So I am planning to travel abroad either this coming up summer or next school year, the University I attend now has a Japanese program and I can go to Akita International University.
Would anyone recommend trying somewhere else, just overall advice about studying abroad, where should I need to be Japanese speaking wise? I am just really worried about the whole thing and if anyone can give me tips or experiences it would be greatly appericated.
3 comments
I’d choose a place with a home stay. You’ll be forced to speak Japanese more than if you were in a dorm. I’d also pick a university away from metropolitan cities as well for the same reason.
My other advice is to save up as much money as you can before leaving.
Travel as much as you can – Japan is a beautiful country, so experience as much as you can!
Go after scholarships and funding – apply to everything!
Pick a university your uni has an exchange agreement with, because that waives the fees of the foreign university and saves a lot of admin and headache. If this means Akita in northern Japan, so be it and it might be good because there will be less of an English speaking bubble to get stuck in once you’re there compared to Tokyo.
I would also say do at least a one year one as it will take about six months to get used to Japan and get conversational, the second semester is usually a lot smoother.
I’m fairly certain that Akita International University teaches their classes solely in English, so you will definitely be almost solely in company of people very proficient in English. If your goal is to study Japanese, I would try to find an alternative