Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Whole New World Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 03/06/2018 to 06/27/2018 with

Direct Enrollment: Tokyo - International Christian University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Eye-opening experience, cultural awareness, exposure, and language acquisition.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There should be more tutoring hours available for students to bring their work in from JLP or other courses.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There was some information about logistics of the program and trips that were either missing or effectively communicated. IE; meal plans, cell phone services, hidden fees for the insurance that were to be paid.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

I wish there were more options, but the dining hall provides cheap and good food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The dorm made it hard to integrate. We were placed in a dorm with other international students and had no other choice. It was also a dorm that didn't allow visitors and had a sister "japanese" dorm that fell threw.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

It fit well with financial aid and I like participating in programs with my school.

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? 100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Eat at the dining hall and save your money for outings.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 301
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • The Country
  • The Food
  • The Dorm
* What could be improved?
  • Pre-departure Information
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It's never as you expect.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Computer Games
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor: Professor Ohta
Instruction Language: Japanese
Comments: I loved the courses' contents although it was super challenging.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Cultural Portfolio
Course Department: Middlebury College Program
Instructor: Sanae Eda
Instruction Language: Japanese
Comments: While I appreciated a lot of the field work, I wish the cohesion of the syllabus was more clear.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Japanese Language Program 5
Course Department: Japanese Program
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Japanese
Comments: It was challenging,but the homework and quizzes never came at a surprise.
Credit Transfer Issues: