South Korea: Post program: Study Abroad takeaways and post program reflections, by Natalie Dacey

November 8, 2024November 8, 2024nevitthLeave a comment

Have you considered going abroad again or researching international internships and careers?

Before studying abroad, I only briefly thought about working abroad, but it was never serious. The idea of moving, even temporarily, to a place that was foreign to me seemed very stressful and honestly kind of scared me. After taking the plunge and studying abroad for a full year, I feel far more confident in myself. I explored a completely new country on my own and alongside the friends I made, flew for the first time alone (international no less), and lived in a country where the language and culture are far different from the one I came from. Now that I know what it’s like, I would absolutely love to travel abroad again, and if I get the opportunity to work abroad, that would be even better.

If you studied abroad and spent time with other US students who were also studying abroad, were you experiencing anything unanticipated related to your identity/ies?

Several of the other international students at my host university were from the US. There were students from Idaho, California, Missouri, Maine, and Texas. I believe there was one other, but I forgot to ask what state they were from. One thing that was common amongst the international students was referring to groups of students based on where they were from: the French, the Americans, the Europeans. Whenever several students of the same nationality did something, they were immediately grouped together and referred to as one. And if someone was different, they were excluded. I’ll admit that I did this myself. There was an instance where, because most of the French students preferred to keep to other French and not really interact with the other international students, the one who didn’t was referred to separately (i.e. the French were a bit standoffish except for Justine).

For myself, I am mixed ethnicity, and I found that people recognized that more abroad than they do in the US. Here, people may recognize that I am mixed, but just Caucasian and something. In South Korea, more people recognized that I was Caucasian and Asian. I don’t know if that was because I was in an Asian country and the comparison, despite not being the correct ethnicity, helped with that, it was interesting that more people realized.

This may be the first time you lived abroad as a guest in another country—a country for which you may or may not have citizenship. How did it feel to be “the foreigner”?

I don’t really have any particular feelings about being “the foreigner” other than being from the US being part of what people knew me by – I was one of the Americans. There were also instances where we would get looks because we weren’t Korean, especially by older Koreans. We even nicknamed it “the old man stare,” since a lot of the time it was elderly men taking walks that would stare as you walked past. It wasn’t annoyed though, more like staring at someone that you thought was out-of-place or just a little odd to see them there. Most people though didn’t really bat an eye and understood if we had trouble understanding something. I also understood the few who did stare, as the host university wasn’t in Seoul, where foreigners are a more common sight.

Mid-Program: A Day in the Life: Two, By Natalie Dacey

April 10, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

South Korea

Posted by DACEYN on APRIL 9, 2024

I’ve been studying abroad for just under eight months now and it has been both relatively normal, and a wild ride. I think what has surprised me the most was how comfortable I’ve been being here. Something about going to classes like normal has been a comforting sense of normalcy. Traveling around South Korea is still a sense of anxiety for me, but when exploring with other people, it has been very fun!! There is so much to see and visit here and even though I’ve been here for so long, I almost can’t choose where I want to go because it’s hard to decide.

My two major trips were months apart and were rather different but were both amazing in their own ways. The first was during Chuseok in September where I went to Seoul with a few friends and on a weekend in March, visiting the Boseong Tea Fields and Yulpo Beach.

The trip to Seoul was planned by my roommate and us plus two others went to Seoul together. We took a long bus from Gwangju to Seoul and dropped out things off at the guesthouse before heading back out. We walked around Myeong-dong and went to the top of Namsan Tower the first day, which was beautiful!! The cable car ride was gorgeous; looking out over the city and trees with while the sun was just starting to set made it brilliant.

This is the view that I had while in the cable car as we went up. It was crowded since they put as many people as possible into the car at one time, but it was still fun to look out the sides as we ascended.

The above photos are views of the cable car and ridgeline to Namsan Tower, Seoul from one of the many look-out points, and a room that we walked through before getting to the very top of the tower. Once up there, you can look out over the city, buy little souvenirs, or even buy and have the employees send a postcard to family or friends.

Our second day was a jampacked day of history. We first visited one of the several Hanok villages in Seoul. I can’t remember which one we specifically visited just that it was relatively close to where we were staying in Myeong-dong. It was really interesting seeing the traditional houses and reading about who lived there. You could tell what status the former resident was based on the furniture inside, but because it was Chuseok, there were activities going on in some of the buildings so we couldn’t see much. It was still fun to walk around and explore!! There was a forested area with wide pathways and the occasional seating area behind the houses which was a breath of fresh air. After being in the city for a month at the point, getting to visit a place with more plant life felt really nice. There was also a giant time capsule that won’t be opened until 2394 to celebrate “Seoul 1,000 Years.”

