Hey!
I am freshly out of high school and I’m about to study computer science in Germany (a 3-year course).
I wanted to do a Work and Travel after my bachelor’s. Since my university has some partner universities in Japan anyways, I wanted to take the chance and do an exchange semester or two in Japan after my first year of study. Ultimately my goal is to work in Japan someday. These are the universities I can choose from:
* Shizuoka University
* Shibaura Institute of Technology
* Tohoku University
* Osaka Institute of Technology
* Rikkyo University
* Meiji University
* Reitaku University
My main reason for the exchange semester is of course primarily to explore a new culture, see Japan, etc.
But since it is important at which university you were in Japan, would it not be counterintuitive to do an exchange semester at a university that isn’t known? According to Google Tohoku seems to be like the Top 5 and the others somewhere around the top 100 and beyond. Would It make me more unattractive to employment for a Japanese employer? Should I just do the full 3 years at my German university without going abroad?
If I should do an exchange semester though, which of these universities would you recommend?
3 comments
Don’t try to move to Japan immediately after you finish your degree
If by work and travel you mean get a working holiday visa, then it doesn’t really matter what university you do the exchange. Actually I don’t think the kind of university matters at all since you’re not expected to work in your field of study. Besides, your university in Germany will hold much more weight.
I would recommend you to just check the universities and their location and choose the one you think you would enjoy the most. Exchanges are mostly for learning another culture and having fun more than studying.
Finally, if you plan to live there one day (on work visa or so), the field you choose and your level of experience will matter a lot more.
Buddy you could go to Todai and no one would give a shit, exchange semesters are for the cultural experience not the education. Six months studying in English at any university in Japan is barely going to register to a potential employer here, but your education and experience in Germany does. Domestic employers want foreign workers with international experience, not foreign workers with solely Japanese experience. Graduate and get a few years under your belt first.