Self-Financed Undergraduate entry - What level of Japanese?;Financial breakdown etc.

Hi again.

I'm planning on departing March 2011 to study at an undergraduate level at a university in Japan (currently drawing up the list), and I'm yet undecided between three courses, very similar, but taught differently and perhaps leading to completely different areas of employment and/or further study.

Currently, I am in the stage of generating a basic outline of the course I would like to attend, weaving in sponsorships and potential contracts and, most importantly, studying Japanese hard.

I have been studying for about two years now, in what can be called a semi-active language pursuit. I have attended a Genki I course for nearly a year, which for some of you who know, will seem like quite a static period of time but - I've been busy with A-levels and it was quite hard to keep up with reading books, attending meet-ups and generally immersing in Japanese.

To cut to the point, I am privately studying now, led by the example of a person named Khatzumoto (www.alljapaneseallthetime.com) and I am quite confident in my methods. Joyo kanji I am about to complete May 2010 and my comprehension abilities are at the level of watching a dorama and clicking at 50%. Climbing steadily though, on a daily basis.


My question is ---- for the people who are well acquainted/have experience etc. ----
Since I want to study in Japanese, what level of Japanese am I required to have (disregard specialist vocabulary now) to be admitted to study?

I know the formalities will crop up, such as JLPT and similar, but I have yet to find any references to such prerequisites (I cannot read university websites yet to that level).


To end there for now, I hope I have made myself clear to the people

Thanks for your reply!

I am sure you are very earnest in your determination and enthusiastic about pursuing Japanese studies. I am also sure from what you write that you are intelligent and hardworking enough to enroll in any good university or college in your country. However, the reality is that undergraduate study in Japan in areas that you wish is very likely to be extremely difficult.

The greatest obstacle is the language. Aside from a few universities that have a limited range of international programs accepting foreign students, universities in general require that you take the entrance examinations in Japanese, competing against Japanese native-speaking students. This means that you must have near-native Japanese competence that is very likely higher than the JLPT Level 1. Being able to understand Japanese doramas is not enough.

I personally think that tackling this obstacle is wasteful for you. It will require years of hard work BEFORE you get in. Once you're in, I doubt whether you find undergraduate studies in Japan a great learning experience, considering that many Japanese students regard the university years a kind of "moratorium" -- days of freedom from hard study and a gap period to have fun before you join the work force as full-fledged adult.

Depending on the areas of study you choose, you may find a suitable university, but the choices are limited, such as Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific that you mentioned in another thread, ICU, Sophia FLA, Waseda's equivalent program, etc. If you choose any of them, you can apply right away and learn Japanese while studying at the university.

If they don't offer what you want, I recommend you study at a university in your home country that offers the courses you need, take a year or two off during or after university studies to immerse in the Japanese language and culture in Japan to gain competence in the language. After completing undergraduate studies, you can apply for admission on the graduate or postgraduate level in Japan. These higher programs accept more foreign students and researchers with greater tolerance regarding language skill level (though that does not mean low competence level but JLPT 1 or 2 level), because communication between the professors and students is facilitated by a common ground of knowledge in the specific field(s).

I didn't want to burst your bubble but sincerely wish that you make wise choices.

*Please note that the person who claimed to have landed a software engineering job in Japan didn't undergo undergraduate studies here. Also, IT engineering businesses are more accepting of foreign nationals and value their English ability also, along with reasonably fair Japanese communication ability.

Thank you for your reply, epigene.
I cannot say I am fully aware of the magnitude of issues you are pointing me out, but I think I am able to overcome most of the difficulties related to language and, which is a greater problem, finance during the following year.

Indeed, I understand the comment about doramas. In these two years of passive study, although I haven't had any practice with kanji which I am now intensely learning, I have reached such a comprehension level in Japanese that I can watch the FNN news and understand nearly every sentence they say through context and vocabulary. I wouldn't say that is a satisfying level of knowledge for a future undergraduate student in Japan, but given the time before I enroll, I think it is a great springboard with a future potential! Besides, most of international students studying in Japan (by this I mean the majority, coming from Asian countries) do not have a fluent technical command of the language upon arrival. Do you think that's true?

I hope I don't seem too stuck in. I can clearly see the results of my progress, and I am all starry-eyed on that matter that I will brush it up to fluency in a year's time.

