Learning about myself by learning about others Past Review
By Nadine Franklin (Wellesley College) - abroad from 03/14/2017 to 06/27/2017 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Tokyo
I gained a lot of knowledge about the culture in Japan, of course, as well as what I learned in classes, but more than that I learned a lot about myself. I lived a lifestyle here that I'd never had the opportunity or even desire to do ever before, where I spent more time talking to people and making connections than doing anything else (even schoolwork). This lifestyle led to some stress and some sleep deprivation, but I gained so much emotionally and had such a genuinely fun time that I don't regret it in the slightest. Moreover, I did a lot of things that I never thought I'd do, like climbing mountains, getting lost by myself and with friends, missing the last train, going days without speaking English, going days without sleeping, playing in official volleyball games with an otherwise all-Japanese team (the ICU team), and a variety of other experiences that I can't quite put into words. Needless to say, this has been one of the most densely-packed times of "gaining experiences" that I've had in my life.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The ICU classes, especially the JLP program, were challenging and extremely helpful in allowing me to pick up the language while living in Japan. However, the Middlebury classes lacked organization and many of us didn't take them seriously. But overall, very good educational experience that also allowed us to experience the country and culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ICU administration was very organized and structured in a way that was easy to navigate. The Middlebury administration was slightly less organized, but still very available if we needed assistance with anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very satisfied; the rooms were large and spacious, with more facilities than I'm accustomed to having at Wellesley. |
| * Food: |
I really enjoyed the food, but I noticed that there were very few vegetarian/restricted diet options. However, this might simply be a cultural difference that isn't under anyone's control. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Before leaving to Japan, I had heard that it was very hard to break the cultural barrier and make Japanese friends/join Japanese social groups. However, though it certainly wasn't easy, my study abroad friends and I were able to successfully join social circles and make Japanese friends. Regardless, that doesn't quite add up to "integrating with the local culture," a task possibly impossible for foreigners in Japan because of the overwhelmingly homogeneous population. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I needed one vaccine to come to Japan, but only because I knew I was planning on staying through the summer, past the end of my program. As far as I can tell there weren't any noticeable health issues. |
| * Safety: |
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, which I've definitely felt while living here. You can leave things in public and they generally won't be stolen. The only issues I had were late at night in downtown areas near bars or clubs, where I felt a bit unsafe, but that's to be expected. In general though it's much safer than the US. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Studying abroad in Japan wasn't what I expected it to be in a lot of ways, but it also exceeded my expectations in a lot of ways. It's one of the overall best and happiest experiences I've had in my life so far and I wouldn't hesitate to make the same choice again. |
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) |
Living in Japan gets very expensive very fast. I was lucky to have money saved from working the past few years, but a lot of it got burned through just paying for food and transportation. I also felt that I wasn't informed that we had to pay for our meals out of pocket before I arrived here, because food is covered by my financial aid at Wellesley, so it was something I would have liked to prepare for better. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200 or more |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy a bike; it is absolutely imperative to have a bike in Japan (and it saves you money). Also, eat in the dining hall as much as possible, because it's the cheapest place to buy food (even though it's not the best quality). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We had to sign a pledge saying that we would not use English at all (only Japanese) during the program, so it was pretty highly encouraged, to say the least. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | JPN231 at Wellesley: "Advanced Readings in 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? | Study kanji to the best of your ability; however, don't stress too much about what you know/don't know before coming to Japan. The most learning happens by being here, talking to people, making friends, and just living daily life. I personally stressed too much about not being "good enough" at Japanese before I even got here. |
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? |
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? | Aside from the fact that you have to pay for your own food even if you're on financial aid, I would have liked to known that the ICU gym is small and not open very often, the dorm/campus rules are rather strict, and that you basically have to buy a bike to get anywhere. Additionally, it would have been worthwhile to know that there is a strong sense of "otherness" that you get while living here, which is very hard to shrug off. Regardless, it's worth it. |
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! |
