Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Postgraduate!!

[fulhamerica]

You still havent heard fulamerica? Damn...I wonder why your embassy is this much in the dark.
I dont expect to hear about which school I am getting sent to until Sept. Maybe it happens early but I have no hope for July and little hope for August.
Just gotta keep yourself sane and flexible.

Let's just say that I am beginning to think that my consulate/embassy keeps themselves in the dark on purpose. For christ sake, my school already contact me saying they were making preparations for me. I have worked out though that I am not the only one in an #$&*!@#-ed up predicament at my consulate. what do you do? I can't go complaining, it only hurts me in the end.

 

[uranussama]

fulhamerica and I are both waiting for word from the same consulate to see if we've passed the final screening, and let's just say that the guy there is less than helpful... To make a long story short, he's very irresponsible and tells you one thing then turns around and says something totally different... and then he acts like you're completely irrational and/or paranoid when you're upset about the false information he told you in the first place! :auch: He also doesnt like to return messages and emails. Oh yes AND he forgot to tell me that I was recommended... I had to call him after waiting nearly a month longer than I was supposed to.

fulhamerica and I are both looking to leave at the end of September/early October, so they're cuttin it close here. After all, there's a lot of stuff to take care of that you cant really get in motion unless you know youre going for sure.

 

[Charles Barkley]

That's a shame. I will let you guys know if I hear anything else from the Atlanta consulate, as the woman who works there is wonderful. When I have been frustrated, I have directed it, instead, at a vague 'Tokyo.'

 

[abeeyo_q8]

Hi...i just found this forum...really some great info you guys
i'm taking my english/japanese exam tomorrow

i'm hoping to do my masters in molecular/cellular biology

has anyone done anything similar? i'd really like to hear about your experiences and anything that could help me out would be great...as many have said, they are really vague about most things

 

[menrui]

^welcome to the club! There hasn't been many post lately because most of us are waiting for results or the interview.

Wow, so you are going straight for graduate school? I think most of us here are applying first as research students because of the difficulties of taking the entrance examination in Japan. But maybe some one here can help you. enjoy your stay!

 

[abeeyo_q8]

well actually no...i think i'll be doing research until i can get enrolled in the university.
but some universities make special accomadations for monbukagakusho students, they have separate entrance exams and such. but i don't' think every univerisity is like that and if every major is same

the guy at the embassy that's been helping me has been really nice...even though i've been emailing him everyday...he must be so annoyed... :S

i have both my exam and my interview tomorrow...i'm guessing he's crunched for time

 

[menrui]

ah i see. I never heard of such accommodations. Tokyo University allows you to take the GRE:subject test in place of entrance exams for some majors... but that's the most I've seen. I'm also trying to get into graduate school by doing research first, like many other people here. Did you want to hear from someone else in the biology field? I'm in the chemistry field, that is kind of close ha. Or did you want to hear from someone who has actually done research, and then graduate school?

 

[abeeyo_q8]

well i suppose all the natural sciences are roughly gonna be the same in terms of how to get a research proposal done and finding a supervisor

i graduated from boston univeristy with a degree in biology, i'd really like to do research either at kyoto uni or osaka...

how far along are you?

 

[menrui]

I have my interview/exams 2 weeks from now. So you haven't turned in a research proposal? At my embassy, I had to turn in applications and my proposal a month ago, before interview/exams. I can try to help you find a proposal... but i can only help get you started.

About finding a supervisor, you should go to the university website, go to the graduate school of science, and search in the biology department. You should be able to find information on professors, research group, or even other faculty members. Choose professor/faculty that is doing or has done research that is in the same field as your proposal. I think the bigger universities are easier to navigate.

So far, I've sent out about 3 emails to professor, and only one of them replied. He didn't really understand what i was trying to do XD . I emailed him back, but he's abroad, so it will take some time. kind of fustrating not getting replies, but i sent the email to profs from big school, so i guess its just that competitive. I did some more research on graduate school/profs yesterday and got like 6 more profs i would like to email haha...