In case I don't manage to learn the language to the level I need to, as I need to take a chance of that happening into account, I would either: pursue a degree in English in Japan, continue with my current studies - I am doing a degree in Physics (which I am not exalted about but hey... it's a starting point).
I have only heard how seriously the Japanese undergraduates take their undergraduate time. Croatia, where I am doing my degree at the moment, is not the most brilliant of places to study many subjects apart from the distinguished few such as Electronics or Computer Science. Furthermore, there isn't a place where I can study either Liberal Arts or a similar interdisciplinary course.Thus an ascent to Japanese educational system will be an advancement in itself, wouldn't you say so? I am sure that in every country, if you want to learn, the doors will be open for you. I hope I am not deceiving myself there.

Thank you for your reply again epigene. Please do post more. I don't know what your background is with the matter, but you do seem like a person who knows exactly what they are talking about.


Cheers, till next time!

Okay, I posted earlier assuming that you are a British citizen or residing in England. If you are in Croatia, please change the flag in your profile.

I was also under the impression that you want to major in a field of natural science (physics), but you are willing to pursue a degree in liberal arts? If that is so, you have a wider range of options.

If you are determined to enter a Japanese university to study alongside native Japanese, you should continue studying Japanese more intensively. I don't think a year or so is enough to reach a level adequate for university entrance, especially if you rely on self-study.

Next, you should be aware that there are two types of universities that foreign students can enter. The first type of schools are those that offer curriculum taught in English, such as Waseda SILS, Sophia FLA, and ICU. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific may also fall in this category. These schools are easy to enter for foreign students who speak English, provided you have reasonably good high school grades and have adequate financial backing. They offer liberal arts courses in the field of Japanese and Asian studies mostly.

The second is the "regular" schools, where all courses are taught in Japanese, and the vast majority of students are Japanese. To enter a university of this category, you need to check out the admission requirements for each school and each department. Admission will very likely require you to take the entrance examinations sponsored and organized by JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization). The tests consist of Japanese as a foreign language, subjects in science such as chemistry, mathematics, etc. Which of these tests you are required to take depends on the university/department with which you apply, but all require the Japanese language test, which is called EJU. The key here is the score you achieve on the Japanese test.

The following are past threads on EJU posted here in JREF:
Need Guidance about Japan University PLEASE!!!!
EJU scoring system?

You should also read all the information available at the JASSO website and, if possible, buy past Japanese language tests for you to use.
独立行政法人日本学生支援機構

I am assuming that the second type is what you're aiming at, which I think is preferable because of the wider range in quality and course options available to you. In the first type, you will have to restrict yourself to liberal arts, although this type of school will provide you Japanese language study courses alongside courses in other fields.

In 2010, I recommend you take the EJU to test your Japanese proficiency. If you cannot access a test location (Russia is the only choice if you're in Europe), try out the JLPT to give you a guesstimate of your language level. Then, you can decide on which type of school you should apply.

Regarding students from Southeast Asia coming without technical command of Japanese, I believe this is due to Japan's policy to provide preferred entrance to students from these countries, as part of Japan's governmental assistance program based on bilateral agreements with these countries. Of course, these students undergo intensive Japanese language study for one or two years to achieve a degree of competence. You must be aware of the fact that progress is faster for these students compared to you because they're immersed in a Japanese language environment on a 24/7 basis.

Something tells me that you are different from the other people who post "I'm gonna learn Japanese and then BAM live in Japan" type. Not sure what, but just a feeling.

Here is what I recommend, check into the undergrad programs taught in English. I HIGHLY recommend taking a look at the SILS program at Waseda. Why an English program?

1) Different requirements that allow you to get IN the program from outside Japan.
2) You can start college level study without delaying yourself for Japanese level
3) You can study hard on your Japanese IN Japan
4) Often scholarships that exist to help serious students from abroad in special programs like tihs
5)The programs are usually "easy" but at the same time very flexible and offer a LOT of opportunities for you to go quite far depending the path you take.

I studied abroad at SILS, went to YNU, and am now a grad student at the University of Tokyo. If you have any questions feel free to post. Keep pushing forward, because I think if you keep this determination and your mind OPEN to various possibilities, you will absolutely reach what you are aiming for.

Thank you for your reply, Emoni, epigene. I am currently storming with questions, so I'll break it down into sections.

--Apologies for not changing my flag back to Croatia. I had been studying in England for two years, hence the flag, which I forgot to change upon finishing.

