Lost in Tokyo. Past Review
By A student (Mass Communication, Villanova University) - abroad from 08/28/2012 to 12/16/2012 with
IES Abroad: Tokyo - Language & Culture
I gained a broader sense of self and the confidence that I can overcome any obstacle. I have truly grown as a person and feel like I'm now ready for the real world, whereas before study abroad I relied a lot on my friends and family.
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. |
Resources were lacking but classes were easy. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
LOVED them! Helped with anything you could imagine, no questions asked. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It may just be cultural differences that made me not so satisfied with the living arrangements, but I would have liked a dorm or apartment that wasn't regulated by a dorm mom/had no gender rules. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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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
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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) |
Tokyo is EXPENSIVE! |
| 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? | Transportation WILL cost the most for you. Make sure you keep that in mind! |
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? | Beginner |
| 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? | Japanese 200 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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 would have been less concerned with knowing the language and getting down on myself for not improving as much as I wanted to. It was hard to take a step back sometimes and realize there was this amazing place around me to appreciate if I just looked past the language barrier. |
