TL;DR: Should I pursue an undergraduate degree at a Japanese university or go for a graduate degree after completing my current degree, knowing I have now 0 external support?
So here's my current situation: I'm 19 and studying in France. I've dreamed of living in Tokyo since I was 5. I'm currently in a 3-year degree program in International Administration and Exchange, which is more oriented towards China. Yes, it's confusing—even some teachers seem unsure about our exact focus. (A bit of background: I spent 2 years studying medicine before this, so it's been a moment since I finished high school and I still don't have a degree. so i'm kinda afraid of again restarting my studies. )
Last year, I decided to apply to Japanese universities for an undergraduate degree in English (my Japanese level is basically limited to songs and a few quotes from anime characters).Â
I think that having a Japanese degree could be more valuable for finding a job in Japan or East Asia than a French one.Â
Also, living in Tokyo for 4 years is quite the adventure, full of new people and stories to tell when it’s finished.
To cut a long story short, last April I received a positive response from Waseda University. However, when it came time to pay, my father (who had previously agreed to help finance my studies if I got accepted) changed his mind at the last minute. He decided that since I'm 20, I shouldn't need his financial help(It’s a little more complicated but I need to be short).Â
My personal savings were around €2,000, and by working during the summer vacation, I could maybe make another €3,000, which clearly isn't enough.
Now, I have 3 options:
- Retry applying for an undergraduate program next year and seek scholarships: I'm not sure about my options or what scholarships I might get (I'm not really considering student loans). I should also apply to more than one university this time, maybe a cheaper one, so I could afford it by working and getting a scholarship.
- Finish my current degree, maybe get an internship in Japan, or do an exchange: My university only has one exchange option in Japan. After that, I could try to enter a graduate program at a Japanese university. Am I eligible with a 3-year License? I know that in terms of Japanese immigration, it counts as an undergraduate degree, but does it qualify me for graduate school? Also, my university isn’t the best, so I'm not sure if I have a chance of getting into a Japanese university. This seems like the most logical option, but I'm not sure if pursuing a graduate degree is worth it.
- Forget studying in Japan altogether: This seems more like a strange and expensive whim than a practical idea but I'm tired of only going for the practicality, going for a stupid dream seems more fun sometimes .
Sorry for the long post—I have a rough idea of what I should do, but I still seek an external point of view. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ve abridged the story and my English might not be the best.
by Futil_07