We also went to Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of five palaces in Seoul. The complex was enormous; there was so much to see and explore. There were all kinds of walkways and gates you could go through and little corners to explore. It felt like no matter how far we walked, it just kept going. Every building was blocked off, but some were set up as they would have been when they were in use, and the opulence of them was definitely something to behold.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is a must-see for anyone visiting Seoul!! It’s a nice place to spend a few hours just walking around and enjoying everything. Since it is the main one that tourists and Koreans visit though, one of the other palaces might be better as they are not as crowded and are therefore quieter.

Our last day was far more relaxed as we chose to visit the Lotte Aquarium inside the Lotte Mall. As someone from the US who is used to aquariums being their own separate building, visiting one inside a mall was a bit of an odd experience for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be nearly as big as it was and was repeatedly surprised as we kept on seeing more and more. There was everything from small tanks with jellies to a massive tank that was two-ish stories tall. Which, given this aquarium was inside a mall, was extremely surprising. There was even a tank with a Beluga whale!! It still baffles me months later.

We went back to Gwangju the day after this, tired but happy for having such a fun trip together. It was nice to spend time away from campus and classes, enjoying the extended weekend exploring and having fun.

PRE-DEPARTURE – South Korea, by Natalie Dacey

March 15, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

How to Get Around South Korea

Posted by DACEYN on MARCH 14, 2024

There are several methods of traveling throughout the country, however depending on the city you study in or visit, some may be better than others. Please be aware that some options may only be available to foreigners via a website and not an app, so plan wisely.

Cross-country:

Taking a train (website)
- There are several different kinds of trains in Korea that one can take, but the fastest is the KTX. A long-distance train that you can take to travel between major cities, the KTX is the fastest way to get around to different provinces. There are other, slower trains that travel to smaller cities where the KTX does not go, which can also be accessed online. There is luggage storage available for check-in bags, but it is very limited. There is also overhead storage for smaller bags.
- Regardless of the kind of train, they will arrive at the stated time on your ticket, so DO NOT BE LATE. When you book a train ticket, there will be train car and seat number listed on your ticket – sit in your assigned seat for the duration of your ride even when other people get on and off as this will be your seat until your stop. Just before each station, the name of the stop will be stated in Korean, then in English so don’t worry too much about not knowing what stop is coming since these announcements combined with the stop time listed on your ticket will let you know when to get off.
- Booking a KTX ticket: simply look up “ktx train” or “railninja” and you will be able to book tickets after setting the city names and date. If you receive no result, then a KTX train does not take that route and you will have to resort to a different kind of train (try looking up “Rome2Rio korea trains”) or a bus.
Taking a bus (website or in-person)
- Long-distance buses are a cheaper, but longer alternative to the trains. There is undercarriage storage that can fit check-in bags, but you must do this on your own. These buses will make a singular stop at a rest stop for 15 minutes during the journey. These stops while have several food vendors, a convenience store, and restrooms. Employees here are unlikely to speak much if any English so you can check if there is an electronic order station at the stand, use a translation app, or learn how to order food. The 15-minute break is strict – they will leave without you.
- Booking a bus ticket: there are ways to book tickets ahead of time online, but it is best to just look up “city a to city b bus tickets.” An easier, but riskier way to book tickets is to go to the station and buy tickets at one of the kiosks. Another option would be having a Korean friend buy bus tickets via the app (it is not advised to use the app on your own; it requires a Korean phone number and ID, but even if you have this, foreigners usually have trouble with it).

In the city:

Taxis (app)
- Getting a taxi is very simple in Korea as the app, Kakao Taxi, is available to foreigners and is very easy to use. You just set up your pick-up and drop-off locations, pick the kind of taxi you would like to take (with estimated price), and the app will search for nearby taxis. It will show you if/when a driver has chosen your request and how far away they are. It will also display the license plate number and a picture of the driver so you can easily tell if the car approaching is the correct one. There is a caveat though – you must have a KakaoTalk account and a Korean bank card to pay via the app, so you would need to pay the driver directly if you do not have these (you will select how to pay before the app sends out the request).
- Depending on the city you are in, the drivers may or may not speak English. In Seoul, they are more likely to, but most will not in other cities, including Gwangju. Occasionally, a driver may ask for clarification of the drop-off location, so have a translation of the address ready on your phone or know how to say it in Korean.
Buses (in-person)
- In order to take buses in the city, you will need to buy a T-Money card. These can be bought at any convenience store and are usually around 5,000 to 10,000 won for the card ONLY (price varies depending on the design). You can charge the cards at any convenience store as well – they can only be charged with cash, excluding coins.
- You can find bus stops and times on Naver Maps – this will show you the bus number, stop number, and when it arrives down to the minute.
- While the price of a bus ride can vary a little based on the city, rides are usually 1,250 won. You board the bus, scan your T-Money card and find a seat or place to stand. Scan your card as you are getting off as well to avoid potentially paying more.
  - There are different kinds of seats on Korean buses: regular, elderly, pregnant women, and disability seating. These will be indicated by the color of the seat. While it is generally socially acceptable to sit in the specified seating, you must move if someone boards after you that needs that seat.
- The buses move very quickly, so find a place to sit or stand fast as the bus will move even if you aren’t sitting/holding on. In the same vein, prepare to get off at minimum a stop before by pressing the “stop” button (located on the wall) and getting ready to leave. You will know when your stop is coming via an accouncement as well as a screen that lists the upcoming stop in Korean and English.
Subway (in-person)
- The subway works very similarly to buses: you need a T-Money card to use the subway and you scan your card before and after your ride. Naver Maps also shows directions via the subway so using that for the subway too will be helpful. When on the subway, it is advised that you do not talk, or if you do, make it short and quiet as this is the local etiquette. It is also not advised to sit in the pregnant women seating unless it is super crowded. Even then, you must move if someone else needs it. Stops will be announced in Korean and English and they will tell you what side the platform is on as well.

