Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Tokyo: Definitely Worth It Past Review

By (pyschology, Rice University) for

Keio University: Tokyo - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes, it was worth while. It was very fun. Socially interacting with people from all over the world was great. It changed my perspective on life.

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.

The workload was light. The grading system was nice-80 and above was considered an A! They didn't seem to grade too harshly. The style of teaching was mostly lecture based except the Japanese language classes which were more interactive. Sometimes understanding exactly what the teacher wanted in a paper was confusing.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

All questions I asked were immediately answered. The information given was complete and helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Shinkawasaki- The neighborhood was decent though there wasn't much to do close by. Dorm name- Plume IS Sheets were provided, cooking utensils had to be bought. Internet was provided along with the cord needed to access it. The dorm was nice, but was an hour away from campus. The neighborhood was safe but there was little to do close by. The dorm managers were very nice and extremely helpful.

* Food:

If you live at Plume IS or in Hiyoshi I would suggest the sushi place in Hiyoshi, it can be found by walking down the street to the right of the middle street as you exit Hiyoshi station.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The events were arranged primarily by the students with lot of help from the dorm assistants but this worked out very well. It allowed us immediate input on what we were going to do. We went to flower viewings in the spring and fireworks in the summer. We went to many festivals and temples. Overall it was great.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe during time in Japan. I had national health insurance but never needed to use it. If you get this, you will have to pay before leaving, when you go to do that bring your flight itinerary or they will make you go get it.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 65 dollars.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The train is expensive. The conversion rate was the biggest problem. I often spent more money than I thought.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Japanese 1
Language acquisition improvement?

Knowing only very basic Japanese when coming, most of what I could say in Japanese, most people could say in English. Interaction was mostly in English. There were lots of Japanese students who were willing to talk to you in both English and Japanese and finding a conversation partner is fairly easy.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

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
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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? Being outgoing is a plus in this program. Also, someone who wants control of how they spend their time. You are not programmed in, you must find what you want yourself.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Japan in the Foreign Imagination

Course Department: International Studies-30273
Instructor: Kinmoth
Instruction Language: English
Comments: A mostly lecture based course, the teacher attempted to dispel the common media portrayal of Japan. This teacher was well prepared but very one-sided in his lectures. The lectures were too often based off of opinion. There was no homework but one paper and a test at the end of the semester. The test would be hard if you didn't pay attention or go to class. Many questions asked about the source of information rather than the basic information itself.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.
Course Name/Rating:

Basic Japanese 1
Course Department: Japanese Studies-Subjects with a Specific Focus
Instructor: Kim
Instruction Language: English/Japanese
Comments: This course is 3 hours long and therefore very hard to sit through. The course itself would be challenging if you had not studied Japanese before. There was a little too much time copying down what was written on the board, but besides that, the class is very informative and moves quickly.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.
Course Name/Rating:

Basic Japanese Conversation
Course Department: Japanese Studies-Subjects with a Specific Focus
Instructor: Asayama
Instruction Language: English/Japanese
Comments: This class was really fun. It was very interactive and the teacher was good at getting the class to speak Japanese.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.
Course Name/Rating:

Language Beyond Grammar
Course Department: International Studies-54130
Instructor: Kim
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The class dealt with the different markers used in speech such as be+like, just, maa, kedo. Mostly, students gave presentations on the assigned readings. The teacher would then add other information on at the end of class. My one complaint would be that after reading the handout before class, listening to a presentation on the exact same material was repetitive.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.
Course Name/Rating:

Japanese Buddhism and Social Suffering
Course Department: International Studies-88892
Instructor: Watts
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was really fun. There were field trips to different temples and a decent mix up in how the class was formatted. The teacher was very interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.
Course Name/Rating:

International Human Rights Law
Course Department: International Studies-35442
Instructor: Hosotani
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class provided a lot of interesting information. The readings were challenging but the in-class presentations usually cleared things up. The teacher was knowledgeable and prepared.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.
Course Name/Rating:

Discovering Culture Through Observation
Course Department: International Studies-88801
Instructor: Yokokawa
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The idea of this class is that you pick a place in Tokyo that you wish to observe with the goal of finding culture specific patterns (the unspoken rules of a society). Most of the semester was spent presenting findings about this. Though the research was a little random, the class was very interesting and brought to light some of the cultural norms of Tokyo.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.
Course Name/Rating:

Culture and the Unconscious
Course Department: International Studies-35457
Instructor: Shaules
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was interesting and fairly easy. There was group interaction in this class which was fun. There were two presentations and a final test all of which weren't very difficult. The teacher sounds like he's preaching occasionally but is informative. Overall the class was worth taking, it makes you think more about where you are and how you are adapting and experiencing life in a new country.
Credit Transfer Issues: no.