Study Abroad in Tokyo, Japan

I had a great time studying abroad in Japan! The school was great and I made a bunch of friends. TEAN provided a bunch of cultural outings that were really fun. However, if I were to do it again I would probably do a direct exchange. The organization and support of the TEAN program could have been better, and most of my best memories were made outside of TEAN activities. I really enjoyed my time and don't have any regrets, but I know that if I had needed extra support while I was there, as several people I knew did, I would have felt less satisfied with my experience. Overall, J.F. Oberlin was a great school and I really liked my classes. They're very welcoming to international students and I really enjoyed my time there. The dorms were pretty nice and were super close to a train station and the bus stop. You end up with plenty of free time to explore Japan (though be sure to actually attend your classes!!) and it's a great experience. If you have the travel bug and want to go somewhere during your time in college, this is a great program to check out! Be sure to compare the difference between direct exchange and TEAN though.

Living in Japan truly changed my entire outlook on life. Before studying abroad in Tokyo, I had never left the United States, so to travel 7000 miles away from home was a huge leap of faith. However, I built a second home in Japan with my dorm, friends, teammates, and classmates. Being immersed in my culture and meeting my family there was incredibly rewarding, and I grew so much as a person and a student. Studying abroad takes you out of your comfort zone and pushes you to take chances you never would have at home. Japan is so safe, forgiving, and welcoming, I'm so glad I chose to study there!

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私の留学するはとてもすごいかったです！ (MY STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE WAS AMAZING!) From before I even got to Tokyo to the time I left, I was having the time of my life! Since I went through TEAN, a lot of the stuff beforehand was done through TEAN, the only thing I had to do on my own was the student visa. The arrival was easy since TEAN gave out a pamphlet, organized our housing and provided transportation. JUST A HEADS UP: I suggest buying a Japanese ESIM card for your phone before you go since it is cheaper than an international plan and you NEED a Japanese number if you plan on buying anything online from clothes to concert tickets. Through TEAN I had excursions to Hakone and Seoul (this one was extra but TOTALLY WORTH IT), and since Tokyo has a great public transportation system, I made my own excursions (the Center of Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama, etc). I made many lifelong friends throughout my experience from all over the world. I will now have friends from the USA, China, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Italy, and the Netherlands to name a bunch. I will not sugar coat it, the actual studying in the study abroad could be very difficult sometimes since the classes are long, the homework is a lot, and the best part: It's all in Japanese. YAY! But fear not, the teachers are very sweet and understanding, and personally, this teaching style definitely improved my Japanese. I will say though, knowing just a little bit of Japanese, even if it is just the numbers haha, goes a long way and the Japanese people will be thankful to you. Speaking of Japanese people, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO SPEAK IN JAPANESE TO THEM. They are usually pretty appreciative and impressed when a foreigner takes time out of their day to learn Japanese. I also recommend making friends with the locals! You might think they do not like you because they do not approach you usually, but in reality, they tend to be shy! My recommendations for befriending the locals: My university (JFOU) offered courses in English, and a majority of the people in those courses were Japanese people wanting to learn English (shout out to my friends Haruka, Jien, Sean, Masato and YOSHIIIIII)! If your university does not offer these courses, then I recommend interacting with the people that are at a place that you frequently go to. For instance, I started going to Starbucks to study and I noticed that it was usually the same people whenever I would go, so one day I started throwing in phrases in Japanese such as "kawaii=you are so cute (be careful with this one LOL)" "oishii =delicious" "kakkoi=so cool (also be careful with this one HAHA)" and "ganbattekudasai=YOU GOT THIS". Down the line these compliments lead to them waiving at me and making small talk with me while I enjoyed my drinks (Hojicha and Yuzu Citrus Tea are an 11/10 BTW) to spending time with me outside of their work hours. I should get paid for this, Starbucks. LOL JK. All in all, I have many stories to tell thanks to my trip in Japan through TEAN.

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Being able to return to Japan had been a lifelong goal of mine. It had been around 7+ years since I had last gone and I wanted to truly have an amazing college experience in Japan. I was lucky enough to find TEAN with my International Dean and was able to make it work out. The people with TEAN were always there to help me if I ever needed anything, especially medically. However, it allowed me to finally become more independent and be able to practice the Japanese I was learning in my Japanese I class at JF Oberlin. The results were that I was able to make some lifelong friends, both RJ and Japanese students, and experience some amazing sporting and cultural events. I hope in the future I can study in Japan for graduate school. I would highly recommend anyone who is interested in studying abroad in Japan to consider going through TEAN.

Before even arriving in Tokyo, the ISA advisors contacted me to make sure all of my questions were answered and eased any worries I had about traveling to a foreign country by myself for the first time. When I arrived, the room amenities were exactly as described and I enjoyed having a balcony which allows a lot of sunlight into the room! Also the dorm is about two minutes away from the free shuttle bus to school and to the train station! As far as the program activities and excursions go, I couldn’t have asked for a better program advisor! They went beyond my expectations by answering any questions I had (especially by giving reminders of completing important documents),and making sure my group had a great time in Japan! I will never forget this experience and the friends that I have made through it!

I'm currently on ISA's Tokyo program and I'm extremely let down and disappointed. Rude and incompetent student advisors, basically nonexistent student activities, and horrible living conditions. My student advisor spends her time attempting to police students and give arbitrary punishment, and for the price (~$16,700) this program is a complete scam. I have to pay my own utilities and plane ticket, which should have absolutely been included for that price. The quality of my classes is absolutely horrible and the teachers don't take any of their classes seriously whatsoever. The dorm rooms are small and modest, the kitchens are filthy, and for the price I paid I'm horrified. The rooms only cost $500 USD a month, and for such an expensive program I expect much more. The only good thing has been the Japanese friends I've made along the way. My incompetent student advisor and ISA have only made my time in Tokyo miserable. I wish I chose another program instead of ISA.