Japan: End of Program – Ethan McConkey

March 15, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

March 5, 2024 mcconke Uncategorized

What Have I Missed?

I think that there’s two things I have missed the most while I was gone.

One is food. As much as “American Food Culture” is an ever-debated topic on the internet, I have missed the foods that were normal to me. Of course, I’ve become accustomed to much of the food here, but I miss things like my mom’s cooking, and the restaurants I used to frequent, both in Bellingham (The Black Cat!) and in my hometown.

More importantly, I have missed people. As much as I have enjoyed (nearly) every second of my time here, I do feel ready to go back home and spend time with friends and family. A few of my friends started going to school, and another moved into a new place, and I have missed these things which I would’ve preferred to be around for. This is a natural concession of going abroad (luckily, nothing bad has happened while I was here) but I think it is important to make sure to stay in touch with people while you’re away!

Reverse Culture Shock

To answer the question; I’m not sure if I will experience reverse culture shock. I initially believed that I wouldn’t, but a friend of mine (a fellow Western student who was also studying abroad at the same university) told me that he was feeling some upon his return.

Regardless, I’ll have about a month after I return before I go back up to Bellingham, so I should be able to readjust back to the US (and fix any jet lag) with no real problems. That’s the goal, anyways!

Study Abroad as a Memory

Many of my friends unfortunately left at the end of Fall, so there are only a few people left as of now. Just last night another friend of mine went back home for Spring, so I had to say goodbye to him. The rest of everyone I talk to is staying for Spring, so I will be saying my farewells over the next few days, as I head home in about 48 hours, as of writing this.

I plan to continue studying Japanese for the foreseeable future. In December, I’m planning on taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, a government recognized test for (as you can guess) Japanese language proficiency. In the future, I want to teach English in Japan, but I am also considering applying to graduate schools here.

I want to try my best to maintain connections after I leave. I am making sure that I let everyone know when I leave that if they ever end up in Washington, to let me know, so we can try to meet up again. I want to try to at least message people occasionally, as I’ve met many cool people here that I hope to remain friends with in the future.

Wrap-Up

Apologies for a bit of a short entry, I’m pretty busy packing up and meeting up with people in these last few days. This has been a wonderful experience, thanks in no small part to the people who make WWU Study Abroad run smoothly!

Personal Goals for Study Abroad in South Korea, By Natalie Dacey

March 15, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

Posted By Daceyn, March 4th, 2024

What do you hope to gain and how much research have you done on your host country and culture that will better prepare you for this experience?

When I initially thought about studying abroad in terms of what I wanted to gain from it, my mind was solely on academics. I thought about how I would meet my major and minor requirements, how I would need to choose the right number of classes to meet the minimum number of credits, things like that. Later on, however, as the departure date got closer, I thought about how I would be able to experience a completely different culture firsthand and how that would change everything. I would need to learn a new language and new customs that were unfamiliar to me in order to get around and do things.

For research, I had been interested in going to South Korea for a time now, and had watched many videos and read different articles about what it was like to study and live there as a foreigner. I wanted to be informed about differences in how classes worked to how much more fast paced certain things would be.

What are you most excited about? What are you most scared or nervous about?

What I was most excited about was the same thing I was most nervous about: visiting a new country. I had never been outside of the US. before this, and now I was going to be on the other side of the world without any family or longtime friends. I was excited to explore and experience a new culture and language and everything that comes with that, but was also nervous because that those same things could pose challenges for me.

What strategies have you implemented that will allow you to overcome these challenges and take full advantage of your opportunities?

Self-care and indulging in my hobbies. Finding ways to relax and recenter myself after exploring or trying new things has been key overcoming my nervousness about going to and being in a new country. Making friends has also been a good way find new opportunities of going out and visiting places or traveling that I likely would have never done on my own.

Host Country and Cultural Immersion – Study Abroad in South Korea, By Natalie Dacey

March 15, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

Posted by Daceyn, March 4th, 2024

What are your favorite things about your host location thus far?

