Studying Abroad Fall 2005

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Greetings All ;o) my name is Zach and i'm brand spanking new to these forums!!

Well, like my name says i'll be in an area pretty close to Osaka (Hirakata i believe) at Kansai Gaidai University next fall. I haven't applied yet, but our program at my university in Pennsylvania says that i'm sure to get accepted.

anyway... i just wanted to get feedback from everyone here about things i would need to do to get prepared to live in japan for a semester or two. i'm taking japanese I this semester at my school and hopefully level II next semester to get geared up. i was wondering also who you guys go through with airfare. i'm trying to go as cheap as possible hehe !! but anything other than that stuff just anything i might need to know, or if you have gone abroad maybe give me feedback. also, i think they allow you to travel a lot, and was wondering what would be a must see trip while in japan (maybe some i never thought of before).

Thanks a lot,
- Zach

[DragonChan]

I'm near Nagoya right now, in a high school. I can't tell you much about airfare, but I can give you general advice from what I've experienced.

For one thing, before you go figure out how to can call home. It is rather hard as you can't use an international phone card from a home phone. So my family calls me since phone cards are cheap in Canada.

Also, any japanese you learn is helpful. Especially the adjectives. Know a few of those and you can communicate a ton.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

SO i should buy an international phone card here in the states that will work with Japan, and just have my parents contact me?

Also could you possible tell me about the subway system in japan? I hea that travel is made very possible though the many rails and also through the speed avalible. I would like to make my way to many other places such as Tokyo, Kyoto, and maybe even to Okinawa.

I also have the opportunity to stay with a family or live in the dorms. i think i am going to chose the dorms due to not wanting to offend the host family and plus i heard that the families sometimes aren't the nicest! :)

[Ewok85]

A family would be easier on your wallet and you would gain proper cultural insight, but living in a dorm is a ton of fun. Its up to you.

I dont know why everyone rants about the subways in Japan, I never touched one, above ground for me baby! The trains can add up to cost a fair bit unless you have a regualr route and get a commuter pass. To travel from Osaka to Tokyo is about 14,000 yen there and back (I think, its 9000 one way, i might be misreading something). Kyoto is spitting distance from Osaka so no problems there.

Let your parents ring you! More money for you to spend on stuff that way :P

[Hero]

Expect to generally have a great time, meet lots of new ppl (if you can get past the language barrier), and to see many interesting things/places.

[MeAndroo]

SO i should buy an international phone card here in the states that will work with Japan, and just have my parents contact me?

If your exchange college is on the ball, they should hook you up with a card that you can put money on, hopefully a Brastel card. It was by far the cheapest one I used when in Japan, and you can put money on at random convenience stores. Having your parents is a very good way to go as well, though, especially if they're paying.

I dont know why everyone rants about the subways in Japan, I never touched one, above ground for me baby!

For me it was just because I'd never been on a subway. Living in LA, you get buses, trains, cars, but nothing underground. Plus, sometimes it's the best way to go...and the word chikatetsu is much more fun to say than densha :-)

I also have the opportunity to stay with a family or live in the dorms. i think i am going to chose the dorms due to not wanting to offend the host family and plus i heard that the families sometimes aren't the nicest

A family would be easier on your wallet and you would gain proper cultural insight, but living in a dorm is a ton of fun.

If can be a bit of a toss up. Everyone from my home university loved their host families, and got taken to dinner, on trips, etc. It's also very convenient to have a Japanese person there if you lose something (like me and my wallet), want to reserve a vacation package, or are just wondering about anything in general. A few of my friends stayed in various dorms around Tokyo, and most had pretty negative experiences....no visitors, ESPECIALLY no co-ed stuff, noise restrictions, etc. Of course, if you get set up in a dorm set aside for exchange students, then the rules are different. I'd recommend the host family just for the cooking

[Akakubisan]

I would have to agree with MeAndroo about possibly staying with a host family. I stayed in a dorm close to Harajuku in Tokyo for a year and there are lots of rules.

A list of the more likely ones.

