A Lovely Kyoto Semester Past Review
By Carter R (East Asian Studies., Wellesley College) for
Columbia University: Kyoto - Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies / KCJS
Absolutely. I think I'm more courageous and adventurous after my semester abroad. I have a much broader understanding of Japanese culture. It reinforced my academic interests. I am now considering the JET program, which I had little interest in before going to Japan.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academically, it was not especially challenging. The work was time consuming, but it was not as rigorous as Wellesley's curriculum. However, I was able to apply just about everything that I learned in the classroom to my every day experiences in Kyoto. I was able to gain so much more from my classes because I was interacting with the culture constantly. I think the workload was ideal; had the workload been more rigorous, I might not have had these experiences of connecting with Japanese culture and society. Grading was very fair. Since KCJS is a consortium of American schools, the educational system is very American. However, most of the teachers and office staff are Japanese, so they contribute to creating a Japanese environment. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were always helpful and friendly. They gave us emergency numbers to call when we weren't in school, and responded to these calls quickly. When my computer crashed, they were so helpful; they made phone calls for me and followed up with me about the issue. Very organized. I was really impressed with the administration. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was very kind and helpful. i enjoyed interacting with all of them. My host mother did my laundry and made me breakfast and dinner. Due to the language barrier, at times it was difficult to know if they considered me a family member or a guest. KCJS does not require host families to give students lunch. It was a bit awkward to have to leave the house to get lunch. This created a bit of a distance from my family as well. It felt restrictive at times, since I had a 10 PM curfew and we lived 45 minutes from the downtown area. I think a host family offers a very special opportunity to see the culture in a different way. At the same time, I think everyone should think about how independent they are before committing to this option. Each family has different rules, so some may not be as restrictive as others. But living with a family can feel like a step "backwards" after living in a dorm environment. I think interacting with my host family truly helped my language acquisition, but I would have liked more flexibility. The truth is, you never know what your host family will be like until you live with them. If you want to improve in Japanese, it is probably your best option. |
| * Food: |
There were some fantastic restaurants around Doshisha's campus. Try Moss Burger, Curry House, and "Asian Restaurant" on the same side of the street as Family Mart. Their 2 dining halls and convenient store also had great options. I didn't have any dietary restrictions, but Japan is generally very difficult for those with these restrictions. Vegetarians aren't common there. Some restaurants were accommodating, so it's always worth asking. Japanese customers typically don't ask to alter dishes, but restaurants seem to accept this behavior from foreigners. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
A trip to Okayama, a bowling outing, a party at a restaurant for both the opening and closing of the semester. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt so safe! I didn't have any health issues abroad. A KCJS staff member can take ill students to the doctor and even pays for your first appointment. |
| 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? | Around 6000 yen. 800 yen (at most) each day for lunch |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My computer crashed and the repairs ended up being expensive. In addition to talking to your bank before going abroad, I would strongly recommend talking to the company that you bought your laptop from as well. Tell them where you are going and check into international warranties. I have a Dell and I learned that I should have registered my laptop through the Japanese Dell branch. Every company will have its own policy. |
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? | JPN 202 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
KCJS staff members, my host family, people in stores etc. I used Japanese more than English, though most people could speak some English. Since I am a foreigner, most people wanted to speak to me in English, so I made an effort to only speak in Japanese. Being able to use Japanese in everyday interactions is very valuable; these are the opportunities when you learn the most! |
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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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? | Educate yourself about the culture before you leave. If you have a laptop, look into global warranties, try to register it with your host country's branch, have a reliable backup system. Always have money set aside. Always have cash on you-though some people use credit cards, it is mostly a cash based society. Ask for help if you need it. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Traditional Japanese Theatre: Noh and Kyogen |
| Course Department: | KC3355 |
| Instructor: | Monica Bethe |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was valuable because we were able to go and see the plays that we studied in class. Bethe-sensei is an expert when it comes to Japanese theater. However, she was often disorganized and rambled. While many aspects of the course were interesting, she was a boring lecturer. It was hard to stay awake sometimes. Yet she is receptive to student opinions; if you want to study something in particular, let her know. She will base the curriculum on student input. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Selected Topics in Japanese Studies: Families and Work in Post-war Japan |
| Course Department: | KC3993:4 |
| Instructor: | Scott North |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was my favorite class! A great intro to sociology if you haven't taken any soc classes previously. The reading was really interesting. Scott is really passionate about Japanese society; he makes class discussion really fun and relevant. It was great to take this class since I could immediately apply everything that I learned in my daily life in Kyoto. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
