Waseda University is a great place to learn the Japanese language and culture Past Review

By jennifer i (Biology, General., University of Hawaii - Manoa) for

Waseda University: Tokyo - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I love my study abroad program. I really think it was worthwhile to go abroad. I worked in a 7-11 store while there, and I was able to become friends with fellow co-workers too. There may have been the biggest place I learned culturally. I gained many friends too, and many experiences.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place:	Full-Year 2008

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Some classes were challenging, but many were not; especially the science courses. The Japanese elective courses I took were fun and educational.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	They were very nice and always answered questions. There were places/people for studying abroad students to talk over some of their problems if they had one. There were also programs and clubs in which welcomed studying abroad students to better adapt to the country. One weakness I felt was in one of the clubs, the students liked to clump among other Japanese students.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The place I dormed in, was very pretty, very safe, and had everything I ever wanted. I would say I stayed in the cleanest dorm I have ever seen.
* Food:	At first, servings may seem small but there are many places that are cheap. The bento lunches are very cheap, and are friendly for poor college students. There are many "all-you-can-eat" places all over Japan, for a pretty reasonable price, so there is no way you will go starving. In Harajuku, there are many "all-you-can-eat" place, and there is somewhere on Takeshita-doori there that was about ~$10.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I loved the cultural experiences and I love all the friends I have made there, both my Japanese friends, and my fellow study abroad friends. I went to trips within Japan with my friends, and they were very fun! Japan is great.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	There was a clinic-like-thing nearby, and other medical institutions around too. As said before, I felt very safe.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)

Language

Language acquisition improvement?	I am a bilingual speaker of Japanese and English, but being in Japan, I really think my Japanese have gotten better [although at the moment my English is rusty]. I was able to read and write Japanese better than before, and have learned new words in Japan too.