1. Curfew, mongen (10 PM where I stayed unless you called in before that to the front desk, if you missed you got punishment cleaning or batsu souji at 5:30 AM)

2. Noise restrictions, but everybody else is noisy

3. Family style eating, but if you are late no food for you ( I didn't have a problem with this)

4. Mandatory meetings in Japanese (boring if you are nt in the mood)

5. No visitors in your room (means no female company)

6. Cleaning twice a week

I found #1 and 5 to be the most inconvenient.

But of course I never stayed with a Japanese family for more than a few weeks. I have heard some horro stories about that too. Both come down to what type of attitude you have while you are there.

No matter what good luck.

Study Japanese as much as you can before you go.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

The dorms are seperated from the Japanese students, and i believe the classroom buildings are setup the same way. Yeah, some rules like you guys said also apply to where i will hopefully be going. 10PM cerfew, no coed company, but i read reviews from students (on the net) saying that the International kids go wild with noise and sneaking people in the dorms and some rules more or less don't really get enforced.

Thanks for the feedback! I am hopeful that while over in Japan that i will also be able to travel a lot. Did you guys have experiences that allowed for travel to places that around just next door?

[MeAndroo]

We definitely snuck in and out of dorms, but it didn't mean it wasn't a hassle. Though it'd be a hell of a lot harder to sneak in and out of a house...but that's what love hotels are for!

Curfew sucks...rarely will you want to be home at 10pm. Actually, rarely will you want to get on the last train before 1, but it's decisions like that (all night karaoke or a bed) that make it so fun.

[DragonChan]

I am personally having a great time with my host family. IE: I just ate dinner, and now I am online while I wait to challange the winner at Mario Kart (my host sisters are playing at the moment.) However it can be a bit trying since my family is always talking to me (in Japanese) and if I am tired it is really hard to get up the energy to grab the dictionary and remember all the grammer and stuff. Especially when they want to have another debate on language learning methods. Though I suppose that is positive that they always talk to me, even if I can't usually understand more than a 1/4 of it.

On the other hand, in dorms you won't feel at all intrusive, and remember that Japanese walls are thin. You pretty much have noise restrictions wherever you are.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Yesterday i went to a meeting, here at my university, hosted by the Japanese Student Association. It was very interesting getting to hear the different sounds of the language even though i am only capable of making out 1% pretty much of what they were saying. Anyway, i met three girls who are exchanged from the school i hope to attend next fall. They were very nice to talk to ( in english of course) even if i wasn't sure if they knew what i was saying. I told them i like Ichiro (baseball player).

I'm so excited about going to Japan i just want to make sure i prepare as much as possible so i'm not lost or confused when i arrive. Dragonchan, or anyone else, who did you fly through and about how much did u drop for tickets?

[Ewok85]

We definitely snuck in and out of dorms, but it didn't mean it wasn't a hassle. Though it'd be a hell of a lot harder to sneak in and out of a house...but that's what love hotels are for!

Curfew sucks...rarely will you want to be home at 10pm. Actually, rarely will you want to get on the last train before 1, but it's decisions like that (all night karaoke or a bed) that make it so fun.

Its a rare host family that puts a strict curview on you, or doesnt allow visitors. My family was delighted when I brought someone home and as long as I was quiet stumbling into the house at 3am is perfectly fine.

I forgot about all the rules attached to Japanese dorms, but from the japanese uni students I know I cant see them following the rules very much either :D

[MeAndroo]

Its a rare host family that puts a strict curview on you, or doesnt allow visitors. My family was delighted when I brought someone home and as long as I was quiet stumbling into the house at 3am is perfectly fine.

While it's true that host families do like to meet your friends, I was talking more about opposite sex, not necessarily friends-type people. My family was definitely against that with me, which led to some alternative options having to be explored.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

So what do you guys recommend? I have the option of either meeting a lot of non-Japanese in the dorms or i can move in with a Japanese family. My family here is a little wary of me living with a Japanese family just because they worry about something possibly happening to me ( yes they are paranoid). I think it would be a good experience to live with a family, but i worry it will take away from meeting new people or from making every day decisions such as staying out late or going to clubs impossible. I want to try to experience as much of Japan i can while having the most amount of fun in the process.