It’s hard to say what my favorite things are, but it can be summed up with this: South Korea has been brilliant!!

The natural scenery is beautiful, particularly the bamboo forest that I visited. Coming from Washington, I love views of nature and walking through the trees. Seeing a bamboo forest was on my list of things to do while in the country and I am so glad that I got to see one!! The city views shouldn’t be forgotten since once you get up high enough—like at Namsan Tower or Jeonil Building 245—looking out over the other buildings is very beautiful.

Other things that I’ve quite liked is having the opportunity to try different foods that I probably wouldn’t have been able to try in the US. As a somewhat picky eater, I usually don’t choose meals that I’m unfamiliar with, but being in a country that has such different meals, it forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and I have enjoyed most of what I’ve tried.

Tell us about the university, academic experience, the classes, student life, and clubs or activities you are involved with? How are the locals, are there any differences or similarities that have surprised you based on your expectations?

University is both similar and different than university in the US. There were a lot of little things that I didn’t expect to be different and that I had to adjust to. For example, classes in the US are the same amount of time regardless of what day of the week they are (i.e. a history class that goes from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Mondays will also go from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Wednesdays and Fridays too). At my host university however, the history class may run for two hours on Mondays but be only an hour for Wednesdays and Fridays. The times that classes are held is also rather different. Classes are listed in 50min blocks (MWF) and 75min blocks (TTH) and are numbered for each block. So, the history class would be Mon. 2 and 3, and Wed. + Fri. 2 as classes start at 9:00am. This was very confusing.

The locals are lovely and clearly understand that, as a foreigner, I don’t always understand what someone is saying or that they may need to repeat what they said. Oftentimes, they will know a few words in English relevant to their job and are able to tell you what they are asking. They also have no issue communicating through an app as they are very understanding since my host university has many international students.

Did you experience culture shock when you arrived in your host country? How did your expectations about your experience compare with the reality of your day-to-day life? Is there anything you wish you would have done or researched more to better prepare you for your experience?

Culture shock is given, regardless of the amount of research a person. There were so many little things that surprised me (like the aforementioned class things) that it took some time to get settled in despite what I already knew about. I kept my expectations realistic, especially for a country that is often sensationalized and seen to be as perfect, so my experience so far has mostly been what I expected except for the little things.

Last Hurrahs and Coming Home from Japan – by Jade Harding

January 29, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

Going on Trips while abroad?

By Jade Harding

January 28th, 2024

I’ve talked about how most of my time abroad was spent attending school. Luckily, though, my longer-term program also allowed students to stay in Japan during summer vacation! Like many others, I did my best to make good use of that time, and went on some trips. The best one was going to Kyoto, Osaka and Nara on the other side of the country for just under a week. I think Kyoto is pretty well known even abroad, as one of the largest tourist destinations in the country and a center of traditional architecture with beautiful shrines, temples, cherry trees and markets to explore.

Though, I found myself preferring Uji, a just slightly-less known destination right next to the main city of Kyoto known particularly for its green tea, but also housing a wealth of shrines and historic locations. As someone who likes to get slightly away from the more bustling areas, I loved Uji for having both the big attractions like the shopping street next to Byodo-in, and the quieter places like Kōshō-ji (pictured below) where I was able to explore away from the crowds.

And of course, don’t forget the Uji Matcha! 上林三入本店三星園, outside Byodo-in

If anyone reading this is hoping to travel to the Kansai area and has interest in traditional architecture or matcha, I recommend adding Uji to your bucket list!

Packing and Prep — in Reverse

All things must pass, and getting ready to go home was tough in a different way than preparing to leave for Japan. A lot of people have a tougher time packing, due to unavoidable accumulation of Stuff—for Japan in particular, I noticed some folks with exceedingly large volumes of manga and/or crane-game stuffed animals. Unless you came with an empty bag or two, it’s highly probable that you will be leaving with more than you came with. Depending on your budget, it may even be worth planning on bringing an extra bag home, or packing fewer things in the first place that you’ll need to bring back. Having to pack away the items I’d accumulated over my trip was a good moment to look back, but also felt like a kind of closure signaling that the trip was really coming to an end. Depending on the items, it may also be good to post a box home; I sent one full of Japanese-language books, which cost a lot less to get there, even after shipping.

One other note, depending on your program length, it may be necessary to book your returning flight separately from your departing flight. That mainly applies to programs that are half a year or more. It also depends on the specifics of the programs, such as whether you have to arrange airplane tickets in the first place. There could also be some variability in when students return home; in the case of my program you were allowed to stay until the dorm rooms had to be cleared out for the next batch of students, but could leave any time after the semester ended depending on your own circumstances. In my case, I was able to book my departure and return flights together due to knowing the start and end dates well in advance, and therefore took the exact same route in reverse on my way home, after staying at the dorm for as long as I could.

