Everything outside of class was good Past Review
By A student (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 06/05/2017 to 07/14/2017 with
CIEE: Tokyo - Summer Japanese Studies
I don't regret going. I learned better ways to get around a city, how to avoid tourist places and I made friends that helped me learn their language.
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. |
This was the most difficult class I've ever taken. My teacher was strict but a lot of what the class depended on was if you were able to cram fast enough for the next day. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Airbnb is great. |
| * Food: |
Food at school was okay. I mostly ate out or bought from 7-11. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't feel like I had enough time to leave my apartment because of the amount of homework I had each day. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
My teacher made me really uncomfortable and nervous so as a result, I avoided talking in class. I wish she had actual office hours. She's really busy so I couldn't talk to her after class. I hated going to school, to be honest. It was all about getting through the material as fast as possible and it stressed out my teacher too. I wouldn't recommend this program to anyone. |
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? | $35 |
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? | 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? | intermediate Japanese class at UT |
| 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? | Don't stay at home doing homework if homework doesn't help you. Watch Japanese TV or go out and talk to cooks or employees at clothes shops. Force yourself to use Japanese for you, not just to complete an assignment. |
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 I was going to hate the program. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
