Support Thread for MEXT Scholarship Hopefuls

[Nall-ohki]

I am a student in the final stages of confirmation for the MEXT Scholarship for Graduate Students next April.

Having gone through this process before as an undergraduate, I know how stressful at times the waiting process can be. As a result, I've created this thread as a means for we MEXTers to get in touch with each other, maybe share information, advice, or good tidings.

We are a scattered bunch - only a few thousand of us in the world each year, strewn across the globe and from a variety of different cultures and languages. I'm hoping that some small portion of this group will speak English or Japanese and find this thread.

Though I am a potential research scholarship recipient, anyone in the process of receiving any of the MEXT scholarships for next year is welcome to join in.

I'd like to keep the topic focused, so if you're looking for discussion about the MEXT scholarship in general, please look in some of the other fine threads found on this board.

Questions to help introduce yourself:

• So, where are you?
• Where are you applying for?
• What will you study?
• How and where did you apply? (consulate/school/other?)
• What's the most annoying thing about waiting?
• Any news from Japan?

 

[dblbstrd]

I guess I'll be the first to pipe in here:
I am from the US like you, of course, and have applied for the research scholarship to work in an engineering field. I prefer to stay kind of quiet on the more specific details for now, but happy to discuss and share any info I have that might be useful to others.
As for the waiting, yeah it's frustrating, but it's part of the game for almost any academic thing you apply to, so we all just have to tough it out and stay patient.
It's nice to be able to chat with others who are on the same page, for sure.

Cheers!
db

 

[akita]

I'm in the same situation. I've applied for MEXT research scholarship this year and now I'm waiting and waiting for a final answer..... I will study Area studies if I'll get a positive answer.

 

[xiuxiu]

Hello!

I'm also waiting for the final decision. Just to help everyone relax a bit: I was told by someone from the Japanese Embassy that they have never rejected applicants who have already passed the preliminary selection. It's even less likely to be rejected if you managed to get an admission letter from a Japanese university. Of course, this is my country's particular situation, but I think it's probably the same everywhere else.

Anyway. I'm still worried sick. I had to quit my job in order to apply for this scholarship! I'm also impatient to know where they'll actually place me. If everything goes well, I will be a research student in the area of Japanese Linguistics at Hitotsubashi University by April next year.

In my case, the most annoying part of waiting has been not knowing what I will be doing next year. I had to give up on lots of important things (such as a marriage proposal and several excellent job offers) in order to be free to go to Japan next year. As you can imagine, I would be VERY disappointed if I got rejected for some reason.

 

[dblbstrd]

Xiuxiu, I have sort of heard the same thing. My consulate hasn't said anything about that exactly, but I've heard it in a couple of places. So I'm not *too* worried, but still naturally feeling uncertain until I'm told one way or the other.
Anyway, good luck to all of you in getting the scholarship and getting favorable placement!

 

[Nall-ohki]

xiuxiu:
I know where you're coming from, and feel your anxiousness. Having gone through this process before (I received the MEXT scholarship for language studies previously), I can tell you that it won't get easier until you've done it about 5 times (of which this is the fifth for me )

I'd tell you not to think about it, but that doesn't help much. As for the stuff you had to give up to apply, I say try not to think of them as things that you gave up for the scholarship, but rather as things you turned down. Also, thinking up an alternate plan helps some: no matter what happens, next year will be something new.

And new is fun.

 

[sehro]

ewww i really hope i will hear the news this month .... I CANT WAIT ANYMORE!!

some say the final results are in December and some say in January-February....

 

[Nall-ohki]

ewww i really hope i will hear the news this month .... I CANT WAIT ANYMORE!!
some say the final results are in December and some say in January-February....

Hate to tell you, but the last time I got mine, it was early March...

 

[akita]

Hate to tell you, but the last time I got mine, it was early March...

I think I'll try a harakiri if i need to wait so much I made a lot of effort for this scholarship so I hope everything will be alright. I wish to everyone good luck.

 

[Alma]

hey how it is going... I just saw thread and wanted to say good luck to everybody! I am here now in Japan, hope you will join me soon!

 

[dblbstrd]

Hi Alma.. how's Japan treating you?

 

[Alma]

hi... well, depends on the day.. mostly I have nice time (even I study hard), but had some bad and some really bad days. but I am really busy these days, so, will write you all my impressions as soon as possible.
anyway, my only advice for everybody who is coming, or hopefully coming here: study japanese as much as possible!

 

[dblbstrd]

Glad you're doing well in general, Alma!
I would like to get back on top of studying Japanese but I've just been too busy with my other studies and I don't have the extra money to pay for more tuition credits... but I'll do ok one way or another if it all works out, anyway. Over the holiday break (four weeks until my next classes start!) I think I might play some Japanese text-intensive games or read some books while I'm not at work, that should be at least somewhat productive while relaxing for break time.
I have been working hard and doing pretty well at keeping my grades up, and I have just one more term to do before I can graduate... it's getting so close, I can taste it!
And I imagine some time during that term I'll hear the verdict on going to Japan... so until then I just keep my fingers crossed and stay on top of the game for the rest of my school here

 

[Nall-ohki]

I know some of you who are waiting for your MEXT approval are new to Japan, but I honestly miss it. That's why... lately...

