Dorm or no dorm?

[wachenroder]

My friend and I got accepted for a 1 year exchange with Waseda University (in Tokyo)
I was wondering if we should take their dorms, or try find a guest house or apartment on our own to save money.
according to this website, this is how much dorming at Waseda would cost

*Meals are included in Rent fee; no-meal rent fee is not available.
*Rent fee is not refundable even if the meals are undesirable.
*Security deposit is refundable only if the resident leaves upon contract expiration.
*Electricity charges･････819 yen/ month(basic charge)+Actual usage cost
*Telephone charges･････1,890 yen/month (basic charge)+Actual usage cost
*Internet (subscribers only) ･････1,890 yen/month
it seems to be some distance away from Waseda too.
or should we try find a guest house/apartment and split the costs?

 

[MeAndroo]

I wish more of the programs at Waseda offered homestay options. All schools, actually. I guess it's all up to participation of local families, though.

I never stayed in a dorm in Japan, but I'll tell you that what I thought was the worst part about living further from school than you have to is commute time. If you plan on socializing after hours, it can be tough to have an earlier last train. I had the opportunity to live relatively close and relatively far from different schools, and I really appreciated the extra 40 minutes I could sleep each morning, or the hour later I could stay out compared to some of my friends.

This is only really critical if the conditions in each of your options is equal. Which it probably won't be. Regardless, have fun at Waseda! I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

 

[nice gaijin]

If it's far away from the school, it probably isn't Hoshien or Wakeijuku. Nevertheless, if you don't already have ties to Japan (like a guarantor who is willing to sponsor you for an apartment), trying to live on your own would be pretty foolish.

 

[Karamuucho]

61,000 sounds very reasonable to me, though it depends on the size of the rooms, wether it comes with a shower/toilet etc. Especially when you consider you get food, and the security deposit is refundable, and you get the place cleaned by someone else!

The problem in Tokyo is that you would need a guarantor (as stated above) and rent prices aren't cheap by any means. If you're lucky you'd find something about the same per month, without the extras.

 

[nice gaijin]

The only exchange students I know who are living on their own are doing it because they have already had the experience of dorms and host families, and they are able to front the money necessary for the apartment (and also have citizens sponsoring them). They are doing it for the experience, not because it's the most affordable or practical housing situation available to them.

 

[jbsongaku]

I've heard that Waseda dorms are somehow strict on the rules and can throw you out for the smallest rule violation. But anyway, life in the dorm is cheap and can help you a lot to save some money you would be otherwise throwing away on rent and key money.

I would suggest to see some other dorms as well, if you can. If you have japanese friends, sharing a room is not that bad of an option too.

Living on your own will indeed be difficult and at least as expensive as the dorm, but with more much expenses on the side. So even if the Waseda dorm is expensive and not that convenient, it beats the other options easily.

 

[Ewok85]

The two of you staying together could get a small place near Waseda (on foot, or at worst 15mins by train) for about 100,000yen, BUT, you would need to front up with at least 4 months rent as deposit (non-refundable), you would need to buy everything to furnish the place (you won't get much back), and you need a guarantor.

You might have some luck with companies like Leopalace though, you might get it for about the same or cheaper, and without the restrictions that Waseda have (which I've heard are strict - no visitors, keep quiet, have to be back by a certain time, etc).

 

[nice gaijin]

it depends on the dorm, but there's no curfew that I'm aware of, and the visitors rule is routinely ignored for most dorms that have them.