Japan : Reviews (Tokyo)

My favorite part of studying abroad was definitely having the ability to fully immerse myself in the language I'm learning, and to also learn about the culture alongside that. Through attending activities with my host family, club activities provided by the university I studied at, and making friends, I was able to gain a much deeper understanding of Japanese. Additionally, by doing all these things, there were a lot of aspects of Japanese culture that may be less obvious when looking in from the outside that I was able to observe and learn from.

My favorite part of the program would have to be making friends and traveling the country. I visited so many historical sites, temples, castles, shrines, etc. and it was really cool. Sophia University's Tea Ceremony club was also really fun! It was hard to introduce myself but I made some really good friends there, and I recommend it to future students who go because only me and one other exchange student in the entire school participated in it.

I loved being able to live in an environment where I was fully surrounded by my target language. It was a great opportunity to improve my skills and learn more about the language and culture.

Being able to go to Japan and experience firsthand all the things that I had only learned about theoretically in class was a fantastic experience and sharpened my language usage considerably. It's indispensable if you're serious about language study.

My favorite part of the program was being able to fully immerse myself in a big city like Tokyo. The independence and freedom of the living situation allowed me to create my own schedule and lifestyle in the city.

The progress of my language ability was by far the most rewarding element of studying abroad. When I arrived in September of 2023, I could barely communicate my thoughts to my host family, and we had very surface level conversations. After around 3 months, I realized how much more smooth I was becoming with my Japanese, and how it became much easier to ask for simple things. By the end of the year, I was able to have deep conversations with them about Japanese culture and how it differed from other cultures, and many other subjects. Seeing this progression and also having an outsider watch it occur and tell you how much you are improving is better than any A on a test, and when I left Japan, I was more confident in my Japanese and ability to pursue it than ever before.

The most rewarding to me would have to be the language improvement. Before going to Japan, I only knew about 400 words and 300 kanji and really couldn't speak it. However, now I can speak decently well for long periods, I text people in Japanese, I can read and listen well, and so forth. Overall my language improved 10 times within a year!

Leaving the United States cultural bubble and seeing things from an outside perspective not only improved my perspective on Japanese culture but allowed me to review that of the USA with fresh eyes as well.

The most rewarding part of the program was the language skills from taking the intensive level Japanese courses and also the friends I gained throughout the experience. Getting to witness and experience Japanese culture, food, and traditions firsthand was definitely another rewarding aspect of the program.

My biggest piece of advice would be to prepare in advance. It sounds very tiring, but having all of your scholarships, applications, documents, health forms, etc. figured out at least 3 months before you leave allows you to enjoy your time at home, and to have a smooth transition once you arrive to your study abroad location. I also made sure to write down important emails or places to seek help once I arrived to my study abroad country, in case of emergencies or needing certain information. Knowing I had all of the information prepared relieved me of a lot as I went through the biggest transition of my life!

It is important to go out and experience the country your living in. School is important, but staying in and studying the whole time while abroad and not allowing yourself to experience the language and culture of your study abroad location will lead you to regret how you spent your time. (Still save some time to study though)

The finer points of the language usage as well as, inevitably, those phrases and usages that textbooks don't tell you - those that are used in every day life as well as the general usage that native speakers use intuitively. Seeing the language used "live" allows you to make the same instinctual connections as those who have been speaking it their whole lives.