An adventure that would earn it's own anime/manga adaptation. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I started at the beginner level course at Shinshu. Now that I am heading towards my 2nd semester, my speaking, listening, and writing skills have grown exponentially. I am able to hold decent conversations with locals and fellow students.

On-site administration of your program

The GEC, or Global Educstion Center at Shinshu, has exponential staff. The only reason for a 4 star review is their lack of communication with the fellow teachers. I feel this way due to an experience I had at the end of the first semester where I was scheduled to leave for a GEC partnered event in Hokkaido, yet a teacher was unaware of said event I was going to. The teacher expected me to actively participate in the end of semester program at Shinshu, however upon emailing him my situation, I was informed that I could not miss said Shinshu event and that I must attend. Upon further discussion with the GEC staff, I was informed it was okay to proceed to said event in Hokkaido. During my trip in Hokkaido, i received a rather unappealing email from the teacher, informing me what I did was wrong and that a penalty would possibly be implemented on my record at Shinshu.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing experience is very pleasing. I pay roughly $320 a month for an Apartment room. It is along the river, so I am able to wake up to a wonderful view of said river and mountains in the background. Honestly it was luck for I chose Shinshu to find my housing. As for inside the apartment, my biggest concern was will I be decently able to fit in a Japanese room due to my size. (6ft2in/187km) however my fear was quickly diminished due to not only the size of the room, but how convenient it is. The only complaint I have where some of the rooms furniture was in a bit of disrepair and I fear they may charge me for it. I have only seen the landlord of my apartment twice, though I suppose the GEC staff would have the contact information if I truly desired it. These have only been minor inconveniences, which caused me to decide not to contact them.

Love the Japanese food here. Convenience store food I'd surprisingly delicious and relatively cheap. Though it is still cheaper and perhaps healthier to cook at your own residence. That being said, if you lack culinary arts skills and have difficulty finding ingredients in the grocery store due to language barrier or ignorance on ingredients, it can be difficult to cook at home. That being said, during school they have a cafeteria that serves lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. I often used their cafeteria and can confidently say it is a clean and fine establishment. Delicious, cheap food that changes everyweek to something new.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I'm a pretty extroverted person, so going out and meeting new people is not difficult for me. Students may find it challenging if they do not feel confident in their language skills however. As for introverted people, Japan is honestly one of the better countries to be in due to the local habits of keeping to themselves. Perhaps extroverted people may seem burdensome on some of the locals, however I have been lucky enough to be acquainted with equally extroverted Japanese people.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Despite not using healthcare as of now, the school has made it abundantly clear about the health access we have on campus and surrounding area. We have often received emails as well during the coronavirus incident, on how to proceed and tips on how to maintain your health. Very surprised and caught off guard at the consideration on the topic.

Japan has honestly been one of the safest places I've been. I can literally leave my phone on the table and be absent for a good 10 minutes, come back and it still be there. The people are also really considerate here, making sure no trouble befalls their fellow citizen.

I had the option of 2 choices, one where the location consisted of many international influences, therefore more english speakers, or a location that was more Japanese influenced and would not have many people speaking my native language, causing me to focus on enhancing my Japanese skills.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I lean more towards the middle on this due to my own personal food consumption. Being 240lbs/108kg I eat quite a bit of food. So I find myself spending more than the average person. Thankfully Matsumoto isnt like Tokyo, where prices are more inflated due to city life. It makes me uneasy not being able to have a side job (due to my scholarship agreement) so the act of budgeting is a definite must.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Everyday is a must to use it here at Shinshu. The locals are not the most knowledgeable in regards to english and that is to be expected when coming to a foreign country.

Select all that apply

• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Americans
• International Students

• The new friends I've made
• My language skills
• The culture immersion

• Communication between school staff

The Avid Adventurer