Hi I am international student in Japan, I will start university from next year April, I will be 22, is that too late ? too old Compared to Japanese uni students 18,19 …
It isn’t too late, exactly, but there is an age gap that could make it hard to make friends. You will just have to be more proactive joining sports or clubs or something. You probably need to be the one initiating hangouts with groups of people.
I studied abroad a second time during Uni and I was 24. I just didn’t have anything in common with the 18, 19 year old kids and I felt too far away from them to really make any close friendships. Ended up befriending other older students.
Edit; this second time studying abroad was in Japan. And yes, it means that I’ve been living in Japan for over a decade, but smartphones may make the communication with other students easier. I only had a gara-Kei when I was here studying that particular time.
As a side note, where I live in Japan now I have a hard time making friends, but I think it is a more stage of life issue.
Too late/too old for what?
It is only old if you think it is. No one else is going to care.
No. Go enjoy yourself, and 10 years later, laugh when you remember thinking 22 is too old.
It’s usual for students from overseas in Japanese universities to be older. Most of the overseas students I’ve had—I’m a university instructor—have been at least three years older than other students. The ones I have this year range in age from 22 to 28 years old.
I was an exchange student at 30. It was pretty awkward in places, mainly because a lot of them assumed I was younger, also different interests and a lot more life experience. I joined a sports club and although it took a while to be accepted, it did happen, I just didn’t fit well into the senpai/kohai system that is pretty much standard in Japanese universities.
For international students not at all. Also in med school there were lot of older Japanese students too.
Half of my uni classmates were older, and some were like 5 or 6 years older. Some have already gone to university and got a degree, but starting another one. It’s fine. As long as you don’t act like you’re above all of them, you’ll enjoy the time.
大丈夫だと思うぜ。
Maybe in the past it could spark controversy, but I doubt it would now.
18/19 yr olds in Japan are well-versed in the network. As long as you can link with them there— they’ll consider you young.
A lot of them are socially inept tho. So it’ll take some time for tight relationships.
There’ll be those that side-eye you for a bit, but know that it’s usually never out of negativity 🙂
Not at all. Join a circle related to one of your hobbies/sports and have fun. (Not a club, those are serious- circles are for fun)
More than 10 years ago I was an international student in China doing undergrad. I was 16 when I enrolled and half my classmates were over 24.
No problem.
Everyone must have opportunities to study no matter how old he or she is.
If you are still 22, it’s not so different from 18-19 students. So there is no problem with befriending them
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It isn’t too late, exactly, but there is an age gap that could make it hard to make friends. You will just have to be more proactive joining sports or clubs or something. You probably need to be the one initiating hangouts with groups of people.
I studied abroad a second time during Uni and I was 24. I just didn’t have anything in common with the 18, 19 year old kids and I felt too far away from them to really make any close friendships. Ended up befriending other older students.
Edit; this second time studying abroad was in Japan. And yes, it means that I’ve been living in Japan for over a decade, but smartphones may make the communication with other students easier. I only had a gara-Kei when I was here studying that particular time.
As a side note, where I live in Japan now I have a hard time making friends, but I think it is a more stage of life issue.
Too late/too old for what?
It is only old if you think it is. No one else is going to care.
No. Go enjoy yourself, and 10 years later, laugh when you remember thinking 22 is too old.
It’s usual for students from overseas in Japanese universities to be older. Most of the overseas students I’ve had—I’m a university instructor—have been at least three years older than other students. The ones I have this year range in age from 22 to 28 years old.
I was an exchange student at 30. It was pretty awkward in places, mainly because a lot of them assumed I was younger, also different interests and a lot more life experience. I joined a sports club and although it took a while to be accepted, it did happen, I just didn’t fit well into the senpai/kohai system that is pretty much standard in Japanese universities.
For international students not at all.
Also in med school there were lot of older Japanese students too.
Half of my uni classmates were older, and some were like 5 or 6 years older. Some have already gone to university and got a degree, but starting another one. It’s fine. As long as you don’t act like you’re above all of them, you’ll enjoy the time.
大丈夫だと思うぜ。
Maybe in the past it could spark controversy, but I doubt it would now.
18/19 yr olds in Japan are well-versed in the network. As long as you can link with them there— they’ll consider you young.
A lot of them are socially inept tho.
So it’ll take some time for tight relationships.
There’ll be those that side-eye you for a bit, but know that it’s usually never out of negativity 🙂
Not at all. Join a circle related to one of your hobbies/sports and have fun. (Not a club, those are serious- circles are for fun)
More than 10 years ago I was an international student in China doing undergrad. I was 16 when I enrolled and half my classmates were over 24.
No problem.
Everyone must have opportunities to study no matter how old he or she is.
If you are still 22, it’s not so different from 18-19 students. So there is no problem with befriending them