Nagasaki, Japan: Home Away from Home Past Review
By Samantha S (Apparel Design & Development, University of Wisconsin - Stout) for
UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies (NUFS)
If I had the money, I would have stayed in Nagasaki forever! The people are kind and welcoming, classes interesting, and the city's history is fascinating. The most enjoyable thing was discussing cultural differences, and how we work to avoid conflict and achieve peace.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
All of my courses were taught in English (except for language classes), however the professors were not native speakers. Although this did not present major problems, sometimes questions went unanswered because of miscommunication. Class workload was not balanced: some classes had a lot of work, while most had no take-home assignments. The school felt much more like a community college than a University: I had a lot of free time! |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The office responsible for my program was very well managed, patient, and responsible. However, only one member of the office could speak English fluently. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family's house was a little out of the way from my school and friends, and transportation became a little expensive. The entire city felt very safe and clean. My host parents respected that I was an independent student, but still made me feel like one of the family (small chores, helping with dinner). |
| * Food: |
Future students should be willing to try anything! We discovered many delicious and affordable places to eat, just from walking around town and exploring. My host mother's cooking was always healthy and good tasting. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Nagasaki has many festivals over the year. My program arranged a weekend trip to Mt. Unzen, which was a great bonding experience. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
No one ever had safety concerns. I came down with a cold, and using my national health care, the total for my doctor's visit and medication was around $60 U.S. The school explains the healthcare to the students very clearly, although the cost of it was not told to us prior to arrival. |
| 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? | Transportation was easily my biggest expense, usually exceeding 2,500 yen a week. Food at the school was relatively cheap, lunch usually cost about 300 yen. Eating out could range anywhere from 300 yen to 1,500 yen, and drinking at the bar is not cheap (beer 500 yen, mix drink 600 yen, sometimes more). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Japan is not a cheap country! Although public transpiration is the best in the world, the University is not really in walking distance from any major neighborhood. Take into account expensive activities (going out at night, zoos, theme parks, outside travel, etc) BEFORE making a weekly budget. If you have a host family, eat with them! The food is usually more delicious than eating out, and it's FREE! |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I have traveled to quite a few different places in Europe, but this was my first experience with Asia. I could not have picked a better place! If you have an interest in traditional Japanese culture, Nagasaki would be an excellent pick. Although I was only there for 3 months, I now have friends for life there. I can't wait to go back and see them again. |
