Examining my Interest In Japan Past Review
By Sophie2 (Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Tokyo - Arts and Sciences
Yes, I would do it again, but I would probably take Intensive Japanese and try harder to make Japanese friends.
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. |
Looking back, I wish I had taken Intensive Japanese. It is a lot more challenging, but I feel like I would have gotten a lot more out of that than the non-language courses I took. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CIEE program has had a lot of experience and knows how to tackle many problems and situations, but the difficulty lies in getting them to actually help you. If your question is simple, they will do everything they can, but if your problem is a little more tricky, they will turn you away instantly. I went to the office many times asking for help with certain things (nothing complicated or bad), but they would parrot at me, "Sorry, that's not within our contract." It was extremely frustrating. Some of the staff was able to help me privately. Other than their unwilligness to help with things, they are really thorough in providing lots of assistance and service for the basic needs of study abroad students. They got us from the airport to the city, gave us an exhaustive orientation, helped us get commuter passes, provide a weekly newsletter, have a small library, and organize lots of fun events. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My location was excellent, although it really depends on the luck of the draw. Some students really do live an hour and a half away. I was only 20 minutes. My host family was a single mother and her 13 year old daughter. They usually would host two students, so I met a girl from Turkey and a girl from Finland while living there. The home was very nice, and I was provided with sufficient meals, and a very nice room. My family, however, made it fairly clear to me that they were mostly hosting me for money's sake. My host mother would complain that I wasn't paying them enough, and made me feel very cautious about eating too much, or using utilities like the heater or water. They weren't interested in talking to me at length, and although I went to extreme lengths to be helpful, polite, and not offend them, I felt like I was always being scolded and corrected. I felt more like a boarder than a member of the family. My Japanese still improved, and I got to see what the daily Japanese lifestyle is like, but I often felt uncomfortable in my homestay. |
| * Food: |
The food at my homestay was varied and interesting, and I got to experience a lot of new things. I felt unable to decline anything, so I had to eat everything, which was sometimes good and other times not so great. If I didn't eat the fat on my meat, my host mother would scold me, so I had to eat it. I learned to like a lot of things, though, like octopus legs, curry, and shellfish! The cafeteria at school was consistent- sometimes boring, but always reliable and cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went on a trip to Kamakura, which was a nice change from the bustle of Tokyo, and also had a fabulous trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. We got to take a bullet train, and in Hiroshima we toured the Peace Park and Museum. We even got to speak to a survivor of the atomic bomb. It was an incredibly valuable experience. In Miyajima we experienced the natural side of Japan. There were also smaller events, like soba noodle making, a noh play, taiko drumming lessons, and a halloween cultural exchange party with our host families. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Tokyo is remarkably safe. It kind of feels like Wellesley, actually. Of course you could still be pickpocketed, or confronted, but if you generally remain cautious then you should be fine. I walk home in the dark every day and feel safe. Just use your common sense. |
| 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 spent about $115 a week. Tokyo is a really expensive city. Save your money! You will always have to buy things you didn't realize you would need, and this city is full of amazing things you will want to bring home. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Textbooks are much, much more expensive than they tell you! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Japanese 201-202 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was able to practice Japanese with friends, students, teachers, and my host family. I was able to use Japanese in everyday interactions, but there are always Japanese who want to speak English and will try to get you to speak English. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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