TwistedMac
後輩
- 4 Mar 2004
- 2,267
- 96
you should totally do that..mikecash said:
University in or around Tokyo
- Thread starter Drkns
- Start date
- 15 Mar 2002
- 16,758
- 2,298
Drkns said:
While I have no delusions that my words influenced your decision, I do find it interesting that you took the path recommended by the most narrow-minded respondent to your inquiry.
Finally, in response to the quotation above, I would like to point out to you mikecash, that I have visited Japan. Several times. Every day I strive to learn more about the country, it's people, and it's culture and I think it's slightly narrow-minded of you to assume that every member of this forum who posts a thread regarding living is Japan has never even visited the country.
I think it displays poor critical reading skills to arrive at the conclusion that I said any such thing. Is knee-jerk hyperbole all the fashion in Ukland now? Or is that just a personal thing?
ragedaddy
後輩
- 17 Feb 2003
- 193
- 4
I went to Sophia University as a transfer student for about a year, and to say the least I wasn't that impressed. Although, Sophia University has a decent size campus in Yotsuya, the classes taught in English are located in one building (Ichigaya Campus) in Ichigaya. There is one more building which consists of Teachers' offices and a library. The choices of classes is not that huge, and registering for classes uses old school pencil and bubble card forms. It is very difficult to get guidance there for what classes to take and how to transfer credits. The staff was not very helpful to me at all, and it was said that just having a college transcript and a course description book was not enough. They wanted me to bring in like syllabi from all the classes that I had completed at other schools, which was rather asking for the impossible. With the combination of that, and the lack of classes, I decided to go back home to the U.S. to finish up.
I am not saying don't go to that University, because it's not that bad. It just wasn't that convenient for me at that time. My recommendation is that if you go to Sophia University do it as a study abroad program, because you will avoid the high entry fee you have to pay for a new or transfer student. I think that you would have an excellent experience as a Study Abroad student. There are not any exams you have to take to get in, but I had to send in 3 letters of recommendation and atype an essay (but that is for becoming a transfer student). You need no Japanese Language experience to become a Student there.
If you get accepted to Sophia Univeristy, I would recommend applying for a Homestay, because this can have the potential to be a very rewarding experience, and you can really learn a lot about the Japanese culture. When I was studying at a Japanese Language School in Tokyo, I was with a homestay family for about a year. We went many places together, I was made delicious meals by the Mother, and I learned tons about how a Japanese family lives. I stayed in the Sophia Boys Dorm for a year, and that was another mistake. The building was totally old, dirty, and the cafeteria food was pretty much lacking. Showering together Onsen-style got a little old, since there was no privacy, and everything about living there got tiresome. (I'm not sure about the Girl's dorm though)
I know there are some people out there looking for language schools, and Sophia offers an Intense Japanese Language Program, for those who want to study Japanese at an accelerated pace. I was very impressed with the language program there, and I think it is far superior to many language schools' in Tokyo. If you have a decent grasp on Japanese, then I would say that this is an excellent choice.
I had a couple of buddies who came on a study abroad program from England. I am sure if you search around at those English Universties, you should be able to find information about attending Sophia University as a Study Abroad student.
There is also one more Japanese University that teaches classes in English, and that is Temple University. The address is:Here
You might want to check that out.
Also, this is just my opinion and experiences that I had, and I am sure there a re a lot of people who had an awesome time at Sophia University. I am just merely expressing my thoughts.
I am not saying don't go to that University, because it's not that bad. It just wasn't that convenient for me at that time. My recommendation is that if you go to Sophia University do it as a study abroad program, because you will avoid the high entry fee you have to pay for a new or transfer student. I think that you would have an excellent experience as a Study Abroad student. There are not any exams you have to take to get in, but I had to send in 3 letters of recommendation and atype an essay (but that is for becoming a transfer student). You need no Japanese Language experience to become a Student there.
