Any "japanese studies" applicant? (MEXT)

[charlie07brown]

Hey, I chose Ritsumeikan and Doshisha, basically because they were in Kyoto , which is like the cultural capital of Japan, I've been there once and it is really beautiful. Ritsumeikan is really well known for having a high level and being considered one of Japan's strongest universities. Doshisha is well known for its japanese cultural center, which is really famous even here in Peru. And last but not least, Tokyogaidai because of its high level in language which I'm sure it'll be really efficient. Anyway, as all of you, I'm sure we all wanna go to Japan I also chose the language course, though I wanna visit lots of shrines and temples, and get a broaden view of Japan's culture

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[Yvm]

Yup, for me it is important as well to be able to go to a strong university. So thinking like that, Keio would be the best.
But really, Tokyo has many universities, as well for Kyoto. So maybe with some luck, in case we get the scholarship, we can end up in Tokyo and Kyoto! Hopefully... But well, in case you end up in Tokyo: you can go to many other places that really represent a lot of culture like Kamakura and Nikko and such which are really accessible from Tokyo. But i guess you can save up more money for sidetrips in Kyoto...

Aaah the thinking. I feel like i am going way ahead of myself >__<

Didn't know about Doshisha's cultural center tho'. How did you find out about that?

 

[charlie07brown]

Yeah, it'd be cool if we got to meet there hhaaha I think it's natural to start imaginating yourself at Japan, we'll surely get it. I read it in the Course Guide you recieve to choose some universities. And then I showed to my teacher and she recommended it to me. (She also loves Kyoto, so I kinda figure out why she recommended it to me haha). Btw, since when did you start studying Japanese. I've been studying six years by now :/

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[Yvm]

Oh so you got a course guide? We didn't, we got this list of universities for eachcity and that's about it!

Haha, yes, the advice of the teachers! That's how Panda got the Keio one, i think one of our professors also went there.

I didn't really study it before entering university and the first year i did it at university i just did the exam, not the courses. Really taking Japanese classes started little over a year ago. I don't really have an advantage for the writing skills, but i always hang around with Japanese people whenever i could so i picked up some of the language naturally. That's why the academic language (terminology and such) and the writing (kanji, grammar) is something that i really hope to improve with this sorta program.

 

[PandaCrackers]

Yeah for me it didn't really matter which university I could go to...I just wanted to go to Japan haha ^_^
My only preference was that the university was located on Honshu so it would be cheaper/easier to travel to other cities.
I had no idea which universities to select so I asked 2 of my professors and they gave me a list of 5 universities. Out of those 5 I chose my 3 favorites after consulting their website and course guides and so on. And yes our professor used to study at Keio
I've only been studying Japanese for a year and a half now (I'm a 2nd year student). Before I started studying Japanese I couldn't say a single word!! >_<
I'm the complete opposite of yvm...I'm strong in grammar and kanji, but not really used to having a full conversation in Japanese.
Ahhh so I'm not the only one whose already imagining their life in Japan
Just have to wait a little longer!!

 

[charlie07brown]

Hahahaha I see :3 have you ever been to Japan? I went once for a three week scholarship at the Kansai International Center. And it was amazing, we visited Tokyo, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Osaka and Kyoto. It was a really awesome experience.

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[PandaCrackers]

Wow that sounds like a really nice experience!!
I've never been to Japan before...but I'm going there this summer for 3 weeks with some friends!!
We're going to Tokyo, Nikko, Kamakura, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima and Miyajima ^_^
I really can't wait to go!!
I always wanted to go to Japan as a tourist first and then as a student, so that even if I'm studying in a city far away, I would've already seen the major sights and temples and so on...

 

[Luis]

Hi guys!!! I applied too.
I pass the first screen in my Country. Mexico
Me and other 5 mexicans pass the exam and interview. So We are watting for the final decision. Im really nervous
The Embassy told us that this is the first time that Mexico could send 6 people.
In Mexico doesnt exist the Japanese Studies as a carreer, so just people who are studying japanese could apply.
Everyone who passed the screen have N3 and other one has the N2. But 2 of us are studying chinesse too, so kanji part was easy (I think).
I hope that all mexicans together could get the scholarship!!
My options was:
Tokyo University of foreing Studies
Waseda
Osaka

Really the watting time is slowly =(

Hope we can get the scholarship and could see us in Japan

 

[Yvm]

Hi Luis!

Congratulations~~

I can't believe Belgium has as many people that passed the first screening as Mexico... Our country is way smaller! Normally Mexico sends less people? Or they usually have less people that apply and pass the first screening?

