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Post by Underlig on Aug 16, 2014 16:49:28 GMT
Hello fellow gaiwa members! I may be going to Japan on exchange(not sure yet) and I am wondering if you guys have any experiences with this kind of thing?  I have researched, a lot, and I have thinking about depression and stuff like that that you may experience, so again, if you have any experiences, please share! |
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Post by LittleGaijin on Aug 16, 2014 23:31:03 GMT
Well, I haven't done highschool exchange, but I am currently in Tokyo for my new school Temple University (Japan Campus). If no one else surfaces, I'd be more than happy to share my experiences, but I've only been here for 3 days now haha. New student orientation will start next week, and my first semester starts September 1st!
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Post by Jembru on Aug 17, 2014 7:19:10 GMT
I have worked in Japan, but I didn't study there. I wasn't really interested in becoming fluent in Japanese in the way I am now, so didn't even take a night class or study on my own while I was there (I knew basic survival phrases though, and had a vocabulary of maybe 200-300 words).
How long would you be staying? I think it's too good a life experience to turn down if commitments allow. Personally, I adapted to life in Japan very quickly despite knowing very little about the culture before arriving. I'm not sure if having no preconceptions about what to expect helped me or if it's just my personality, but I didn't experience any culture shock going to Japan, although I knew people who were very unhappy, including one colleague who hated his life so much that I couldn't understand why he didn't just pack in his job and go home. Returning to the UK was horrific though.. I could see for the first time how bad our lifestyle is here.. dirty streets, high crime rate, appalling diet, and don't get me started on our public transport. You're not from this awful country though, so hopefully none of this would apply to you. Being from England did help with a few things that bothered my fellow expats though.. the cost of living, the small houses, small portion sizes... all the same to a Brit! I couldn't live there again, but I am glad I had that experience and I really love Japan, a country I was indifferent to before, as a result of my time there.
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Post by Underlig on Aug 17, 2014 8:09:08 GMT
Thanks! Jembru @littlegajin Well, I'd be staying for like 10-11 months(a year pretty much), I've already applied and everything, but I can still not go. I will just "quit/stop" school and then come back exactly and continue(my friends will be in the year above me, a lot of people go to the USA and such). Where I live nature's pretty much everywhere, and well, space is pretty vast (our population density is 21.5/km2 while Japan's is 337.1/km2, so yeah). I am ready for most things, or I feel like I am. I am just worried, I mean, I have no clue how I will react emotionally, I could get depressed, and then again, I couldn't. Anyway, thanks and I look forward to hearing about any future experiences! |
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Post by Bokusenou on Aug 22, 2014 22:37:38 GMT
Underlig I've studied in Japan, though at a language school, not as an exchange student, but if you have questions about living there, feel free to ask!
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Post by Underlig on Aug 25, 2014 19:51:46 GMT
Everything is appreciated, I have done my research but it's always nice to hear how people experience stuff |
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Post by Bokusenou on Aug 27, 2014 1:45:17 GMT
If they let you know which school you'll be going to ahead of time, you might want to do some research on it too. Finding out what clubs they have, getting a head start on learning the school anthem (it'll probably impress the teachers there) & learning about the town or city you'll be in might be helpful.
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I have researched, a lot, and I have thinking about depression and stuff like that that you may experience, so again, if you have any experiences, please share! 
