Tokyo: Living the Dream Past Review
By Megan A (Fordham University) - abroad from 03/25/2012 to 08/02/2012 with
CIEE: Tokyo - Arts and Sciences
I learned some interesting things about the culture and language that I wouldn't find in a book. I gained valuable friendships. Overall, it was very worthwhile
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | N/A |
| 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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful and accessible |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really enjoyed living with a host family. I definitely feel that I was able to improve my language skills more than if I stayed in the dorm. |
| * Food: |
Food was pretty much delicious no matter what restaurant I went to, the service was great, the only downside is that everything was quite pricey. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Due to the nature of Japanese culture, it is simply a longer process to make friends/integrate into the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Very safe city. There are police officers stationed in mini police boxes, even in not-so-busy areas. |
| 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) |
this is to be expected considering Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | study kanji ahead of time. The imbalance of kanji to grammar knowledge affects the placement test results |
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?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | I would have liked to know what our options for staying past the usual ending date were. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Christianity and Japanese Culture |
| Course Department: | Comparative Cultures |
| Instructor: | Mark Mullins |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Definitely my favorite class. Very stimulating discussion and interesting topic. Professor was very knowledgeable and passionate about this topic. We also went on a relevant field trip. Lots of reading, but very rewarding course |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
