and bought cabbage, a carrot and onion. Soba noodles are sold for 15 cents at the grocery. Together these ingredients would feed me for several days. |
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 |
We were encouraged to only use Japanese in all classes except the culture studies courses. They were in English. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Japanese I |
| 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 afraid to speak the language as much as you possibly can, even when you are wrong. I found that people appreciate your effort even more than your accuracy. Also, make local friends! It helps a lot to have friends that have your target language as a first language. |
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? | I wish I knew how challenging the JLPT exams were, but I think I tested into an appropriate class in the end. |