So, I packed my bags, closed my temporary bank account, said my goodbyes, and after half a year took the train back to Narita for the day-long journey home.

Being Home Again

Coming back home has been wonderful. Of course it is just nice to be home, but I also feel a greater appreciation for how different it feels to live here. Climate is one area where home definitely wins, and I was immediately happy to be free of Japan’s sweltering, simmering, stifling summer. However, I can’t help but look back and miss Tokyo. I tried my best to be appreciative of the opportunity I had and spend as much of my time as possible learning and having experiences that I could remember, and I was able to fit in more than I ever expected before leaving. But half a year is hardly enough time to take in the whole of Tokyo, much less an entire country. I hope to return in the not-too distant future if at all possible, both to see more of what Japan has to offer and revisit my favorite places once again.

To borrow the words from a presentation I heard before leaving, expect not to shut up about your time abroad.

What do you miss?

A couple of things I’ve missed since getting home,

Food!

Japanese food is wonderful, and I got used to eating it every day. But sadly, it’s much less common where I live in America, and this was a transition I felt sharply on my return. I hardly craved American food while in Japan, though there were some exceptions (see: maple bars, baked beans). But upon getting home, I wanted nothing more than some miso soup. Since getting back I have been making frequent trips to Asian markets to gather ingredients and learn how to make my favorite dishes. This has been easier than I expected. There are many ingredients like Shiso and various mushrooms common in Japan that are difficult to find, especially fresh. However, I have been able to work around that and slowly introduce those close to me to real Japanese food, from curry to tonkatsu, soba, ramen, croquettes and more. Food is a wonderful thing to bring back, a great way to experience Japan again from home, and a lot of fun!

Using Japanese

A tough thing from coming back from a country that speaks a different language, and getting used to using that language daily, is that inevitably you will have less opportunity to use it. This is difficult if you, like me, want to continue to learn and grow your usage of that language. So, since getting back I have had to continue to be proactive about finding opportunities to use Japanese, as well as returning to my self study, which I mostly abandoned while being surrounded by it and taking actual courses. This is an area that depends on your goals, but I would generally advise finding ways to keep consistently engaging with the language, even if it doesn’t involve speaking. The best way to hold vocabulary in your mind is to hear it every now and then!

And that is the end of my journey. I hope that through my posts here I was able to clear up some expectations about what it is actually like to go abroad, or just convey my own experiences to anyone looking into following a similar path. Thank you to anyone who read along, and well wishes to those who go abroad!

Life in Another Country: Settling in Japan, by Jade Harding

January 12, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

By: Jade Harding

High rise buildings, walls of people, events for every season, massive gardens and surprisingly quaint parks; anything you have the will to look for.

Settling-in

For a refresher: I studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan for half a year via an exchange program. There are a multitude of ways to study abroad and even more places to go, but I hope that by describing my time abroad, I can provide some expectations to people who are considering the same path. This is the post for anyone who wants an example of what studying abroad was actually like for someone who went to Tokyo.

I am generally a pretty quiet person, and if left to my own devices I’ll just stay home. I wanted to make my time in Japan a little different, using it as an opportunity to grow. A lot of people have some goals for their time abroad, and aside from academics I had two: exploration, and actually talking to people, which were especially important while settling in.

Getting out there and exploring the city was a neverending font of fulfilling activities. Quick tip, if you expect to be doing some exploration and don’t have a portable power bank to charge your phone with, I recommend getting one. I didn’t until after arriving, but it saved me on multiple occasions. I was lucky enough to land in an incredibly walkable city with widespread access to public transport that is easy to learn and use, but spending a long time away from the house is bad for battery. It’s difficult to express the dynamic of the sheer density of Tokyo with its surprisingly tight scale, or at least that’s how it felt to me, an American used to having plenty of wide open space. You have access to just about anything you could want within an hour or two by train, or if you want to see the sights, a few hours by foot. Both are great! That is exactly how I spent my weekends, particularly in the early days of my program, getting a grasp of what the city is actually like by going to new places, from touristy spots like Asakusa or Ginza, quieter neighborhoods like Sangenjaya, or areas lively with locals like Kichijoji.

How did you get around?

It’s worth checking into the quality of public transport at your destination, or whether your program provides any transportation. An easy way to gauge the public transport is to find a bunch of places nearby you want to go to, and look into the travel time to get there using the different options available. In the case of my program, exchange students had the option to rent a bicycle, though I would say that you don’t need one given the walkability of the city. Whatever options there are, learn them and make full use to explore new places. That’s a big part of studying abroad, after all.

