A year in Japan- JUST DO IT! Past Review

By Aishat A (Pre Nursing, University of Texas - San Antonio) - abroad from 09/01/2011 to 07/13/2012 with

Nagoya University of Foreign Studies: Nagoya - Japanese Language and Japanese Studies Program / JLJSP Direct Enrollment

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

NUFS is what you make it. You have a chance to either hang out with only foreign students "comfort zone" or hang out with Japanese students, or a balance of both "very difficult for people to maintain." Since you are going to Japan to study Japanese, enjoy the culture and lifestyle for a year (which is a VERY short time), make the best out of it. It's great to keep a balance of how much English/Japanese you speak or try to use. Take every chance you get to try something new! If you make Japanese friends and they invite you over to their house, GO! Don't be scared of anything at NUFS, try not to be shy, they are all great people but most likely they will be shy, so the best thing to do is go for it. Just do it. Seriously.

Review Photos

Nagoya University of Foreign Studies: Nagoya - Japanese Language and Japanese Studies Program / JLJSP Direct Enrollment Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

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?	I stayed in Proxy Friends Nisshin is a great place to stay because you really get to be independent, no curfew, but it also really allows you to see whether you can actually survive on your own or not. It is also very convenient because every store you ever need is close by. I-House is more community based, with other foreign exchange students, so it kinds of put you in a comfort zone you might not want to be in, because it somewhat decreases your interest to interact with the native students.
* Food:	The amount of love i have grown for Japanese food can't be put in words. Tere will be a lot of things that are unfamiliar, but the ratio of delicious familiar/unfamiliar food is large!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I felt very integrated because Nisshin is not a city-like as Nagoya, but it is also not a country side. So there is the best of both worlds. And I also traveled around Japan a lot so I got to experience different people and cultures even within the country.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Pretty quickly. In the school office, there is an English speaking worker called Brooks and if you have any health problems he can schedule an appointment that same day and take you there and back. There were no prevalent health issues and healthcare is very cheap in Japan compared to America.
* Safety:	Very safe! As long as you keep your commonsense you won't get in any trouble.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)	As long as you use your money wisely and keep a budget you will be fine.
* Was housing included in your program cost?	Yes
* 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?	Easily less than 100 dollars
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Don't go out eating/drinking with your friends every night. It is best to have a budget list of what you need and have a limit on how much spending money you can freely use.

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
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?	JLPT N1 and N2 Japanese level course.
How many hours per day did you use the language?	10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Don't get too comfortable speaking your language because there are foreign students around. Move away from your comfort zone and speak the language you are studying. Speaking with native students whether you make mistakes or not is one of the bet ways to improve.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students International Students Other
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The school and it's surroundings The food and the lovely culture that i got to fall in love with The different people I was blessed to meet
* What could be improved?	Nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	That I would love this place so much! People focus on Tokyo a lot because apparently that is all Japan is but places like Nagoya & Kyoto kind of remind you why you love Japan so much. The atmosphere is lovely, the people are great, and it welcomes you, makes you feel right at home!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Food Culture
Course Department:	Japanese Culture Studies
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English and Japanese
Comments:	This class is very interesting because you get to learn about Japanese food culture (which everyone loves) and you get to actually make different things you would never think of making on your own, with professionals who help you along the way
Credit Transfer Issues:	No issues transferring credits but it might just count as an elective.

Course Name/Rating:	Hangul A
Course Department:	Korean
Instructor:	Mrs. Lee
Instruction Language:	Japanese, Korean
Comments:	It was challenging but the teacher helps you to understand the material very well. Everyone participates during class in order to boost confidence in speaking and writing in Korean. We had homework and quiz every time, and final testing. It was a great class.
Credit Transfer Issues:	If your university accepts the credit, there will be no issue transferring it, but if your university doesn't offer Korean or accept the credit then it might count as an elective.