If you get accepted to Sophia Univeristy, I would recommend applying for a Homestay, because this can have the potential to be a very rewarding experience, and you can really learn a lot about the Japanese culture. When I was studying at a Japanese Language School in Tokyo, I was with a homestay family for about a year. We went many places together, I was made delicious meals by the Mother, and I learned tons about how a Japanese family lives. I stayed in the Sophia Boys Dorm for a year, and that was another mistake. The building was totally old, dirty, and the cafeteria food was pretty much lacking. Showering together Onsen-style got a little old, since there was no privacy, and everything about living there got tiresome. (I'm not sure about the Girl's dorm though)
I know there are some people out there looking for language schools, and Sophia offers an Intense Japanese Language Program, for those who want to study Japanese at an accelerated pace. I was very impressed with the language program there, and I think it is far superior to many language schools' in Tokyo. If you have a decent grasp on Japanese, then I would say that this is an excellent choice.
I had a couple of buddies who came on a study abroad program from England. I am sure if you search around at those English Universties, you should be able to find information about attending Sophia University as a Study Abroad student.
There is also one more Japanese University that teaches classes in English, and that is Temple University. The address is:Here
You might want to check that out.
Also, this is just my opinion and experiences that I had, and I am sure there a re a lot of people who had an awesome time at Sophia University. I am just merely expressing my thoughts.
- Thread starter
- #29
It would appear that I was made to eat my own words (in part) by mikecash and company, and I accept that on my part I was overreacting. My apologies. However, I didn't feel that mentioning my previous visits to Japan was all that relevant, as it seemed to me that one would indeed be foolish if one were considering attending University in a foreign country that one hadn't even visited.
Also, knowing three or even fifty words in Japanese would undoubtedly be insignificant on the academic level of a University course and would most likely not even remove all of the problems that arise in everyday life. Thus, stating 'I can say a limited range of basic phrases and am making progress learning the Kana (Katakana and Hiragana)' would not be of much help, in my opinion.
*breathe* Regardless, I am most definitely at fault for jumping to conclusions and you have my sincerest apologies :sorry: .
As ragedaddy stated in his post above, Sophia is not the most appealing of Universities - that was the conclusion I reached after researching online and he has just confirmed it. While the University may suit some, I do not feel that it would suit my requirements.
My decision to attend University in England was not based solely upon a narrow-minded perspective. The fact of the matter is, attending University abroad is expensive and while I like to consider myself relatively intelligent, it seems unlikely that I could come out top in scholarship/sponsorship exams for either the British Government or a Corporation. Thus, it is highly unlikely that I would be able to gain the necessary funding to attend University abroad.
Unlike life and University in the UK, I know relatively little of that in Japan, which could only lead to difficulties and possibly failure. Many people speak of homestay families and such, but my personality would make it excruciatingly difficult to live in such a situation.
The most significant factor was the simple fact that unlike in Japan, I have a better chance of getting a job in the UK. After University, with a qualification (hopefully
) from a respected English University, the likelihood of my being accepted for a job in both the UK and Japan increases, whereas it would most likely decrease or remain unchanged were the qualification from an 'unknown' Japanese University.
This may appear to be a misinformed decision, but I do not know what other action to take when the 'definite' positive aspects of attending University in the UK greatly outweigh the 'definite' positive aspects of attending University in Japan.
P.S. I used 'definite' because I still know little of the Japanese Universities, whereas I can ask my friends and family attending University in the UK.
Once again, many thanks to you all.
Drkns|Yami
Also, knowing three or even fifty words in Japanese would undoubtedly be insignificant on the academic level of a University course and would most likely not even remove all of the problems that arise in everyday life. Thus, stating 'I can say a limited range of basic phrases and am making progress learning the Kana (Katakana and Hiragana)' would not be of much help, in my opinion.
*breathe* Regardless, I am most definitely at fault for jumping to conclusions and you have my sincerest apologies :sorry: .
As ragedaddy stated in his post above, Sophia is not the most appealing of Universities - that was the conclusion I reached after researching online and he has just confirmed it. While the University may suit some, I do not feel that it would suit my requirements.