[Ewok85]

Host Family all the way. They know Japan, and are able to take you places and show you things that you wouldnt be able to do on your own (for me it was fishing in the mountains in Miyagi-ken, all paid trip to Osaka and Kyoto, seeing just about everything there is to see in Chiba-ken, support and encouragement for everything I did, showing me all kinds of japanese food and drink, introducing me to people, etc).

They wont do anything to you tho, I'd be more worried about someone living in the dorms :P

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

If i take my laptop over to Japan is there any special adapters i need to get onto the internet? I'm not sure if they use the same exact ethernet or phone jack setup. I think i would like to post an online journal that's why i am curious.

[MeAndroo]

Host Family all the way. They know Japan, and are able to take you places and show you things that you wouldnt be able to do on your own

That about sums up my feelings as well.

If i take my laptop over to Japan is there any special adapters i need to get onto the internet? I'm not sure if they use the same exact ethernet or phone jack setup

Hopefully your school has a computer lab/library with areas for broadband access. I bought an ethernet cord there that works here in the States, so I doubt that'll be a problem. You will need to get an electric converter because of the differences between American and Japanese currents. I bought mine pretty cheap in some random computer store.

Personally, I found my laptop to be kind of a burden outside of my host family's house. They had a router and let me plug right in to their network, so access wasn't a problem at home. Plus, I have a dell inspiron 8200, and with only one battery the thing weighs like 9 lbs. It got really annoying trying to find a place to put it if we went to a bar or club or just to eat after school, so I abandoned it in favor of the school computer lab. It helps on the plane, and at home, but unless you don't mind lugging it around after class, leave it at your host family's place.

[Faustianideals]

Zach your lucky, I was going to be an exchange student but we had to pay alot of money for it and frankily my family isn't exactly rich, :okashii:
Anyways, it's a good idea to get familar with the japanese culture, you don't want to stick your chop sticks up in rice. :souka:

[Ewok85]

Ethernet is an international standard, I dont know about phone jacks, they tend to change from country to country.

Do you want to lug a laptop around tho?

[jieshi]

I do!!! Im buying one in japan

[Ewok85]

Leave it at home where its safe, outside the house you'll be busy enough without having to worry about losing it.

[Faustianideals]

I'm getting a nice Toshiba notebook for less then $1,200. That's right, Terror will soon be portable!

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

i've used sites such as travel.yahoo.com and many others to look for cheap tickets to Japan and i can't seem to find tickets as cheap as other people say they find theirs for. I would leave from Baltimore most likely and go to Kansai Airport. The cheapest tickets i have been able to find are around $800USD, while many are over $1000USD. does anyone know if that's what i will have to bear with or if i'm just not looking hard enough?!

[Faustianideals]

Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/daily/home/default.asp?rfrr=-1065)
I was reading through Expedia.com, and I found low fares on a round trip to Japan from Illinois, USA. Maybe you'll find a good fare there too.
Good luck! :-)

[MeAndroo]

See if there's an STA agency in your area. They specialize in student fares, and I got open ended tickets from LA to Tokyo for about 630. I think they make you joing a travel organization for like 20 bucks, but it's no biggie, and you can get discounts at certain places. Selection might be a little more limited from Baltimore to Kansai, but definitely check them out.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Thanks a lot for all the information so far. I thank for you lending your knowledge to this inexperienced traveler. I keep thinking of new aspects of living in another country that have me worried because i have no idea of the answer to them.

I've been thinking about if i get hurt while in Japan, if my insurance from the US is valid or how things work for foreigners. i've heard that in Korea nurses don't really take care of you other than administer medicine, but rather family members watch you and help you with other things. I didn't know if Japan was similar or not, but yeah i just was curious also about this.

[Faustianideals]

I think you have to ask your insurance company that! :-)

[MeAndroo]

Well, there is always the Japanese health insurance that you HAVE to have, plus some universities put you on their plan before you head abroad. I got pretty ill there and got very cheap medicine (whether you believe the medicine works or not is up to you...I don't), but didn't know anyone who broke bones or anything. My buddy had to get stitches in his eye and forehead after an errant elbow during a rugby match, and that was taken care of by his Japanese insurance.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Personally, I’m not a big fan of fish or food consisting of fish elements. I do understand that fish is a big part of the Asian diet, so I was wondering how I am going to fare in Japan in terms of being successful at avoiding “fish food”. I do eat other meat and do like rice and ramen so I think I’ll be fine there, but yeah I think most food contains fish elements so I was curious as to how I will survive.

