jrkester

Planning a Foreign Exchange in Japan

This blog looks like a good place to write down some of the process I'm going through to begin a foreign exchange. I've been studying Japanese for just over a year now, and as I've done so I've become more and more interested in the culture and people of Japan. I finally got into a Japanese class last semester at my college and now I'm up to Japanese II, but my skills are still quite basic.

A couple of weeks ago I went to an informational meeting about studying abroad, and now I hope to begin in the spring of next year. I still have plenty of time to get ready, as the applications won't be due until this fall. I'm looking at either doing a direct exchange with Hirosaki University, or through a private company in Tokyo. They both seem really interesting and I'm going to have a tough time deciding, but it will definitely will be cheaper to go through Hirosaki.

This past week I was able to meet with a guy named Kevin who has been over to Japan on a study abroad program. As I get more and more information, I get the feeling that going will be a big step in my life and that it may be difficult at first. But the time flies, and you come to enjoy it very much. As Kevin said, "one semester isn't enough!" So I may want to go for a year, but I'll have to see how that would work out.

Kevin is also an intern at my school's Intensive Language Institute for the foreign exchange students who come here. He extended an offer to me to help out and be language partners for some of the students from Hirosaki! I think that would be great, as I think I may also want to spend some time teaching English in Japan. This will be a great opportunity for me to see if I like it. Plus, I'll get to meet some interesting people and maybe have a friend if I go to Hirosaki. :)

I still have a long way to go, but I'm excited about the possibilities that are opening up. Well, bye for now!

またね！

| | |