International School Past Review
By A student (International Business and Japanese, Western Washington University) - abroad from 08/26/2013 to 07/31/2014 with
Akita International University: Akita - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot about myself, and I gained many valuable experiences and made a lot of friends from around the world besides Japan. It was worthwhile as an experience, but if I had to do it all over again I would have definitely gone somewhere else.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Japanese program was very intense. Professors were very credible. The business classes seemed a little slow, but full of content. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration was satisfactory. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorm I was living in was good. I was expecting a Japanese roommate, but I had a great year living with my German roommate. |
| * Food: |
The cafeteria food was sub par. The food in the cafe is sufficient. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt integrated with the school culture but it is very hard to get to know local Akita culture well because the school is very isolated. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It was hard for doctors to recognize my need for any kind of physical therapy when I hurt my shoulder. It's been almost 10 months now and they pain still lingers when I move it in a certain direction. |
| * Safety: |
There was previously no lighting on the roads surrounding most of the school. Dangerous at night when cars sped by, however, AIU put up lighting around the school after a student got hit by a car last december. Responsive but not proactive. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Fairly easy. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 on food, $40 on other expenses |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy from your local grocery stores. See if you can get used items from leaving students, look for garage sales, shop at Daiso. If you're planning trips with friends/are going home, plan months in advance and buy plane tickets early. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Sort of. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | JPL402 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make Japanese friends who don't speak English well. That's almost impossible at AIU, but if you are going to another university I highly recommend it. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Akita is a small school in a rural location surrounded by a lot of nature. Trips to the city take around 1.5 hours and cost 500 yen. one way. It snows from November until March, and you won't be able to do much outside. There isn't much to do on campus at all besides days with events. There are no stores nearby besides the ones on campus. You must take the bus to the mall if you want to buy food, and it costs 320 yen both ways. If you stay for winter semester, be prepared for boredom. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
