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Study abroad programs at colleges...

Emoni

先輩
20 Sep 2003
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Heya all. Very short question really. I'm wondering if anyone on this forum has gone through any study abroad programs for languages and what their experiences were and if they were worth the money for the time they received.

The college that I am at offers a study abroad program for Japanese, it includes a live in home with a family, along with lessons each day. They have different time periods, but the one I am looking at is 3 weeks for $2300. I'm still working on my Japanese, so I won't be going quite yet as I would want maximum benefit language wise when I go, so probably in about a year I would go if I decide to.

Thanks for any advice, comments or personal experiences any of you might have.

-Emoni
 
im about to go through one next year for 1 year. I say do it!! Just getting ready has been heaps of fun so reckon it is worth it
 
I did Jan-July 2003...fantastic experience. It was only my 2nd time in Japan, but I had tons of fun, met awesome people, traveled, partied, etc. I went through the Waseda University CALPUC program, which sadly may be discontinued. I'd be more than willing to answer any specific questions about it, and I'm sure there are plenty of others qualified too.

I'm sure money is always a concern, but if at all possible, I definitely recommend going for MUCH longer than 3 weeks. 3 weeks won't even get you accustomed to typical conversational Japanese (unless you're used to it already), much less leave room for travel. 6 months was too short for me, and I was basically busy every day. With intense 3 hour Japanese classes each weekday along with my regular class load, and partying/travel at night, it's too much fun.

Plus, 3 weeks isn't long enough to make a Japanese cell phone worth it. :keitai:
 
3 weeks seemed a bit short to me as well. Supposedly there are classes every day to help move the language along, but it seems they don't really offer any programs that are longer that 4 weeks.

I was hoping to stay maybe about 2 months really. I figure that would be enough to get a taste of things there, of course, probably just so I want to go straight back ;)

How much did they charge you for your trip? Are there outside sources you know for study abroad programs or other options you recomend?
 
I figure that would be enough to get a taste of things there, of course, probably just so I want to go straight back ;)

Yeah, that's pretty much what happens. I had friends who were there for a year who are ready to go back. Of course, there are also people who have too much Japan and can't wait to go back home.

How much did they charge you for your trip?

It definitely wasn't cheap. The university I go to now costs around 14 grand in tution per semester, and since I was getting transferrable credits, they charged me about the same for the time I was in Japan. Including food, all the drinking, travel, souveneirs, etc., I'd say I spent close to 20 grand all told. This includes a stipend for my host family too. My school was great about bumping up my financial aid package, though, and I was able to make back some money by teaching English for basically the whole time. It's a lot of money, and I'll be paying back my loans for years, but going abroad in college is definitely a unique and exciting experience I'd recommend to anyone. I don't regret spending the money at all...now, when I'm 30 and still in debt...well... :mad:
 
Whew, okay then...

Ya, that is a tad more than I can afford ;) I guess I'm just trying to find an AFFORDABLE option for myself and still gain a benefit. The cost tones down if you don't choose to live with a host family, but at the same time I think I would be losing a LOT by not living with a family there. Hopefully, I won't get stuck with a psychotic host family like Luk did :/

I won't be going for at least a year probably if I do go. Other than studying Japanese as I regularly do, what would you recomend to prepare for?
 
Well, even though my trip costed a ton, most of it went to my home university. It could be different depending on your school. I definitely understand the money thing though...I basically saved ALL the money from work for over a year just to make sure I could do what I wanted to in Japan. I had planned on buying a car...poof, 3 years of work gone in 6 months. What's the point of going around the world if you're going to be restricted by money, you know? But yeah, student loans are a life saver.

As far as the host family versus dorm thing...I wholeheartedly recommend a host family. While I've had a bad experience or two, and lord knows my friends did, I still consider my last host family one of the major reasons I enjoyed Japan as much as I did. Without them, I would've been just another foreigner in Japan, but they made me a part of their family. Family dinners, vacations, birthday parties, everything. They took me out, bought me gifts, helped me set up my travel plans, took my parents out to eat, and just generally bent over backwards to help me. Of course, Waseda went to great pains to find appropriate host families for its students....which is one of the reasons I'm so bummed that our coordinator is no longer with us. I still have an open ended invitation to stay with them anytime I'm in Tokyo.

What to prepare for...just read up on basic customs and typical behavior. You don't want to freak out when it's time for last train and some drunken salaryman is leaning on you for a 40 minute train ride home. Your school should set you up with a packet or something that details the necessities of life wherever you'll be living, but if they don't, research the area. Figure out what you want to see and do ahead of time, because time WILL fly. Make a conscious effort to get out, do things, and take pictures. I guess that's the basic stuff I say to everyone.

If you have any other specific questions, fell free to ask. The preparations, like Jieshi said, should be fun.
 
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