Tokyo: Smaller Than You Think Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

With the exception of some 400/graduate-level courses which were offered, the workload was fairly low. The professors are extremely lenient and practically expect students to either skip class or not really pay attention. As with any university, professors can be hit or miss. There were some excellent professors and some terrible ones that I had during my year, but overall I would say the level was average. Even competent professors cannot do much because many students had little incentive to study. In Japan, the hiring process depends much less on grades and subject matter studied than other countries, so students need only worry about attending a university with a good name and the rest will sort itself out. The result is that professors have a difficult time because even in higher-level classes students often do not have necessary basic knowledge.

On-site administration of your program

The administration was in some ways hostile to exchange students. They were inflexible regarding class choices, and unwilling to let students make any decisions. They were unwilling or unable to help most people.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I found an apartment before going. It was much closer to school and the city than the dorms suggested by Sophia.

Food is pretty decent if expensive. If money is an issue I recommend making your own food. If possible shop at a "gyomu supa" which is a supermarket for restaurants and such which sells food for cheaper and also carries frozen vegetables and meats which can be hard to find other places.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I traveled around on my own to different areas of Japan and it was one of the more enjoyable things I did. You meet very different people outside of Tokyo and it can be very refreshing.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any issues. I knew some people who made use of the healthcare and they said it was cheap and good, at least for the basic stuff they did.

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

The language classes which I took were fairly good, but the program did not really encourage use of Japanese. In fact, I would say that it discouraged Japanese use at school by placing all of the exchange students together and forcing them to take classes in English. The students who were most successful in improving their language ability did not do so at school. Joining a club is an option but it can be difficult because some clubs are either filled with other exchange students or not very friendly to foreigners. Clubs outside of Sophia were usually a better option for people interested in making Japanese friends and speaking Japanese. Most students found it difficult to speak Japanese at all on campus. Most students are proficient enough in English that when a student who appears to be a foreigner speaks the conversation will by default happen in English.

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• Apartment

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• N/A

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• International Students