10,000 yen equals what in dollars? Past Review
By Marie C (Japanese Language and Literature., Austin College) for
Ritsumeikan University: Kyoto - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I enjoyed the people I met and the Japanese course was not horrible, but if I was asked to do it again, I probably would not.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
They separated the local students and the foreign students so not much interaction happened between them. The same went with classes. Foreigners took certain classes and locals took others. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I didn't use much of the program's faculty so I'm not sure what they could do to improve. The woman helping me get my checklist complete before I left was very helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Zero nightlife was close by. They were very nice dorms, but there wasn't much interaction, again, between the foreign students and the locals. We were in separate wings. |
| * Food: |
The cafeteria is cheap and good. Eat there. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You have to plan everything yourself. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Don't expect to get the same sort of medical treatment as you would in the states. If you can take whatever medicine with you that you think you may need. Some of the medicines may not be as strong as what you are use to. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | Seventy dollars about a week on food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveling anywhere is going to be expensive. Making your own food in the dorms is a better way to save money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Japanese 202 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most everyone spoke English. You had to travel down the mountain to speak Japanese to people. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | As this was a rather new university, I would suggest waiting a few years for the university to mature and become better before attending. Someone completely fluent in Japanese would probably benefit most from this program. |
