3-6 Months High School Programs in Japan

The staff at Greenheart are very helpful and that Greenheart can be well trusted. I would like to thank all of the staff at Greenheart for helping me through the process, enabling me to study abroad, and most importantly for making my dream possible. The program was very open to a variety of exchange students. Although I never dreamed that I would have been able to study abroad, thanks to Greenheart, I was able to. My advice is to never give up. From the application process to living abroad, everything is a challenge. I’ve learned so much and I have become a better person through my experience abroad. Although one may want to give up, the experience is worth it.

Greenheart has great support and they have many area representatives which ensure a fast response if a problem arises. Don't be shy, talk to everyone, they'll be happy to talk to a new person. My only advice for improvement is: allowing the students to get in contact with the school before departure so they know what to get for uniforms or instructions on how to get a prepaid SIM

I would like to start by saying that studying abroad is not for the faint of heart. While on your exchange you will meet a multitude of struggles, with friends, language barriers, and host families. The most important thing is openness and flexibility. Although I had some difficulties, I would never take it back because in the end I gained such wonderful friends and family. I really do feel that I grew from my experience with Afs. Going there is hard, and coming home can be even harder. However, out of all the exchange programs I felt that Afs had ample resources and support. I really comes down to your host family and your chapter leaders. Regardless, do not let the potential hardships deter you from having a beautiful time in a beautiful country. I love my host family and the people I met, and it was well worth the trip.

I did the Summer language and culture immersion program in Japan. I was placed in a Kuwana, which is around an 1 1/2 away from Nagoya, where I went to language school everyday. AFS Japan and USA both did an amazing job preparing me at the orientation, both in America and in japan. My host family was amazing and truly made my exchange. At language school I learned so much (which I frankly did not expect) and made many close friends that is till keep in touch with. To anyone wanting to go abroad, do it! If anyone had any questions, feel free to email them to me at [email protected]

Be open minded and better yet, be prepared for the unexpected. Also go to your exchange country with an open mind. If you have a ton of expectations, you might find yourself disappointed when you realize that the country you now live in, or your host family aren't how you imagine them to be. As far as I know, I don't believe there is any need for improvement. Thank you for allowing me to have this amazing experience. I learned so much about myself and Japan, the country I love! Thanks again!

Greenheart Travel gives a bunch of pre departure materials that help you prepare yourself for what's coming next and if you have any questions they respond to emails fairly quickly. My advice if you do this program is to stay calm. It'll all be okay. Also say yes to anything your host family asks if you wanna do. You'll get more out of your experience. My only suggestion is making how to call that country from the US part of the information you give.

Everything about my program was amazing. It's hard to choose a favorite part, but if I had to I think building new relationships with the people in my host country would be it. Now I have family and friends in Japan too and I love them to death. The people at Greenheart are so kind and it seems like they really do care about their program participants. My program coordinator Hope was always willing to answer any questions we had and was super helpful. I think the program was fantastic, but Greenheart and JFIE (partner org in Japan) sometimes were not on the same page about my exchange so It was a little confusing at times. The pre-departure support was really good, but I would've liked to have been able to talk to an alumni from my program before I went. I think it would have calmed more of my fears. My advice is to just do it, and don't worry about how people will think of you there or what it's like because you really won't know till you get there.

My program taught me the value of studying. The investment in a year-long experience motivated me to really make the most of it. It was life-changing, and I will never look at the world the same way again. When you're in high school, it's a small universe, but when you go abroad, your world grows and you learn a lot about yourself. It’s honestly the best decision I’ve ever made.