What inspired you to go abroad?
The chance to learn more about a culture and a country that I like.
Why did you choose World Campus International, Inc.?
WCI Japan visited my university. That's how I got interested in the program.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
By being supportive and helping out with answering questions.
What surprised you most about Japan?
The thing that always surprises me about Japan is how wrong the western world is about them. Before I went to Japan the first time I read books like "how Japanese people are". It's safe to say that none of them were true :)
Visiting a temple in Narita
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
Learned more Japanese before traveling there.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
A typical day consisted of a morning meeting with a short briefing about the day. After that, we started with the day's activities. When we had time, we rehearsed for our event/ show and signed thank you cards.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
There were different ones. However, you got some sort of family feeling while sleeping in someone else's room. That was actually great and fun.
Do you have any packing tips for individuals headed to Japan?
If you're really interested in Japan and its culture, be sure to pack lightly and bring a lot money since you'll probably find a lot that you want to buy.
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
It will be different and challenging for you at times. But at the end of your journey, it's worth it.
What was the hardest part about studying abroad?
The hardest part for me was to adapt to all the new things. I've been to Japan two times before, as a tourist. When you're a tourist you can always get a hotel room and cut yourself off from all the impressions. But when I travelled with WCJ I had to face everything head on and try to reflect upon everything as it happened. That was tiring, but worth it!
Visiting a temple in Uji
How difficult was it to communicate with locals?
As I've experienced before, lacking language skills on both ends makes interacting harder. But there's a lot that can be said just by being together and observing each other. By some basic vocabulary always helps.
What is one thing you wish you would have known before studying abroad in Japan?
I already knew that Japanese people are keen on their hospitality. I just wished I prepared more for it. Since I'm very independent, it could get a bit annoying when they wanted to help me with everything. But I could also understand their worry as they were responsible for my safety.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of studying abroad is?
The chance to broaden your view about other cultures by actually meeting them.
What was your favorite part about Japan?
I visited three different cities during the program. I liked that they were so different from each other.
Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
It changed me in a way that I feel like I have a second home to travel to when I visit Japan.
What made your experience abroad unique?
The host families.
Would you recommend World Campus International, Inc. to others? Why?
I highly recommend this program to everyone that's interested in Japanese culture. This is a rather different experience and it really helps you in piercing the veil you usually look upon while being an ordinary tourist. This is really important since it really helps in developing a real understanding of a different culture that's needed today.
If you could study abroad again, where would you go?
I would love to visit places like China and Russia to challenge the view I have about these cultures. Views that you usually achieve through media, that might not always be correct or true. But anywhere is fine, as long as I get to meet new cultures.