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!

I'm sitting here, having gone through all the red tape and everything months ago, and I just sit around waiting for them to get back to us! AAAAAAARRRGH!

I love my job, but crunch time sucks, and I've been working 11 hour days for a month now, and it's not going to be over until next week, and then I have to cut my vacation slightly short because I have to come back and crunch some more!

AARRRRG! Please, MEXT! Please let me know soon that I'm going and leaving in April. My life will be sooooo much better then. Don't tell me that my visa has been rejected due to some technicality or whimsy of the person in charge. Please just let me finish this title and go on to something new. I miss Japan, a lot, and I want to go back.

I'm excited about studying, too! I want to study Japanese again, and then go on to some really interesting research! I want to go to Harajuku and stare at the strangely-dressed people. I want to go to an onsen and fall asleep and wake up with my skin red.

I want to go on the train in rush hour and be unable to move, and see my friends in Japan again. I want to go to Akihabara and stare at all the equipment I can buy.

I want to eat kaiten-zushi and rack up about a bazillion yen in debt from a single night off. I want to go to Shinjuku, sit at the south gate and watch people go up and down the escalator.

I want to go to a net cafe, be virtually unable to move in my booth, drink melon soda, read manga, and surf the web all night.

I want to eat at my favorite chicken katsu place with their homemade sauce where they put cheese inside the cutlet before they deep fry it.

I want rice; man do I miss good rice. Perhaps I'm just terrible at making it, but I can't make anything like it back here in the states.

I want to turn on the TV and see some of the most silly television ever conceived, and yet spend hours watching it.

I long to hear the incredible contrast in speech patterns between the sexes; hell, I miss speaking Japanese every day.

Please take me back, and please do it soon, MEXT!

Ahem.

Thank you for listening.

 

[dblbstrd]

Dude, relax
I too feel your pain and crave melon soda and Pepper Lunch, and I'm kind of bored about half the time now that fall term is over (I got me some pretty nice grades after all!) and there are three weeks left until my next classes start.
But, they're working on it and they'll let ya know when they have it all ready. Just gotta be patient, keep your fingers crossed, and appreciate that such an opportunity exists in the first place

 

[Alma]

Nall-ohki, do not worry! it will be ok, and before you know, you will be here, doing, well, all thhose things you mentioned!

:haihai:

 

[Nall-ohki]

Hehe.

Thanks guys. Looks like I needed a bit of support myself there.

Work sucks, I have to work this weekend, but I had an awesome day today with friends so I'm having a bit better time with it.

I'm definitely looking forward to everything, as I've been needing a change in my life for some time now. The suspense is killing me, though!

 

[xiuxiu]

I can't stand this anymore!!

No. Seriously. I have hardly any nails left on my fingers.
Has anyone heard anything from their embassies yet?

 

[Nall-ohki]

I can't stand this anymore!!

No. Seriously. I have hardly any nails left on my fingers.
Has anyone heard anything from their embassies yet?

Not a peep here. Also, the person I know from the school who handled my enrollment said that they usually know before the embassies, and he would give me a heads up if something came by.

No word yet.

We are all in the same boat. Just wait it out and try not to think about it too much.

 

[bachir]

neither have i !

hello there !
it's been a loooooooong time !
i am in the same situation as all of you . i was selected last july by the embassy and i must say i have an attack of nerves .
as for the embassy here in algeria there have been three students selected, all as research ones.
by the way, i'm always in contact with the board of examiners (i became a friend of theirs ) ;unfortunately they are in the same situation...still waiting for any answer from the ministry.
OH it's so nerve-racking !!!

 

[Alma]

calm down everybody! since you have no news so far, you will not probably get it in this month at all! but, it is just like 10 days left of this year! so, expect something around 10th of January (that is the time I got my info)... and try to relax until then and enjoy holidays!

 

[bachir]

ohhh lovely alma !

hi alma !

i like the way you talk to everybody.

thanks for making us all at ease ...that helps very much

 

[Alma]

I am glad I helped a litlle :haihai:

hope you all doing fine

 

[ilus]

Hi everyone!

Very excited to finally be able to join JREF (i had tried many times before, but never got through :C).

I am also waiting for the final result (graduate research student monbukagakusho scholarship) . I was told that the result should be out in January. I believe this to be true because my friend (almost similar to Alma's experience) received the final decision on the 27th of January last year.

Happy Holidays!!

 

[bachir]

hi ilus !

cool to see more and more and more people from all around the world who are about (hope so) to become japanese-sponsored students .
so you're from indonesia ?
welcome welcome