Take the Leap! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I think the Japanese courses were challenging enough to push my language abilities but were not too difficult. I think I was placed properly, which definitely helped with my confidence. I also liked the ICU courses I took, which were in Japanese. Though it was very difficult because of the language barrier and I may not have picked up all of the subject information, these classes really helped improve my Japanese. I actually would have liked to take more ICU courses if I had the time.

On-site administration of your program

I was given a lot of assistance with my internship and my advisor seemed to be available if I had questions regarding my classes. However, the Middlebury courses themselves seemed a little disorganized, so it was sometimes difficult to know what was expected of us for that part of the program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was initially a one-term student, but extended to stay in Tokyo for the full year, so I lived in both the exchange student dorm and a normal student dorm. I did not really like the exchange student dorm because even though the rooms were very nice and new, I felt a little cut off from the rest of the student body. Also there was no kitchen, so I could not cook for myself. Once I moved into a regular student dorm, I really enjoyed the dorm experience. There was always help if I needed it and it was great to be a part of a community on campus.

I really like Japanese food, so I had a good time with that. There were also restaurants near campus that were relatively cheap.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I joined one of the clubs on campus, and they really welcomed me into their group, so from the beginning I felt really connected to the school community through them. Once I moved into a regular student dorm as well, I was really introduced to a different aspect of the culture and community, which really helped round out my experience. I would definitely recommend joining a club on campus to truly get connected!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any major problems during my experience, but when I wanted to go to the dentist, ICU's health care center referred me to a dentist. Even though I was pretty confident in my Japanese, the center referred a dentist that could speak English so I would feel more comfortable, so I think they are used to helping international students with any health issues (the health care office also has personnel who can speak English as well if this is necessary).

Even though Tokyo is a large city, it felt very safe, especially around campus. Obviously there are some areas you might not want to walk around by yourself late at night, but in general I felt very safe.

Even though it was very difficult, I liked that we had to participate in a local internship and take all classes in Japanese. I think this program really pushed my Japanese skills.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Once I moved into a regular dorm with a kitchen, it was easier to live on a student's budget, but without the kitchen it was a little difficult. I still spent less on food than I would at my home university, but it was a lot easier to stay within budget when I could cook for myself.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We had the language pledge (to only speak in Japanese).

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Internship program
• Time to join school groups/clubs
• Language pledge

• Clarity of expectations for Middlebury courses
• Connection between one-term students and student body (if not part of a club)

The Academic or Linguist