Eating Together and Reading Together August 01, 2023
By A student (Japanese Language, Literature, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/24/2022 to 06/24/2023 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Tokyo
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about people and the value of traveling for learning more about oneself
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were not rigorous but it was a perfect balance given our need to adjust to another language |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Middlebury staff was very supportive and helpful |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Having no meal plan is stressful |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Did not feel like I belonged there but I learned a lot about the culture and about people |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The Middlebury program was so supportive and there for us whenever we needed them to be! They also led us to many fun and interesting excursions (Yokoze, Tenryumura, Kanazawa, etc.) |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around $20 for groceries (I would cook in the dorm) and $40-80 would be spent on outside excursions |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan out where you want to go and what you want to buy! |
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 |
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| 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? | J6 |
| 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? | Speak as much as possible! Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to make mistakes |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Rather than learning strictly Japanese, you learn how to balance Japanese, English and Japanglish. I wish I focused less on spending time with program peers during my first 2 semesters. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Modern Japanese Literature |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Japanese |
| Comments: | It was definirely challenging but completely worth the effort I put in |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | The transfer process was not explained in detail and I’m still waiting on results |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Introduction to Interpretation |
| Course Department: | MCC |
| Instructor: | Tamura sensei |
| Instruction Language: | English and Japanese |
| Comments: | VERY challenging. My level of Japanese was not enough for this class. I would recommend taking this class after J6 or J7 |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Introduction to Museology |
| Course Department: | ART |
| Instructor: | Hara sensei |
| Instruction Language: | Japanese |
| Comments: | Perfect level. The professor was incredibly supportive and made class participation fun. The final project was fun to complete and the lectures were perfect for my japanese level (J6) |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
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