Finding opportunities to use Japanese

The other goal of actually talking to people had a lot to do with my study abroad location being a non-English speaking country. I won’t say that going straight abroad is the best way to learn a language from scratch, but if you go in with a strong foundation, it is easily the quickest way to increase your vocabulary and confidence with speaking. But, in order to do that, you have to actually interact with people (and things) in the language, without sticking inside a bubble of exchange students, and preferably without relying on English as a crutch—a language I assume you know if you are reading this. A quick way to find local students is to join a club. I did, and that was one of my best opportunities to interact with them outside of, say, structured events arranged for exchange students. Some programs may also put you into homestays, or, as my program did, a dorm that’s shared between exchange students and locals. That was an opportunity to see people every day and interact with them, and also helped get me out of my bubble.

Do I actually need to know Japanese?

As a tourist, you can get by in Japan with English alone. But, as a resident, especially for a longer period, you will have a tough time without speaking the native tongue. For this reason, a lot of longer programs will require a basic level of language ability, but bear in mind that textbook learning is different from the real thing. I studied Japanese for about four years before my abroad program, and it benefitted me immensely. You do not need to be fluent in a language to study abroad, but the more you know, the more you can make use of it to make the time you spend abroad more effective. And if you are still relatively new to learning the language, adjust your expectations–don’t go in with the expectation of walking away fluent, just try to understand as much as you can and see how far you go.

Personally, being able to interact freely with locals, go out on my own with confidence that I could find my way or do what I wanted without needing help, and use that as an opportunity to strengthen my skills further was incredibly beneficial.

Next time, I’ll talk about what changed as I continued with my program.

Paying for Study Abroad, by Jade Harding

January 12, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

By: Jade Harding

The Finances

In my experience as a student in the US, studying abroad can, luckily, be surprisingly inexpensive! I feel like getting into the weeds a little, so I’m going to consider the financial side of study abroad from the perspective of someone looking to go abroad, who knows about their program and location. Some things to immediately look at are the cost of living and program type. In the case of Japan, the cost of living in Tokyo is approximately half of Seattle, Washington. Therefore, you would plan on spending about half as much on expenses like food and rent in Tokyo than if you lived in Seattle. Note that the reverse could be true for your destination, with the cost of living being more than if you stayed home. This information is easy to find and cross-compare online, so check for your destination! I wouldn’t advise this as a method of choosing your program or location unless money is a primary concern, but it will give you a rough idea what to expect prices to be when you get there.

As for the kind of program, this is once again highly individual. In my case, the program was a half a year, so relatively long, and the college arranged a dorm with set rent and meals included for most days of the week. As such, I was able to factor in that cost immediately. It is also worth considering transport; for a program in Japan, a substantial cost is the airplane. I’d advise reserving a flight the instant you know when you will need to be in the country, as the closer to departure you reserve, the more expensive flights will be.

Scholarships??

In order to afford studying abroad, there are many scholarships available; simply too many to detail here. There are probably some local to your area which your study abroad department or google could refer you to, as well as country-wide options. Many are specific to certain critical languages, or meant to encourage students to go to underrepresented areas that are of critical interest. My general advice would be to look for something that appeals to people in your specific circumstances, like financial need, study abroad location, or skills. For one specific example, if you live in the US and receive a Pell grant, you can apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, offered by the US state department to support students with financial need who want to study abroad. Disclosure: I received this scholarship, and without it I would not have studied abroad, nor would I be writing this blog. As of writing, the program will provide an award of up to five thousand dollars, depending on financial need and program length, which does not need to be repaid. Including me, the Gilman scholarship has supported over 41 thousand students. I’ll include a promotional pamphlet below for more information about it. If you qualify, it is worth looking into, and if you don’t I can guarantee that there are more out there to look into. Some study abroad programs also offer scholarships specific to that program. For instance, my host college offered two scholarships that incoming students could apply for to cover costs like rent and food.

How do I budget?

I want to take some time to explain how I thought about budgeting before and after my trip abroad. A lot of costs are going to be included in the program–i.e. tuition–but a lot is also under your control. Especially if you are doing a longer term program, going in with a budget that you can adjust over the length of your stay can make the process easier. Personally, I built a spreadsheet! One sheet with a budget, and another tracking actual spending—yes, I counted my receipts, and understand completely if you don’t want to. This is what worked for me, and everyone’s system will be different. That said, I’m going to delve into my own system a bit as an example.

I didn’t record each transaction individually, just keeping track of total spending in overall categories—food, rent, shopping, travel etc.. If your program arranges aspects like housing you should be able to find out most major expenses beforehand, and you have control over how much you want to spend on shopping, personal travel during the program, etc.. At the end of the month I compared the budget to how much I actually had, and based on that adjusted the budget (or my spending). Having a rough budget prepared also tells you whether you need scholarships, how much you would need, or if you should work while abroad to supplement savings and/or scholarships.