[Hero]

My sensei said airfare roundtrip generally runs from $600-$1000 depending on what time of year you go. Summer time is supposedly the most expensive time of the year.

[Ewok85]

Personally, I’m not a big fan of fish or food consisting of fish elements. I do understand that fish is a big part of the Asian diet, so I was wondering how I am going to fare in Japan in terms of being successful at avoiding “fish food”. I do eat other meat and do like rice and ramen so I think I’ll be fine there, but yeah I think most food contains fish elements so I was curious as to how I will survive.


I did fine for a year, but give it a try, some things are done in a way that doesnt even make it fishy! :cool:

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Ok a few more things have crossed my mind:

1.) Anybody know of books that I could purchase that go into details of the Kansai (Osaka) area such as nightlife and traveling?

2.) Is it true that you need a visa if you stay more than 90 days in a country? I think that’s what I read, but I didn’t know if it was any different since I will be a student. and any info on how i go about getting my visa....

3.) Has anyone had experience of KIX (the Kansai airport)?

[mad pierrot]

1) You won't need a book, trust me. You and the other students will find all the good stuff on your own. (Probably starting with Shinsaibashi and Umeda.)
2) Your student visa is all you need. The one provided by Gaidai is good for a year.
3) KIX is a great airport! If you have any questions, feel free to ask, but KIX is easy to get around and much is in English.

I studied at Gaidai when I was in college, and I can tell you this: You're going to have an awesome time! Kansai Gaidai is great. The new campus is nice as well. Sadly or not, they have a Seattle's Best and a McDonalds on campus, so if you don't like fish you will have other choices.

Now here's my advice for you: Take any class you can with Dr. Paul Scott or Dr. John Hanagan. They are great instructors and their classes are well worth while.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

mad pierrot, thanks for the response. I’m glad to find someone who has attended Gaidai and can give me feedback from their own experience.

I am curious how easily an international student can get in with the Japanese students. I understand that it will be easier to befriend fellow international students because of spending the most time with them in classes and in the seminar houses, as well as having more in common. I really do want to meet Japanese students and was curious how possible this is at Gaidai and through how much effort

mad pierrot, could you also explain more about your time at Gaidai if it's not too much to ask. Thanks very much !! Greatly appreciated!

[mad pierrot]

I am curious how easily an international student can get in with the Japanese students. I understand that it will be easier to befriend fellow international students because of spending the most time with them in classes and in the seminar houses, as well as having more in common. I really do want to meet Japanese students and was curious how possible this is at Gaidai and through how much effort

Well, it all depends how much effort you put in! Really, it's not that hard, but I knew alot of people who went to Gaidai and didn't make many Japanese friends. Join a club or a "circle." (-like a club but less strict, more like a drinking group :-) ) If you make the effort to talk to people, aren't afraid to use your Japanese, and do some extracurricular activities, you'll do fine. If you're really interested in learning Japanese, I'd advise you not to spend too much time with other international students. With about 400 of them, this can be hard sometimes. Still, even hanging out with them is a great way to make friends from around the world. Either way, don't worry, you're going to meet alot people.

[MeAndroo]

And if Gaidai's international division is anything to sneeze at, there should be Japanese students interested in international affairs in the area as well. These were the kids that knew the most English and were most willing to alter their Japanese for foreigners when I was there. I definitely agree with Mad about joining a circle...I had great times in mine, and the people are usually happy to have participation from international kids.

The not hanging out with international kids worked for me for about 2 days. My suggestion is that you ALWAYS have Japanese kids around, and make an effort to just speak Japanese in your group. The other international kids might be great at English anyways, and Japanese should be your common language. Have fun.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Am I disqualified from buying a JR Rail Pass since I won't be considered a sight-seeing tourist? From what I read you must be staying under 90 days or be a native Japanese living in a foreign country. Neither are me...