My decision to attend University in England was not based solely upon a narrow-minded perspective. The fact of the matter is, attending University abroad is expensive and while I like to consider myself relatively intelligent, it seems unlikely that I could come out top in scholarship/sponsorship exams for either the British Government or a Corporation. Thus, it is highly unlikely that I would be able to gain the necessary funding to attend University abroad.
Unlike life and University in the UK, I know relatively little of that in Japan, which could only lead to difficulties and possibly failure. Many people speak of homestay families and such, but my personality would make it excruciatingly difficult to live in such a situation.
The most significant factor was the simple fact that unlike in Japan, I have a better chance of getting a job in the UK. After University, with a qualification (hopefully
) from a respected English University, the likelihood of my being accepted for a job in both the UK and Japan increases, whereas it would most likely decrease or remain unchanged were the qualification from an 'unknown' Japanese University.This may appear to be a misinformed decision, but I do not know what other action to take when the 'definite' positive aspects of attending University in the UK greatly outweigh the 'definite' positive aspects of attending University in Japan.
P.S. I used 'definite' because I still know little of the Japanese Universities, whereas I can ask my friends and family attending University in the UK.
Once again, many thanks to you all.
Drkns|Yami
- Thread starter
- #30
Update:
Well, I had the feeling that I should update this thread, so here goes...
First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise once again to mikecash and the other parties involved for my immature and overly aggressive responses when this thread first came about in '04. Now, onto the update.
Having considered all the various options (university in Japan, university abroad elsewhere, university in the UK), I chose to study Japanese in the UK - as can be seen above. The course lasts four years, the third year of which is spent living in Japan and attending a Japanese university. Depending upon your university, you can indicate a preference from a number of Japanese universities with which yours is affiliated. There are no additional university fees for your year abroad because you effectively pay for a Japanese student to attend your university for a year, while that student pays for you to attend their university for a year. At least, that's how it works out in the end - or so I have been led to believe.
One studies not only the Japanese language, but also East Asian history and civilisation. As I have not yet begun my studies, I'm afraid I cannot provide extensive details regarding specific course topics.
The universities which currently teach Japanese in the United Kingdom can be found by visiting the UCAS website: Choose your future
From there, search for Japanese under the 2006 courses and you can find quite a lot of information. For further information I would recommend contacting the specific institution(s) and/or requesting a prospectus.
If anybody has any questions regarding this topic, I will do what I can to help you out, so fire away! Hopefully I'll be able to help even more once I actually start my course, as I'll know more about the specific subject areas we cover.
N.B. I will be starting my course in just over two weeks' time!
Well, I had the feeling that I should update this thread, so here goes...
First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise once again to mikecash and the other parties involved for my immature and overly aggressive responses when this thread first came about in '04. Now, onto the update.
Having considered all the various options (university in Japan, university abroad elsewhere, university in the UK), I chose to study Japanese in the UK - as can be seen above. The course lasts four years, the third year of which is spent living in Japan and attending a Japanese university. Depending upon your university, you can indicate a preference from a number of Japanese universities with which yours is affiliated. There are no additional university fees for your year abroad because you effectively pay for a Japanese student to attend your university for a year, while that student pays for you to attend their university for a year. At least, that's how it works out in the end - or so I have been led to believe.
One studies not only the Japanese language, but also East Asian history and civilisation. As I have not yet begun my studies, I'm afraid I cannot provide extensive details regarding specific course topics.
The universities which currently teach Japanese in the United Kingdom can be found by visiting the UCAS website: Choose your future
From there, search for Japanese under the 2006 courses and you can find quite a lot of information. For further information I would recommend contacting the specific institution(s) and/or requesting a prospectus.
If anybody has any questions regarding this topic, I will do what I can to help you out, so fire away! Hopefully I'll be able to help even more once I actually start my course, as I'll know more about the specific subject areas we cover.
N.B. I will be starting my course in just over two weeks' time!
