Great time exploring the culture of Japan! Past Review
By Thomas Littlejohn (University of Tulsa) - abroad from 03/17/2016 to 08/03/2016 with
Waseda University: Tokyo - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot about myself and who I want to be as a person after college. The entire experience was definitely worth it!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Rules are rules in Japan and if you need help or an exception to be made, good luck. The administration at Waseda tried to help as much as they could, but at the end of the day, there is not much flexibility. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Waseda Hoshien was great except for the "no guests" policy! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Only problem with the healthcare is the language barrier but it wasn't such a problem if you brought a Japanese friend along. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would definitely enroll in a different college within Waseda though. Everything else was perfect though! |
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? | $200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Learn how to cook because eating out will get very expensive quickly. The curry is very easy to make and is a good meal with a bowl of rice. Fast food and restaurants near the campus are a much better price, but the quality will not beat cooking at the dorm. Also, don't stay at Waseda Hoshien if money is tight. It is very expensive compared to renting an apartment or doing a share-house. |
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? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Join a club which has the goal of language exchange. it will help a lot!! |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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| 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? | The rules of which classes can be taken while studying at Waseda were straightforward once I learned what they were, but by then it was too late. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
