Summer in Japan Past Review
By Marissa M (East Asian Studies, Harvard University) for
Princeton University: Kanazawa - Princeton in Ishikawa (PII)
I'm more excited than ever to study abroad in Japan during the semester. I feel like a more independent person after the experience, ready to take on anything.
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. |
It was a lot of work, but I was definitely prepared for third year Japanese after taking the second year level at PII. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was really helpful, and they planned a lot of great cultural events for us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I absolutely loved my host family. They were so nice, and they included me on all of their family events. They didn't speak any English and my Japanese wasn't the best, but they always did their best to make sure we could communicate. Their home was only 15-20 minutes away from class by bus, which was great too. |
| * Food: |
Lunch can get expensive if you're getting bento boxes or something, so take advantage of the Family Mart convenience store and the really cheap ramen shops around Rifare, the classroom building. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The trip to the Japanese elementary school was probably the most memorable part of the trip for me. The trip to Kagaya (an onsen resort) was also a great bonding experience for everyone on the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Japan is incredibly safe, and even more so in a smaller city like Kanazawa. I heard from a few of my classmates though that going to the doctor was stressful, due to the language barrier. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The ramen shops have the cheapest food and the most variety. Eat with your host family for everything but lunch. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Japanese Bb (First Year Sequence) |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
PII is a program entirely based on improving your level of Japanese, and it does a very good job at increasing the fluency of its students. Students are prohibited from speaking in English in the classroom building, and most students were placed in host families where no one spoke English, so everybody is forced to use Japanese often. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | If you're at all interested in Japan, PII is the program for you. It's the best mix of academics and cultural experiences, and I don't know anyone who participated and didn't love it. |