 

[abeeyo_q8]

yeah the proposal is the tricky part...i've looked at the kyoto uni and osaka uni and stuff...i've emailed one prof only so far...but i just got started

how exactly you do "find" a proposal?? i've been looking at what some professors are researching and jotting down what interests me...its that "what to research" part that's getting to me...it can't be exactly what the profs are doing...it's gotta be something novel right?

the guy at the embassy said he'd show me an example copy of what a good proposal looks like...so i guess that should give me some idea...

you've been very helpful...i'd really appreciate the help with the proposal

 

[menrui]

So you're suppose to take the interview without having research proposal? awesome.

You dont exactly "find" a proposal(but i bet you could). You have to make one. In college, have you ever gone to like, science seminars or research lectures? I didnt(haha) but I heard its a good way to get idea. I had the same problem as you. I couldnt come up with a proposal off the top of my head, which is a common problem for anyone i think.

What i did, I went online, and by using my university account, I looked up some chemistry journal and read through them briefly(I mostly just read the abstract). i admit, about 90% of the researches I looked at, I didnt really understand. So I focus on the ones I did understand. The ones I found interesting and could understand, I read through them. So i read through about 8 different researches completely. Now, from this, you can think of a research proposal by: 1. extending a research that has been done; 2. if you thought there were some gap or holes in the research you read, you can use that; 3. you can try to combine 2 previous researches, this method is harder. I myself, chose to extend a research i read about.

(1. This forum requires that you wait 120 seconds between posts. Please try again in 21 seconds.)

Oh, and make sure your research has not already been done.

 

[menrui]

oh and, no, your proposal doesnt have to be mind blowing... mine is actually very simple compared to the ones that are being conducted by professors. I dont really have the skills/experience to design a research as complex as them. you can also talk it over with your desired supervisor too, and maybe update it bit or completely redo it later.

 

[abeeyo_q8]

thanks that was actually really helpful
well i have to get to sleep...need most of my brain cells to be functiong fully for the interview, i'm not to worried about the exams though

i'll probably get started on my proposal tomorrow, i wanna have all my papers in by the end of the week...although i won't have my official transcript and recommendation in as fast cause i have to get them mailed from the US to Kuwait...

 

[tomayto]

hey guys,

i have a question. after arriving at japan we need to undergo an intensive japanese course right? does it run simultaneously with our graduate studies? because i dont know whether to apply on april or october intake. if we need to undergo language course 1st then the earliest intake possible is the october intake. am i right? how about the location? does it depends on our university or its gonna be centralize in one place?

thanks in advance

 

[clauxz]

Whats Next

Hei guys im a newbie.. its been great to hear all the stories of interview and exam

im like you guys who took the monbusho exam and interview although here indonesia .. you take the exam and interview together ( no passing exam then interview type of rules )

Its not as bad as u think ... exam is quite easy here .. . and interview ( well its like a job interview ) u got to sell your skills and ur believe and your confidence. i dont think its that bad.

Anyhoo ..

last week i got a call from the embassy saying that my letter is ready and i should pick up the letter of recommendation from the embassy

i was wondering what is the next step ..

i already got a letter from one univ from tohoku to accept me as a phd student.. but they say its three choice..

At this moment i also have 2 professor take one of them is not my research field the other comes from private univ ... so im keen on tohoku univ one ..

anyway i want to hear any experience from here . how do i approach the univ ... should it be from prof .. or from the admission office ..

can i apply if the professor do not reply to me ( i have 2 professor whom im interesed but both didnt reply me after 3 times of mailing them .. i guess i pissed them off .. hahaha

well im hope to hear any advises which help my application in the next step ..

Keep the post coming .. happy to read them

 

[Kayumi]

This is like a masters degree right? I will graduate in japanese/mandarin and maybe Korean and some other language (depends in which university I'll stay), will learn those languages for 3 years at least (japanese and mandarin), will I be able to do my MD through this scholarship?

The "licenciatura" (sorry, don't know the english word) lasts 3 years and the supposed master degree in china other 2, but I think I can choose between doing it in China as course's default or through the japanese embassy.