With that in mind, here’s what ended up being the main framework through which I made spending choices while abroad: I separated out the categories in my budget that were under my control—areas like food or shopping, not rent or tuition. I took that number, divided it by 31, and the result was a goal for the average amount of discretionary spending I wanted to aim for day by day, let’s say $30. On my handy spreadsheet, I took my actual spending, added it up, and converted it to an average over the month so far. If I was two weeks into the month and my current average was $20 per day over those fourteen days, I could splurge on a daytrip. If it was $40, I would hold off and explore something nearby instead, unless I could reduce spending on other things for the rest of the month. Being above $30 doesn’t mean I need to spend $0 until it’s back on track, it means that I need to spend less than $30 per day unless I have a good reason to do otherwise. Similarly, having some leeway means I can spend some not-entirely-necessary money without feeling any guilt. My main point here is that I worried about the trend, whether I was below or above that average, not the specific amount I spent each day.

So, look into the options! Studying abroad can be expensive, or if you choose the right program and location, it can be cheaper than staying home. Making a budget can take some time, but having one ready will give you a tool to determine how realistic going abroad actually is, convey your circumstances clearly, and make decisions while abroad. At least, that’s what it did for me.

Before Leaving for Japan, by Jade Harding

January 12, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

By: Jade Harding

This week, I’m going to talk about my single largest point of stress before going abroad: the trials and tribulations of getting a VISA. My study abroad program was my first time abroad, so this was completely new territory for me with a lot to learn, and I made mistakes. I’ll leave this record in the hopes of setting some expectations about the pathway to actually getting abroad.

I haven’t been abroad, how do I schedule my flight?

My study abroad program wasn’t just my first time abroad, but also the first time I had to arrange a flight. That made me quite nervous. Some programs may arrange this for you, but if you have to, you mainly need to know the destination airport, your nearest airport and how many checked-bags you want to bring with you. The biggest tip is to reserve your flight at least three months out from departure. The closer you get, the more expensive the flight is going to be, particularly within about two weeks. However, you also cannot reserve the flight until you are accepted into your program and know the destination, so some patience is involved. Additionally as I’ll talk about below, you are likely not going to receive your VISA until close to departure, so expect to reserve a flight before that process is finished.

How Tough is it to Get a VISA?

For shorter programs, a VISA often won’t be needed. Assuming you aren’t working, you can be in Japan for three months without needing to get one. But, for programs over three months, getting a hold of one can be a primary point of concern (and stress). The exact process is going to vary by country and consulate. For programs in Japan originating from the US, VISA procurement goes thus: apply to your program in Japan, if you are accepted and there aren’t any sudden global disruptions the host institution will get a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) from the Japanese government. The certificate certifies your eligibility for a VISA, as well as setting the duration you can stay in the country. The host institution will send this certificate directly to you, in the post. This certificate must then be sent or carried, along with all the other necessary application materials, to your local Japanese consulate. If that process goes well, they will send you a VISA (after a 5 day processing time in the case of my local consulate) and you will be able to be in the country for the period of your stay. This process has a decent number of steps, but is fairly simple as long as you submit the right forms. The constraint is time; the process is entirely dependent on the timeline of the host institution, government, and local consulate. This can be stressful, especially when something goes wrong because a lot is simply out of your hands. For me, the most difficult part of the process was patience.

Double Check your Paperwork

The easiest place to mess up this process, and where I did, is the paperwork. In the paperwork given to my host institution there were some mistakes in my shipping information. They didn’t catch the mess-up, and it translated into the CoE getting held up in shipping for about five days. Now I must stress, the timeline from when the CoE arrives to departure can be tight; even without being held up, it would have arrived just over two weeks before my planned departure. A delay in shipping means a delay in it arriving at the embassy, delaying the VISA arriving to your waiting hands. In my case, the CoE arrived a week and a half before my departure. My only option was to send it to the embassy the same day, which I did. After arriving there it took a week or so to process, and arrived on the afternoon of my planned morning-departure day. Where I live, delaying flights is expensive and would use up a decent chunk of the savings I was intending to use while abroad. But after going back forth worrying while staring at the shipping info, I decided to push the flight back by ~3 days, the most I could without impacting the program. They generally outline a period during which you need to arrive, such as during a particular week, and I ended up entering the country at the very end of that period.

Read Your Insurance

Important fact, most study abroad programs require or encourage the purchasing of study abroad travel insurance. The primary purpose of the insurance is to help you in case you are injured or have some kind of accident while abroad. But, I noticed a clause in my program to pay for remedies in the case of delayed departure due to VISA procurement issues. The pushed back flight cost about four times as much as the original, so this was a delight to notice afterwards and retroactively reduced my stress level by about half, putting the finances back on track.

tl;dr: If your study abroad program does not require you to get study abroad insurance, it is worth the cost. If you have it, read through what the policy covers!

Why Study Abroad? by Jade Harding

January 12, 2024November 8, 2024rothg2

Who is this for?

