Fun, enriching experience Past Review
By Joe Tan (University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign) - abroad from 09/05/2018 to 12/21/2018 with
University of Illinois: Illinois Year-in-Japan Program
There will be hard times for sure, and you may feel tired and homesick more than once, but it’s not until you travel that you realize how much the world has to offer and how much there is left to be seen. Having made new friends from all corners of the world, I came out of the program feeling like I had become a global citizen, with a newfound appreciation for the power of language and cultural exchange. I will definitely carry this experience with me for the rest of my life and cannot recommend it enough—Get out of your comfort zone. Go out and travel, study abroad, and discover something new. There’s really nothing else like it.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I looked forward to going to class every day. Enough work to keep you learning, but not intense enough to stop you from going out and exploring Japan on your own. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Faculty and staff were always helpful, taking care of any problems or questions I had. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved my host family, possibly the most enriching part of the YiJ experience. |
| * Food: |
Food in Japan is generally cheaper than in the US, and the convenience stores all around the area offer more than enough to cover any needs you have. The cafeteria at Konan University is excellent as well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Interacting with my host family and the students at Konan University every day helped me feel completely immersed in the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
YiJ exceeded all my expectations for what a study abroad experience could be and I could not imagine doing it again but with a different program. |
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? | 7000 yen |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Consider dining in at the cafeteria or buying food at a convenience store instead of going out to eat for lunch too often. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Your host family is there for you every day. As much as possible, use Japanese with them, and have fun talking to them. They're interesting people living their own lives who are ready to engage with you if you want to get better at Japanese. |
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? | Honestly, the less I knew going in, the more of an adventure it turned out to be. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