[mad pierrot]

Yes. You will have a student visa, so it's techinically not applicable. (Which doesn't mean you can't try...) However, you will be eligible for a host of other discounts; you'll get a handbook at Gaidai explaining them all to you. (the 18 session tickets, etc.)

[MeAndroo]

Yeah, seishun juu hachi kippu is a great deal, especially if you don't mind traveling a little slower. I appreciated the freedom of using the regular trains and think I got a better overall view of people who live slightly in the inaka. Plus, if you put your mind to it, it's no problem to use one ticket per day for multiple people.

Getting a JR pass is simple if you have someone else's name on it...I'll just say that...don't wanna get in trouble for encouraging such actions...even if they saved me a ton of money.

My school also gave gakuwari for students buying shinkansen tickets, 5 per year, at a discount of around 25% I believe...never actually used it, but that's what my friends told me.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Hey, mad pierrot, when you were at Gaidai did you stay the full two semesters? I wanted to know also if you got a chance to travel much other than to Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe.

Would a trip to Tokyo or Okinawa be out of the question?
thx for any input!

[AdriaticBlue]

Can those of you who have studied abroad post a typical daily and weekly schedule?

[mad pierrot]

I stayed at Kansai Gaidai for 2 semesters, and it was well worth it.

Here's a typical daily schedule at Gaidai:

Morning:
All Japanese classes are held in the morning, and required. There are broken down into 2 sections, Read/Writing and Speaking. Read/Writing is not required but I recommend taking it anyways.

Afternoon:
All lectures classes and electives. They have classes in business, history, art, you name it. Classes are taught in English and open to Japanese students, too.

That's it in a nutshell. You will have plenty of time to travel. I practically went to Kyoto or Osaka every weekend. Kobe isn't to far, either. If I recall correctly, there are also class trips to places like Hiroshima and Nara. And no, Tokyo isn't out of your reach. I would be surprised if you didn't go.

[MeAndroo]

Just to expand a little on Mad Pierrot's stuff...

The morning Japanese classes I took were about 3-3 1/2 hours apiece, 4 times a week. This was definitely where I made most of my friends, especialy in the 2 months before spring break.

Afternoon classes meet once a week, usually for about 2 hours or so. I kinda got screwed on my credits, since the classes were so short, so that 20 units in Japan netted me 11.5 at USC...all elective units.

As far as getting to Okinawa, I definitely recommend it. I went twice, and heartily recommend a hotel/food/flight package of some kind. I tried it both ways, and it usually costs much less and you get better accomadations if you go through one of those ANA specials...check during the off-season to ensure lowest prices. Okinawa's a life saver when you're searching for mexican food after extended periods of time in Japan.

[mad pierrot]

My Japanese classes met only for a hour a day, 5 days a week. Not counting reading and writing.

Kinda short, but the opportunity for more study was available.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

MeAndroo, what exactly do you mean by going through an ANA special? If i could only afford going to Tokyo or Okinawa, should i go with Tokyo?

mad pierrot, i'm glad it sounds like at Gaidai you have time to travel. Was this just you going for weekend trips every weekend? Or did you miss school days as well? And did you travel with fellow students or adventure on your own?

Also, it sounds like with what you guys did while in Japan, travel wise that you went over with a ton of cash. How much do you think one could spend on misc. expenses such as travel?

[mad pierrot]

Kansai Gaidai must be one of the best located schools in Japan. Osaka and Kyoto are literally next door. (I biked to Kyoto from my dorm.) Both cities are 20-25 minutes by train from Hirakata. Many times I went to Osaka or Kyoto just to grab dinner, even on weeknights. Trust me, you'll get plenty of both those cities. I usually traveled with a few friends but if you like big groups Gaidai's international club organizes sightseeing trips with Japanese/international students. As far as money goes, I came to Japan with a summer's worth of money saved from my job. While it was adequate, I did do some *ahem* small jobs while I was in Japan. You're not supposed to work while you're there, but there are plenty of under-the-table jobs if you look for them. (English, bar tending, etc.)

