Location, Location, Location Past Review
By Mason Keefe (Cottey College) - abroad from 01/18/2018 to 05/25/2018 with
Kansai Gaidai University: Hirakata - Asian Studies Program
KGD gave me self-reliance and connections to work in Japan in the future.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Class selection was limited, but interesting. Professors had good credentials. The intensity of the program was more intense than a normal school year. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program is very well put together and thought out BUT outrageously bureaucratic. Everything you do through the program ends up needing multiple signatures, approvals, etc. All in Japanese. As long as you can keep up with your email and other minutia, you should be okay. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
New dorms are incredible. Like living in a 4-star hotel. Single rooms, new appliances, the works. |
| * Food: |
Cafeteria food was good and very cheap. On the downside, new dorms are a bit far from the better grocery stores in town. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Japanese school year and the western school year line up hardly at all, so if you come to KGD in the spring semester, be prepared to have almost no Japanese students on campus during the majority of your time there. In-town staff are pretty nice to foreign KGD students, but a little suspicious of them as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Information was provided to students that allowed them to enter into Japan's public health care system. |
| * Safety: |
Japan, especially in the countryside, was so so so safe. I mean, still use common sense, but your chances of accidents are really slim at KGD. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Kansai Gaidai is in the perfect spot in Japan to make all of your traveling dreams come true! Osaka and Kyoto city are always just an hour away by train. |
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) |
Food is cheap, travel is not, but that is no excuse not to give it a try! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $250 a week on food, travel, and entertainment. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I have been saving money for this trip for the last four years of my life, that's how important it was to me. It's easy to live frugally in Japan, but why not save up and live nicely while you are there? It's a once in a lifetime experience! |
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 |
While we were required to take a Japanese class, Kansai Gaidai is an ENGLISH/SPANISH teaching university in Japan. If anything, the university was constantly pressing us to speak English to students in order to help them with their skills! |
| 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 1 |
| 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? | Apply for the speaking partner program. Constantly put yourself out there. I talked to bus drivers, cashiers, store clerks, waitresses, old ladies on the street walking dogs, ANYONE if I though it might help my Japanese improve. |
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
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* Where did you live?
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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? | How hard my classes would be! |
