Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

You Get Out What You Put IN Past Review

By (University of California - Riverside) - abroad from 10/02/2018 to 12/20/2019 with

KCP International Japanese Language School: Tokyo - Intensive Japanese Language Immersion

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was absolutely worthwhile, though I would greatly recommend that you work hard and save money ahead of time. That's what I did, and it worked out. The experience was absolutely incredible, and you gain a lot of cultural perspective.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* 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

KCP is really helpful, and really encourages students to get involved in Japanese. They also recognize the part of the individual, and how much you yourself have to get involved in order to really reap the benefits.

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)

Find out how the locals live, where the locals shop for groceries. I rarely ever ate out my entire three months here. I was super stingy, but while groceries were more expensive there than in the U.S., I was able to be consistently careful with my money. A lot of my classmates (especially the younger, 18-20 year-olds) spent a lot of money going out in the beginning, then had almost no money at the end (some had to ask their parents for money, etc.). I luckily was super careful, and then the end of my trip I was able to have a few meals out.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $30 (that's me going to the grocery store only, and carrying snacks and water wherever I go so that I didn't have to buy food out)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Yes. Find out where the locals go, for whatever you want to buy! Maybe some items they don't sell at less expensive stores, but a LOT of times you can save money buy going to cheaper grocery stores vs. convenient stores, go to less expensive clothing stores and markets, etc. if you find out where the locals go. You can save a LOT of money. Also, be stingy in the beginning and middle of the program! A lot of students didn't have a job when they were abroad, so that means you have to be super careful with your money. It's better to have extra at the end than run out halfway. (Trust me, a lot of people overspend while abroad and had to ask other people for money.) Also, be careful going in group situations out to eat or something because sometimes the way of splitting pay is really unfair, and there were times one or two people picked up the slack in the tab. I would arrange a way to plan to split the pay ahead of time, and don't let anyone order for you.

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

KCP is absolutely amazing as far as encouraging students to use Japanese.

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? Level 006 Japanese
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? Yes! In general, a lot of how much you use the language depends on whether or not you make friends who are not from a country that speaks your native language (like Chinese, Italian, etc.). Obviously still make English-speaking friends, but don't miss out on getting connected with students who have another native language, because that's where WAY more opportunities to speak the language of the country you're in are at! I ended up hanging out with a bunch of students who were Chinese-speaking, and had to rely way more on Japanese!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • How much inspiration and motivation I gained to study Japanese
  • The cultural trips
  • The friends I made, (Also, most of the staff was absolutely incredible!)
* What could be improved?
  • Social support for students (While studying is important, having a study - life balance is also important!)
  • Helping students who are discouraged. Two instances: One of my classmates felt really discouraged in class, and felt like he was unable to continue. These students have no family in town to help them overcome these feelings. Another student I knew who was in the program but in a different class actually tried to commit suicide while in the program. I think she really needed support, and the program didn't really know how to deal with that.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You have to be prepared to deal with the new culture (if you're extroverted, the culture might be completely opposite, and encourage a lot more introversion, for example, etc.) and also the fact that you will know most likely absolutely no one and have zero community while you're abroad. A lot of times in life we rely on people to help us through hard circumstances and different things, and so you will have to try to make friends fast, or find time with the time difference to Skype people or something.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!