Did you choose Japanese as main? Or culture?

Yess, the waiting time...

 

[Luis]

Hi Yvm
The embassy told us that the last year only 2 mexican people pass the first screen, and both got the scholarship, and that in recent years the average from mexico are 5 people to get the scholarship. So this is one of the reason that im nervous LOL.
I chose Japanese as main, because i would like to be an specialist is Asia region, Im studying Economics, so i want to improve my japanese skills as fast as I can.
The main reason for Mexico is that when aplication opens, they say that only can apply people who pass the N2. but this is not true haha, so many people dont send their applications forms. And the other one Mexico Goverment list more requirements, like has an average in undergradute at least 8.0. In Mexico grades are from 0 to 10. And ussually people who learn japanese are those who are not studying an undergraduate program, or be an otaku. So opportunities to pass the screen are high.
for example this year only 10 people send their application, but just 9 did the exam. Our results was given the same day (2 hours later), after that 6 people pass the exam and just few minutes after the interviews started. I was the first in interviews. Was hard but finally we pass. All process was in the same day.

 

[Yvm]

Yeah it's true they have those tricks that make people give up... Here we had only 2 weeks to take care of all the documents and each and every time we personally have to go to the embassy (to hand in the documents, to do the test and finally to do the interview).

Guess they are more strict is you aren't officially a japanese studies student. The Japanese part must have been so nerve-wracking. I would have so failed the screening if they had a requirement for your average grades

 

[charlie07brown]

Heeeh they ask for your grades too, huh. That must be kinda tough. So Mexico has no Japanese major as well. Here in Peru is the same, so people who'd like to study Japanese and culture apply to this scholarship. And yes, the process is really fast, on the other hand the waiting for the answer is so damn long hahaha. I want to think about other stuff while waiting, but I always end up imaginating what I'll do when I get to Japan. Or if I should be planning what sites would I be visiting. It's just to tempting I cannot think of anything else!! Haha. The embassy told me I'm the only one who got chosen for the second screening however, it's not 100% sure I'll be getting the scholarship. Which sites would you like to visit? Or, what would you like to eat there? I definitely want to take a stroll on a bike at Kyoto. Hahaa. Also, I'd like to eat takoyaki till I explode hahahaa.

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[Yvm]

IF i get the scholarship, i am more worried about like the place you will be staying at. And fixing all those documents at the very last moment. Bank account, insurance and so on. Like i'd have to renew my international passport bc it ends this month or so. And my visa card is still September so i dont have any clue what i would have to do about that.

And the curriculum, like how many time would you have to put your curriculum together?

But you know, i prefer that sorta worries instead of "if i don' have the scholarship"
I actually don't want to think about not having it

But if you are the only one that passed the first screening, i'd feel way more at ease... Although i don't have any clue how they go to the documents, or what they think of as important... I mean...it's not like they interviewed you. ☝

 

[PandaCrackers]

Congratulations Luis!! Wow so many people who passed the screening...it makes me even more nervous!
Yes I often catch myself daydreaming about living a year in Japan ^_^
Hopefully when we get the news we still have enough time to take care of everything thoroughly. I'm more worried about having enough time to put together a curriculum that sort of matches the courses that I would be taking at the university here...otherwise I'll have to do my 3rd year after I come back...I prefer getting credits while we're in Japan
Hmmm...what to do in Japan...It kind of depends where you are staying. I heard from previous years that people were often staying in a city that wasn't on their top 3 list. So we have to wait and see where we'll be staying!!
But if it's Kyoto then we should all go bike riding together!!

 

[Luis]

