An extraordinary and sometimes chafing experience Past Review
By Kathryn Murgolo (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/26/2016 to 06/27/2017 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Tokyo
Through my internship I gained an understanding of what I wanted to do for my career, but a lot of the classes were not very intellectually stimulating. Coming from my home university I was used to a certain standard of education, and I didn't feel very challenged or engaged.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Japanese language courses and program based courses were more rigorous than regular Japanese courses |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administrators were overall very helpful and supportive, if a little disorganized. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Newer dorms at the university had strict regulations that are difficult to adapt to for an American student used to coming and going without monitoring. Facilities were usually well kept and functional. |
| * Food: |
Food provided by the dining hall was limited and usually unhealthy, and students staying only a semester had no access to a kitchen in their living facilities. This made things especially difficult for students with dietary restrictions. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Japanese culture can be difficult to integrate with without sufficient language ability, and there is very little concept of "community building" in classes or on campus. However, joining casual clubs and having an internship was very helpful. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health care in Japan was easily accessible and relatively affordable compared to the US. I did not need specific vaccines for this program. |
| * Safety: |
Japan as a whole is extraordinarily safe. I once left a wallet on the bus, and it was in possession of the bus company within 5 hours. There are also police stations all over the city, which makes dealing with any incident easy. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The language courses at ICU are very good for Japanese learning, and it's a flexible environment for international students. However, Japan will be a difficult country to adapt to for any student. |
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) |
Tokyo itself is expensive, but with budgeting spending can be controlled. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $50 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy seasonal produce, and look for stands and shops run by local farmers (often located off campus). Riding a bike is vital, and will save you a lot of money. |
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 |
Middlebury has a language pledge requirement, and all classes were conducted in Japanese. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Japanese 232 |
| 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? | Get off campus and out into the community for events or volunteer opportunities. Enter host family programs and join clubs with no English speaking members. Japanese people will rarely able to speak English outside of the international campus. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Tips for integrating into Japanese society |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
