PII: Challenging but Rewarding Past Review
By Tuyet C (neurobiology, Harvard University) for
Princeton University: Kanazawa - Princeton in Ishikawa (PII)
I loved it! I learned a lot of the language but also just living in Japan for 2 months and experiencing the culture (AND FOOD) was totally unforgettable.
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. |
I thought that the grading system was a lot different from my college as my first year of Japanese (at Harvard) was mostly graded on a check system while I got points for every assignment I turned in at my host university. I definitely had to stress more about my grade and all the points at the host university than at my home university. However, I thought the teachers were all very good and definitely learned a lot during my time in Japan. It was difficult but also very rewarding. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was excellent although there was not equality all around through the hosting system, which is understandable because all host families are different, but some students definitely did not have as good of an experience as others. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
There was definitely enough food from my host family and all of the food is delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Trip to onsen was great. Taiko. Trips to local schools were also very fun. We stayed in a Japanese style inn that had really great service! Also just hanging out with other kids fom the program and the locals after class is pretty fun as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Japan seems like a very safe place and we never got into any dangerous situations. |
| 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? | ~$2000 You spend around $10 everyday for lunch, possibly more if you don't go home for dinner or if your host family doesn't always make breakfast. I also went on trips to Tokyo and Osaka and bought a lot of gifts for my host family. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You will spend money as Japan is a gift giving culture but it is not too hard to manage your budget as long as you really think about what you need to have. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I took the first year of Japanese before going to Japan |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I had to use the host country language in everyday interactions and few people spoke English outside of our program. I practiced it with fellow students, my host family, and also a little while on excursions or daily life in the city. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | Definitely bring some summer clothes, it is SWELTERING in the summer. |