Wauu this really makes me more impatient LOL
Well, i have met some japanese people here in Mexico, they will be come back to Japan in middly July, so they are so engerness that i could have an opportunity to go to Japan. This is the main reason that I chose Tokyo, because most of them live there, so the said to me that if i get the scholarship, for sure all weekend we have a trip, this means that i will spend all the scholarship haha. It doesn't matter if I cant go at the top 3, but please i want this Scholarship haha.
The watting time really sucks, is middle april ahh!!
And about the grades, yeah in all cases for scholarships abroad, they ask for 8.0 or 8.5. Afortunatly, my grades are good, im 9.3 that in japanese system, that go from 0 to 3, my equivalent is 2.8. I see in a japanese document a convert table and they said that for Monbukagakusho they are looking for people that be more than 2.3 equivalent in Mexico like a 8.0 grade
In Mexico, when we passed the first screen we have only 1 week to give the documents. The last day of the process was march 19th. Since that the time goes so slowly!
About what to eat, for sure i will try to eat unagi one more time! really the taste is wonderful!!
In the case of Charlie, knows that you are the only one in your country raise your possibilities, I think so. Really i was afraid because i have listened that Peru has many applicants, but really just when you post "im the only one" wauu it brokes all my perspetion about the monbukagakusho in Peru. In the other hand, Mexico case, really when i arrived to the exam place, i think, no more than 5 mexicans do the exam, but when with the pass of time 9 mexicans come. Finally when we reviewed the exam, and the embassy said 6 of you pass to the next round really i think what 6 people are a lot!!. One hour after, when the interviews started and when i listened my name was, "no kidding, why me first?", haha. But at the end, i could met 5 great mexicans, im in touch with them and everybody are nervous.
In Belgium if my mind are correct LOL, were 6 people too.
At this moment Mexico and Japan relation ship is good, because they are celebrating 400 years for the first time that a Japanese citizen came to Mexico. So in one document I could see that Japan wants more mexican people to go studying, so hope that it could be. As 2012 there were 197 people that got the scholarship, but i think that many of them are Chinese and Americans.
Good luck!!!
For sure if we get the scholarship, one day we could go in a trip!!!

 

[Yvm]

If you go to Tokyo, i dont think there will be much of the scholarship left to go on a trip every weekend... But i also really want to go to Tokyo because for me as well, it is easier to meet up with the people i know over there. Although Tokyo would be waaaay more expensive than the other cities so the monthly budget might become quite tight...

For Belgium we actually dont know for sure if the other 4 people passed. We know that 6 of us did the interview, but we don't know anything after that because they go to a different university.

I also worry that if you get the scholarship, you would have to rush like EVERYTHING... The curriculum, administration, where you will stay, bank account, just everything will have to be rushed...Well anything for the scholarship

From how many countries were those 197 people?

 

[Luis]

yeah :?, my japanese friends told me that if the scholarship is not enough, it wouldnt be a problem because they could pay me some things LOL, really im a lucky man. I met people from Waseda, Sophia, and Tokyo University, and other one who works at the japanese goverment, LOL, people from Waseda and Sophia has a lot of money!!

I could see this number in the MEXT statistics, but it doenst show how many people are by contry.
In Mexico case, because all procedures was face to face and in the same day, i know the other 5 mexicans, even though 3 of them not live in Mexico city.

This is my last oportunity to get this scholarship, so hope i get it. If this is not the case, for sure i will apply for Reseach next year!.

 

[Lu Padilla]

hey guys!! I'm Luis' friend from Mexico! this waiting time is killing me!! hahaha
My options were Keio, Tokyo Gaikokugo and Osaka!
do you guys have facebook or something? so we can keep in touch easier!!
I hope we all go to Japan and meet us there!!

 

[charlie07brown]

Hey Lu, yeah, the waiting time is killing us all hehe. We should create a facebook group called: Japanese Studies Students MEXT 2014. And then we could post stuff over there and keep in touch. What do you say? If everyone's okay with it, I could create it It'd be cool if we both could go to Tokyo Gaikokugo haha

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[Lu Padilla]

Yeeah, I like that idea! you can add me.. my email is [email protected] I guess you can find me with that haha

 

[Luis]

you could add me too.
Im on FB like Luis Hegarc so if you dont find Lu I could add her.
My first option is Tokyo Gaigokugo so if we get the scholarship and the same University could live in the same room and the cost will be less, isn't it? And because we speak Spanish as a Mother Language could be easier if anyone of three dont understand something
As Charlie mentioned in a post, is natural start to imagine your live in Japan, well Lu lived in Japan before so she can imagine again LOL.

 

[charlie07brown]

Hey guys! I added both of you, and I'll be creating the fb group asap. I hope everyone here joins us as well. Actually, I was called today by my embassy. And they told me that the Monbusho wanted me to send some papers asap. They say that I'm being considered by the Monbusho so it must be a good sign haha. Hope so. How is everyone else here dealing with the waiting time?

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[charlie07brown]

Btw, in facebook I'm registered as Carlos Gozalo Bohl

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[Yvm]

Wow [MENTION=62477]charlie07brown[/MENTION], you actually heard something from them! We are here just waiting and waiting and waiting...
Fb group sounds like a good idea, but it might also be convenient to make it public, no? I bet more people can find the group on fb instead of this topic on the internet...

 

[charlie07brown]

You're right Yvm. I'll make it public then and yeah, I was relieved by hearing they had been considering me (apparently I made some mistakes when writing the application form, and I had to send the forms again lol) but it was nice hearing from them again xd

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