Kyoto through the seasons-- A great experience! Past Review

By Briana B (Japanese Language and Literature, Wellesley College) for

Columbia University: Kyoto - Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies / KCJS

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Yes, my study abroad experience was definitely worthwhile-- overall I had a great time. I loved my host family, the friends I made on the program, and getting to know Kyoto. I really enjoyed getting to know a completely new and different culture, and getting to apply and really improve my Japanese skills.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	Doshisha University
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The Japanese classes were intensive and challenging--I was very happy with them and learned a lot. The afternoon elective classes had a much smaller workload and were much easier and more laid back.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administrators were very accessible.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I LOVED my host family. They were wonderful and welcomed me right into their home as a member of their family. They made my adjustment to Japan much easier, and didn't tire of answering my plethora of questions! I would recommend staying with a host family to anybody, because it really gives you a window into the lives of a Japanese family that you would be unable to experience otherwise. My host house was also in a great location-- a ten minute bike ride from school, and anywhere downtown was in easy biking distance!
* Food:	My host mother was an AMAZING cook, everything she made was delicious and I always looked forward to dinner! On the weekends, my friends and I would go out to a variety of places downtown. The food in Japan in general is delicious.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Overall, I really liked the people on the program. KCJS arranged two trips for us--Okayama and Hiroshima--and both were very good. I would recommend just going out to explore Kyoto whenever you can, because there are an endless number of temples, shrines, and other attractions to see, and in season the foliage and cherry blossoms are beautiful.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Japan is a very safe country. I don't think there was ever a time that I didn't feel safe, even biking back home by myself at night.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	I would say I spent the equivalent of $50-$60 dollars a week in Japan, if that. The only things I really had to pay for were meals on the weekends, and transportation and tickets to the places we went on the weekends. This was very different for my friends that lived farther from school, because they had to pay a lot more money for transportation.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	If at all possible, bike! Biking saved me all the money that I would have been using on transportation, so the only thing I was consistently spending money on was lunch (which we were given a stipend for), meals on the weekends, and tickets to the various sites I visited.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Japanese 202
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	I practiced language the most with my host family. I was very comfortable talking to them, and they were endlessly patient, especially in the beginning when it took me a very long time to express what I was trying to say! For the most part I spoke English with my friends from the program, but most people in Japan do not speak English, so I used Japanese everywhere I went--stores, restaurants, sites, etc.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I would highly recommend staying with a host family, my host family played a HUGE part in the wonderful experience that I had. I would also recommend getting out and exploring Kyoto as much as possible, there are so many things to find, from temples to delicious bakeries. And my third recommendation would be to bike as much as possible! Biking really helped me get to know the city. I would also recommend taking advantage of being on the other side of the world and traveling when possible! I went with a group of friends to Thailand during fall break, and to Vietnam during spring break. Both were amazing, interesting trips, and a huge contrast to Japan.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Japanese Language
Course Department:
Instructor:	Yamaoka
Instruction Language:	Japanese
Comments:	I really enjoyed this course and learned a lot. The teacher was wonderful and really cared about his students. I participated in this class more than I would have at home.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Japanese Political Economy
Course Department:
Instructor:	Kume
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course had a very light course load, but the information that we covered was interesting. The teacher was very enthusiastic.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Japanese Religion in Context
Course Department:
Instructor:	Ludvik
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course also had a light course load. We went on quite a few field trips which was very nice because it gave me a chance to see a few places that I might not have visited otherwise. It was also nice to take this class because it gave me a general understanding of Japanese religion, which plays such a large part in everyday life and culture.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No issues.