I've been away for the weekend and I've been thinking thoroughly about studying in English in Japan. Today I went browsing university websites and I realized that the top three universities with Liberal Arts on offer): Waseda, ICU, Sophia, have a Japanese-taught and English-taught program. The key of the matter is that study in both Japanese and English is possible, so that one can intertwine both study programs and, should he desire so, immerse fully in the Japanese side - Emoni, correct me if I'm wrong... but - Voila!. Why not? This is THE thing I would like. Outlining the benefits of starting in English (since I'm all over the moon about this entire thing ) :

-Since I'm not a native English speaker, I could gain university-level competence and specialist vocabulary in the areas I am studying, which is one of my top priorities (EDIT: Next time I'll post a selection of skills I would like to improve throughout university - it's not final, but close to)
-improve my CV
-make friends, get connections in different spheres of society, with different ethnicities etc
-overcome the culture shock easier! This is is something that struck me rock hard when I first came to UK. I guess the level of awareness which you've built up through study of the target country lessens the impact you feel, but nevertheless it's good to have someone who understands your humor and views on things when you storm in for the first time.
-lots of other things

I guess I might have neglected the latter and tried to eat too big a piece of cake. I cannot say that I know what it is like to be and function in Japan when I haven't experienced it, but.. I am open to advice. I don't want to drag this topic down into another thread but, did you experience an educational transition culture shock, Emoni? I do need a reference point on this, as there isn't a book on the subject of that, only personal experiences.

I still persist with my decision to learn Japanese as much as I can this year. I would like to, as soon as it becomes an option, to study in Japanese.

Moving on;
--Finance

I would be most grateful for assistance with costs breakdown.

I haven't yet made a structured research table (in other words, a task analysis) for my costs breakdown and this is because I am very uncertain on what to include and - what is there to help me with costs as this is a new country I am into, and, in general, I'm not a finance expert. Can you recommend a manual, a website (Jref?) or a similar source where I could find detailed info on financial preparations before university in Japan?
I have experience doing this with universities in the UK, but I guess that's another story.
I've looked at expats websites and financial advice ones - can't be bad but I'm not focusing on the core of the problem.
As a start, I would need to assess my financial standing where I am now, then look for scholarships, sponsorships and other options of funding. I am really open most options, and by this I mean study-work contracts with companies (you handle my fees, I'll work for you after uni for n years), loans, part-time work to pay the fees, and so on.

I could go on for ages on finance here, but it is too detailed to go into if I start talking about yen-kuna (my currency) stability, inflation, the rise of fees as you progress into subsequent years, the proof that you have a fixed funding source and how to secure this etc etc, but that isn't the most important thing at present. What I need now is a means of breaking down my costs. I don't know if it's against forum rules to discuss detail, but I need to let you know what I'm on. From my current social standing my parents can fund up to the maximum of a semester at Waseda/Sophia - all costs included (assuming they peak at 2 million yen) - and only if they stretch the payments for 12 months. This automatically points me facing financial aid.

To seal the bags up for now, let me finish there.

I am really grateful you've written such long messages. I need people with experience on this and I value your advice very much. I'll be online every day, so do post if you think you've got something!

till next time

ultima said:

Hi again.
I'm planning on departing March 2011 to study at an undergraduate level at a university in Japan (currently drawing up the list), and I'm yet undecided between three courses, very similar, but taught differently and perhaps leading to completely different areas of employment and/or further study.

Click to expand...

So, you have not yet been accepted to any of them, is that right?

Whether you have or not, why don't you ask the universities the questions you have? They are pretty standard for anyone wanting to enter uni.

You're going to need pretty high Japanese language skills (speaking, reading, writing). How else could you read the textbooks, do the exams or reports, and contribute in class or deal with dormitory staff? If you can't even read the web page for the university, how do you expect to be accepted?

[And, don't disregard specialized vocabulary. Academic vocab is a serious thing to consider, no matter what the major. If all you can do is chat up someone about weekend events, don't expect to understand a lecturer or textbook.]

As for finances, you have to ask the uni itself, especially for tuition and dorm costs.

Here's a link describing cost comparisons between Taiwan, Japan, and the U.S.
http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=7517&ctNode=505&mp=1

Keio breakdown
Chart Your Course | Office of International Programs

U of Tokyo
http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/stu04/e03_e.html

General info
Entering Japanese university
http://www.uec.ac.jp/eng/life/life.html
http://eas.leeds.ac.uk/htdocs/eas/eas_content/year_abroad/japan.asp
http://www.insc.tohoku.ac.jp/jype/8.html
http://www2.daito.ac.jp/en/modules/Exchange_Students/