Also, just looking back, you should apply for homestay. Believe me, they're not as bad as they sound, and your Japanese will improve leaps and bounds if you get one. I stayed in a dorm for the first semester, and homestay for the second. Is is expensive, but a great opportunity to see what Japanese life is really like. I still keep in touch with my old host family, and have gone to visit them several times.

[MeAndroo]

MeAndroo, what exactly do you mean by going through an ANA special? If i could only afford going to Tokyo or Okinawa, should i go with Tokyo?

Well every so often, ANA (all nippon airways) or other airlines will join up with hotels in Okinawa to offer fantastic deals. I got a 2 night stay, all meals, transport to and from Naha airport, activity passes for the hotel (this was key) and flight for under 250 bucks. If you have a host family, they can check this out for you...just another reason to do homestay. Just so you know, though, this was what's considered the off-season (early March), so the weather wasn't spectacular, but still a decent 80 degrees and partially sunny. I went again in July, and it was MUCH more expensive.

If I had a choice between Okinawa and Tokyo, though, I'd visit Tokyo. Okinawa is beautiful and much different from the rest of Japan, but you're there to see Japan. I found it necessary to explore Tokyo just because it is the focal point of all international attention, and I wanted to see how many of the rumors were true. I spent some of my happiest days outside of Tokyo, however, and definitely recommend travel in all areas.

Also, it sounds like with what you guys did while in Japan, travel wise that you went over with a ton of cash. How much do you think one could spend on misc. expenses such as travel?

Well, there are ways to live VERY cheap on the road. With the afore-mentioned sesshun juu hachi kippu, you get 5 days of free travel on any semi-express and slower line for about 100 bucks. Great deal if you're planning on going good distances, especialy in a group. Hostels save money, as do konbini bentos. I spent way more money staying around Tokyo than I ever did traveling, in comparable time.

You COULD spend any amount of money on travel, particularly because of how the shinkansen system is set up and how much flights cost. In all liklihood, you'll want to spend as little time actually en route as possible because vacation times can be limited.

[Nezumi]

isn't that hardest part getting out of the airport?
... it was for me in mehico.. ay yay ay yay
since i could barely read/speak/write spanish, i didn't know how to get out of the airport. Most people didn't even speak english so i was SOL. It was hard getting out of mexico's airport and then into a taxi. I advise bringing a good dictionary. And japan usually cost $4k round trip. But just $2000 going there.

[Nezumi]

hey do you think you could do us all a favor and take pictures of places you visit? That would be really cool. And if you could keep a journal of all your travels on a website i would be very thankful.

[MeAndroo]

For anyone who cares about study abroad pics, here:

Study Abroad 2003 (http://community.webshots.com/user/meandroo)

[fut0n]

For anyone who cares about study abroad pics, here:

Study Abroad 2003 (http://community.webshots.com/user/meandroo)



so many ppl care :haihai:

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

yes indeed Thanks MeAndroo i enjoyed the random pictures and fun pictures of you and friends in Japan!! Were they friends from home or friends you met while at school in Japan?

Nezumi, I've been researching a digital camera to purchase so I do plan on taking a poop load of photos while abroad. Hopefully get some huge memory to record some movies too!!! ^_^.... any suggestions!?

[MeAndroo]

I didn't know anybody in Japan, save for a few friends and a host family I knew from an earlier trip, but I didn't see them for the first few months anyways. My closest friends were fellow exchange students from southern california, but that may be just a result of us keeping in touch better after getting back. Regardless, those are all people I met while there.

[ZachPA2Osaka!!]

Ok, so December is almost upon us and the application period opens after Christmas. I've been fairly busy taking care of all necessities to go abroad such as budgeting with my parents, getting papers notarized, and taking care of my passport.

Now, like usual i have a few questions! I was looking for any information pertaining to financial aid / scholarships rewarded to students who study abroad. I also wanted to ask about flying. I've yet to fly and I imagine a 17hour (?) flight to Japan from Pennsylvania, USA could be quite a task. Well I just thought I would update everyone and say I am still pursuing this and hoping for acceptance in the spring time!
Thanks!