Japan: Best Summer Ever! Past Review

By (Computer Science, Harvard University) for

Princeton University: Kanazawa - Princeton in Ishikawa (PII)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
This was definitely worthwhile. I learned a ton. Both about Japanese Culture and the language. I made a ton of great friends and I generally just had an amazing time. It was probably the most fun I've ever had during a summer and I would do it again ten times over.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This was taught very well; however, it is challenging at times. There was a lot of work to be done, but I still had plenty of time to enjoy Japan and have a blast.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Program was the perfect size. It was run with very, very few hiccups and was generally smooth the whole way. Would not change anything about it.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The host family was definitely one of the best parts of the program. Really enjoyed it a ton and highly recommend doing a program with home stay.

* Food:

Food was excellent. Host Family made sure I was eating stuff that I liked and all of the food was awesome.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Met tons of great people and made lots of awesome friends. Very fun experience.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Japan is probably one of the safest countries on the planet. Additionally, Kanazawa is fairly small, so it is even safer.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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? I ended up spending a fair amount, but that is only because I chose to. You can get by on very little if you try, although it may effect your enjoyment of the program.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Taking weekend trips can be expensive! Be prepared.

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? 1st year Japanese
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Almost nobody local spoke english. Japanese is a very difficult language, so it was difficult at times as only a second year student, but I got tons of practice speaking and listening.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you're on the fence between doing a language study or an internship- do the language study. You'll have the rest of your life to work, but you only have a limited amount of time to do awesome things like study abroad.