A truly eye-opening and unforgettable time of my life. Past Review
By A student (University of the Pacific) - abroad from 04/01/2019 to 08/02/2019 with
Waseda University: Tokyo - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned that there's so much more to the world than what we know. It's far more vast, with so many different people to meet and lessons to be learned. Learning about my culture by living in it, I realized that there's so many aspects about Japanese culture that I adore and that I hope to use within my daily life.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Waseda's schooling situation was very different in comparison to UOPs, I was more used to intense science classes that have lots of little assignments and tests. However, my schooling in Waseda had little tests and almost no homework or small quizzes that needed to be studied for. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Although small, it was perfect for just me. Most of the time we were going out anyways, so I thought the room was fine. Our dorm manager was also very nice and spoke english, and was always there to help. They kept the area very clean and were transparent on what the rules were and what they expected of us. |
| * Food: |
The food in Japan alone is amazing, but Waseda also offered great lunches that were very cheap and extremely good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was difficult to talk to other people, especially other Japanese students since I wasn't confident in my Japanese abilities. However, since I'm Japanese, I didn't really feel that I stood out. But I wish that I went out of my comfort zone a bit more to feel more integrated into the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
They offered a lot of services and told us where the nearest English speaking hospitals were if we ever needed them. |
| * Safety: |
Japan is a very safe country, and for the most part I never felt that I was ever in any danger. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Waseda was an amazing school and Japan has become one of my favorite places by far. There was nothing that I felt could have been done better, which helped me have a great experience there. |
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) |
I spent more than I feel that I should have since we would go out a lot and tried to travel while we could. We also would go shopping a decent amount. However, food alone was very cheap, and it was more of a personal decision to spend more money but it is definitely possible to live on a student budget with minimal spending. |
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 |
They required us to take at least 6 units in Japanese language, but they also offered a lot of help in English |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I took 3 years of Japanese in high school |
| 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? | Immerse yourself in clubs and circles, they offer a wide variety of different clubs and although some may not allow exchange students, a lot of them will. Attend the events and meet new people, the best way to learn is through the people around you. |
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? | That it's really once in a lifetime, and to take advantage of each moment given to me. I felt that I took a lot of time trying to be comfortable and not really exploring as much as I would have hoped. Time went by so fast and now that I'm back in America it made me realize how much I miss Japan and all the things I wish I'd done. |
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. |
