Learning about a different culture taught me a lot about myself! Past Review
By A student (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/29/2016 to 08/31/2017 with
Kyoto University: Kyoto - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I've learned that the environment/society we live in dictate our beliefs and there is no universal morality, what we "think" is right or wrong is just that, a thought that is conditioned through our society and experiences. This experience has really opened my mind to be accepting of other cultures and philosophies, definitely worth my time!!
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. |
English classes are geared towards Japanese students so they are not very rigorous/intense for a native speaker, but it's a great opportunity to take classes outside your major or not offered at your home university! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Administration was great, Fujita-san was always there to help anyone who needed it! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Yoshida International House was great, best dorm I've ever lived in and the price was just right! |
| * Food: |
Japanese restaurants all over the place and there's 5 cafeterias on campus which are very cheap, Rune is the one I went to the most! love their kabob plate!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There are circles(clubs) that are interested in meeting and hanging out with foreigner students who meet once a week which was great since you can end up in an English/international bubble within your classes and dorm-mates. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
First time having universal healthcare and it was a great experience! I got injured playing basketball and all I had to do was go to the doctors and show my health insurance card and they fixed me right up! |
| * Safety: |
Japan is probably the safest country on earth, if I lost something it got returned and had no criminal incidents or situations anywhere in Japan for 11 months. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
There was no Japanese language component to this program and my goal was to become fluent in Japanese. So if I could do it all over again I would want to take a program that was more Japanese language intensive! That's the only reason I took 1 star off, other wise I enjoyed the program immensely!! |
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) |
With Kyoto being the tourist destination that it is, it can get kinda expensive with all the restaurants and activities at your fingertips! Best to plan accordingly to your budget, you also get a free card pass for several of the attractions during the break so keep that in mind! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | just under $100 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Best place to save money is with your food. Either buy cooking utensils and purchase your food at the 100 yen stores or eat bentos from the convenient stores. There is also a third option and that is eat at the cafeterias on campus! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 10+ |
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 had known that there was no Japanese language component, If you are interested in learning/improving your Japanese that will be on your own on top of your program schedule. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