 

[menrui]

tomayto,
The japanese language course is only necessary to those that need it according to MEXT. this depends on your study field. In case you do need it, i think i read that, whether you enter in either april(24month) or october(18month), your first 6 month will be dedicated to learning japanese. and, i think these 6 months are taken from within the 24/18month period. the earliest to enter is in April(24months). The language courses will not run simultaneously with your graduate/research studies. It might be in a seperate location. I dont really know where you will take the language courses... but i think i remember reading it would be in tokyo or osaka... but dont quote me on that.

clauxz,
I wouldnt called you a "newbie" ha. you're well ahead of most of us here. you should probably be answer our questions. For your question, I think you should first definitely email the department you are applying in and ask for the application process(unless it was already clearly stated, which its most likely not). I think you should always approach the prof first and let them know, then apply through the department. From my experiences, if the prof does not reply, that is a way of saying no, or im too busy. I think in most cases, you need the profs approval first. I know some univ ask you to send in all your monbusho applications and select a supervisor, then maybe they will do their own admissions process. im not really sure... again please ask the department

kayumi,
um, yes, it is possible to enter graduate school for a masters degree with this scholarship... i didnt understand what you wrote from there... sorry.

 

[Kayumi]

Ok, thank you
Licenciatura is before masters degree. 12th grade -> licenciatura -> Masters degree (at least here in Portugal)

 

[clauxz]

Thanks Menrui for the answer ..
I havent go to the embassy yet .. ( because the embassy is administering the undergrad exam ) 600 will take the undergrad exam this year..

and definitely
I will try to contact the 2 previous professor that ignore me...

Maybe they will change of mind after the latest news.. ( not sure but my senpai said that, monbusho students bring extra funding to the lab )

Another question ..

I have a very influential professor who i associated from my previous univ.. he is sure to accept me because he wrote me a damn nice recommendation letter for my monbusho abt me

problem is his research is quite different from which i proposed to monbusho ..
is it possible to change research topic ? for just 1 sensei ?

I heard that no one reject this sensei before...

Whereas my research interest 2 other professor which is not too influential.. ( i think )


Hmmm. any advise?

 

[Kayumi]

One more thing, what kind of job will I be able to get in Japan with a masters degree in japanese? By that time I'll be able to speak mandarin, japanese, english, spanish and portuguese.

I'm so afraid of not getting a job, damn! Well, before all that and next year I'm gonna aplly to an exchange studant program, where I'll be studing japanese in Japan for 5 weeks.

 

[abeeyo_q8]

kayumi, i think being fluent in 2+ languages qualifies you for a bunch of jobs ranging from government positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to jobs in companies where they require translators and such


i just passed the preliminary interview and exams this morning, all my documents are pretty much in order, just need to finish up my proposal and get a letter of acceptance from a japanese professor <----- hardest part i think :S

 

[mamoo]

just took the written exam. the japanese paper was a little difficult. hopefully i'll get called for the interview which is this wednesday.

 

[Kayumi]

kayumi, i think being fluent in 2+ languages qualifies you for a bunch of jobs ranging from government positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to jobs in companies where they require translators and such
i just passed the preliminary interview and exams this morning, all my documents are pretty much in order, just need to finish up my proposal and get a letter of acceptance from a japanese professor <----- hardest part i think :S

Thanks for cheering me up. Congratulations on your interview and good luck! Was it hard? What kind of questions did they ask you?

 

[menrui]

Clauxz,
I think that is a question you should answer yourself. I'm not sure if you can just suddenly change your research proposal... Im probably wrong, but I dont think the embassy will check to see if you indeed are researching under the supervision of the appropiate professor. I think that its up to the university and professor. So, if you can get him and the univ to accept you, then the embassy to accept you for finding acceptance, maybe you could enter under that professor and do a completely different research than what you wrote. But this might lead to some implications later, so dont do it.

Kayumi,
you could be an Office Lady too...(dont take that seriously, im sure there are plenty of jobs for you)

Ok i have a question of my own. For a potential supervisor, do we have to choose a head professor? can it be an associate professor? The associate professor on this one lab that i am considering has published more research that relates to mine so i thought it would be a good idea to choose him instead.

 

[Alma]

One more thing, what kind of job will I be able to get in Japan with a masters degree in japanese? By that time I'll be able to speak mandarin, japanese, english, spanish and portuguese.
I'm so afraid of not getting a job, damn! Well, before all that and next year I'm gonna aplly to an exchange studant program, where I'll be studing japanese in Japan for 5 weeks.

why do you want to have master degree in japanese if you are planing to live in Japan? just wondering...? and dont worry, if you are going to be fluent in so many languages, you will be able to find job. that is why I am asking why master japanese, maybe you can study something else, while anyway learning and speaking japanese?