Good times In Japan Past Review

By (International Relations and Affairs., Rollins College) for

Kansai University: Suita - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

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

Personal Information

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Good RAs, not many english speaking administrators.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Kitchen facilities good, but no students cleaned so I had to do a lot of work to clean it up. Other than that a generally good group with many people I liked.

* Food:

Vegetarianism was pretty hard to maintain. THey don't really have a conception for that. Learning to recognize Japanese names for ingredients and going grocery shopping and get own food really helped. Homestays tend to have the best food I've heard.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Would have liked more contact with locals. Mostly my fault though.

* 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

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? ROllins may give you a meal plan. If so you'll probably be covered from about the end of the first month. Tourism is cheap by bus and you're 30 minutes outside Kyoto so it's 4$ish to get there. For me the exchange rate was horrible, but it was still relatively cheap. If money's a real problem, homestays tend to be easier on that since you don't have to cook your own dinners.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 202
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I'm not wise enough to give such out.