Kyoto: Refreshing and Satisfying Past Review
By Abbey C (Comparative Literature., Wellesley College) for
Associated Kyoto Program: Kyoto - Doshisha University
My time in Kyoto was incredible and really helped me focus on what I want to do with my life and where I want to spend it. It was amazing to finally go abroad and view my own culture from a different perspective and re-examine my own perceptions of Japan.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The non-language classes were taught by American professors and had a very American feel, but with about half the workload. My Japanese classes were also arranged in a typical American way, but were more rigorous. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The AKP office staff was insanely helpful. They were always more than happy to help me with any problems I had, listened to us complain when we just needed to vent, and easily gave out loans whenever necessary. I cannot imagine a more helpful, friendly staff. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family and I were never really on the same page as we all had very busy lives, but I enjoyed eating dinner with them and having conversations when we had a chance. They gave me a lot of freedom to do whatever I wanted at any time of the day or night, which I appreciated. We often spoke in Japanese, but they began to speak to me in English as we approached the end of the program because my host family was planning on moving to America around the same time I left. |
| * Food: |
The food in Japan is amazing. Even the most basic fast-food is delightful. I was a vegetarian before going to Japan, and I don't think I could have maintained that lifestyle. Nearly every dish has some sort of meat or fish and it's very hard to explain what being a vegetarian means. All my friends who tried to remain vegetarian were very frustrated and often fell off the wagon out of pure necessity. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Japan is a wonderful place for socializing. There was always at least one fun place open and I never felt unsafe late at night. Kyoto has a fun little nightlife around Shijo (and the Kamogawa river, where a lot of college students go to drink on warm nights), and if you have the money, travel within the nation is very easy. I highly recommend visiting the coast (Shirahama is nice) at least once. Japan has really beautiful beaches. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Going to the doctor was simple enough (though a little scary at first when you aren't familiar with the vocabulary), though the medicine was really weak. Bring your favorite aspirins if you go. Japan is incredibly safe. I quickly developed an overwhelming sense of security that I've had to work hard to shake off in America. I often walked home late at night in deserted streets in the middle of nowhere and never felt uneasy. Even the shadiest parts of Kyoto were as safe as any American suburb. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I probably spent about 1000 yen (~$10) a day during the week on food, but going out was expensive and I could easily drop about 5000 yen (~$50) a night without trying. It's not impossible to live cheaply in Japan, but you just have to really discipline yourself. Train/bus tickets add up, as do drinks and nice food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My cell phone was probably my biggest expense. I signed up with Softbank because I wanted to keep my cell phone when I went back to America, and I also thought I could get it cheaper than the AU plan AKP offered. I loved my phone, and Softbank was a good provider, but DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THE WHITE PLAN. GET A PRE-PAID PHONE. The White Plan sounds really amazing on paper, but there are a lot of weird little charges that can turn around a bite you. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Japanese (JPN202) |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
It was very easy to practice Japanese as I lived with a local host family, shared the campus with local students, and routinely interacted and made friends with locals. Many people were able to speak English, but I could usually steer the conversation so we would speak in Japanese. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think any type of student could find a way to be very happy on AKP, but you have to be really honest with the office about what you are looking for. Your host family can really shape your time in Kyoto, and if you are placed with a family looking for a homebody when all you want to do is go out, or visa versa, you are going to have a really hard time managing your life. But it isn't hard to find a group of people interested in doing what you want to do. Whether it's enjoying Kyoto nightlife, traveling, studying a cultural art, or just kind of chilling, it's easy to find your niche. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Living with the Bomb |
| Course Department: | N/A |
| Instructor: | Ann Sherif |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was meant to explore how the nuclear bomb has changed culture in Japan and what its lasting effects are. The best part of this class was when we were able to travel to Hiroshima, see the Peace Museum, and actually speak with a survivor. However, the classroom experience was pretty terrible (bad, confusing lectures), even if the course material was interesting. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues so far. |
