Tokyo is fun-- CIEE is a waste of student resources Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 03/25/2012 to 08/02/2012 with
CIEE: Tokyo - Arts and Sciences
I learned a lot about self-reliance. Yes, it was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
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 |
I am not a fan of CIEE. They provided very few services that I could not have done myself for much cheaper. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dormitory I was placed in was excellent, zero complaints |
| * Food: |
I cooked for myself. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You got back what you put into your time abroad. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health issues while abroad and thus have no opinion |
| * Safety: |
Tokyo is extremely safe |
| 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) |
I budgeted roughly $12 a day for non-leisure expenses |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$84 |
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 |
Students were encouraged to join clubs on campus and speak in Japanese with their host families or dorm mates. Classes were in English. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Fifth semester Japanese at Brandeis |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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 wish I knew that straight exchange with Sophia was an option. As of this writing however, that choice is not open to Brandeis students. Brandeis should look into establishing that option for its students instead of going through an overpriced and inefficient middleman. In addition to requiring an exorbitant amount of student money, the CIEE staff frequently seemed overprotective and placed frustrating restrictions on student conduct during group outings. As it stands, I payed thousands of dollars more than the straight exchange students for the "privilege" of being treated like a child. |