By: Jade Harding

Studying abroad lets you grow as a person by allowing you to experience living independently in a new culture, and is highly dependent on both program and location. Today, you can study abroad anywhere on the globe, and all programs are different in terms of factors like length, rigor and cost. I’m hoping to give some specific information on the kind of program I attended, along with my thoughts on why studying abroad is good. If you are curious about what kinds of options are out there, looking into something similar, or just want to hear someone’s experience, I hope I can answer some questions!

Here, I’ll be covering why I think studying abroad is good and introducing how exchange programs work.

Hello World!

Should I go Abroad?

A lot of students worry whether they can or should study abroad, so I think that’s a good place to start. I’d recommend it, and there are many reasons to do so. You may have heard some of them from your local study abroad department or other students already. The reasons I’ve heard are:

I’ll be breaking them down below.

By studying abroad, you can learn and gain new skills. A lot of this comes from immersion in a new culture, but a lot comes from the classes you’ll be spending most of your time on while there. If you have a destination or destinations in mind, it’s important to research what you will actually be doing. What courses can you take? Are there any courses you would take at your home university that you won’t be able to by studying abroad, or any that you could only take abroad? Always keep in mind that studying abroad is education, not a vacation.

The most common subject to learn abroad is language. If you are interested in traveling to an area that speaks a language you don’t, be aware that many universities have courses for exchange students that are taught in English. In my experience, these are generally language courses or about the host country’s culture. These classes are a great option if you want to learn a language by going abroad, but need some structured learning to supplement the pure immersion. If you do speak the language and aren’t interested in strengthening it in class, taking courses that apply to your major or minor may make a study abroad program easier to fit into your college path.

You can also apply study abroad experience to your career. This is true even if none of your classes are directly applicable to your major—as was my case. Studying abroad can give you more diverse skills outside of your major, like language ability. Some use their time abroad to do internships and gain work experience, although that is highly dependent on the intensity of the main abroad program and the destination. More generally, cultural understanding, communication, and the ability to adjust to new circumstances are all valued soft skills that I learned abroad!

How Does an Exchange Work?

I studied abroad on an exchange program in Japan for six months. I’ll be speaking more about life there later, but to describe the program type in more detail, an exchange program means that two students, one from each university, study abroad for a semester or full year, generally each paying the others’ tuition for that period. Therefore, the tuition for an exchange program is equal to the tuition of your home university, unlike short-term or independent programs which often require the student to pay tuition while abroad in order to hold their place as a student. Because the cost of tuition is the same, it is actually possible to save money by going abroad instead of studying at your home university.

An exchange program is longer term, so they offer a lot of opportunity for taking a variety of classes and experiencing a high level of immersion in a new culture. Because I went to a country where I speak the language, I was able to take courses aimed at local students, as well as the language courses set aside for exchange students. This, combined with living in a dorm whose residents included local Japanese students, allowed for consistent contact with locals. This interaction, as well as a focus on exploration and trying new things, helped me change a lot as a person over the course of my program, becoming more outgoing and able to handle myself in unknown situations. And of course learn some Japanese too!

Japan: Arrival – by Ethan McConkey

October 27, 2023October 27, 2023rothg2

October 10th, 2023

Arrival

This post is coming a little bit late, about a month and a half after arrival, due in part to me being pretty busy lately. I feel as though I have never stopped moving, and simultaneously I do feel that time is slipping away from me at an alarming rate. There’s so much more I want to do, and that’s one thing I want to focus on more throughout the rest of my time here.

Akita

Honestly, I didn’t really know this prior to coming here, but Akita is an incredibly interesting place, even by the standards of Japan. For those who aren’t aware, Japan is currently suffering through an aging population and a declining population crisis at the same time. As is to be expected, rural communities are affected by this more than, say, Tokyo.

Akita is one of the–if not the absolute–most highly affected prefecture out of all 47. The thing that makes this especially tragic is that Akita has many unique cultural items and customs that are being threatened by these losses.

These unique cultural aspects are one of my favorite things about Akita. I’ve already had chances to experience some of these things first hand and I am incredibly grateful for that.

Classes, Clubs and Activities

Right now, I am taking 4 classes, along with an extra practice course for Japanese language. The courses are as follows:

Upper Elementary Japanese 2 + Practice (Language)
Eurasia Foundation Endowed Chair: A Series of Discussions on the Possibility of “Asian Community” in Akita (Discussions based on guest presenters’ lectures about rural Japan’s connections with the rest of Asia)
Personhood and the Self: Anthropological Perspectives (Personhood in relation to our current world, in which many people exist in two different cultures)
Japan’s Constitution and Law (This one is pretty self explanatory)

I am in two clubs, Kyudo which is a kind of archery, and 日本語ハウス or “Japanese Language House”, which holds regular events and meetings to encourage the education of the Japanese language for domestic students, and practicing Japanese language for foreign students.

I also do volunteering for the Foreign Language Conversation Partner (FLCP) Program, in which people who want to practice their English sign up for half hour slots for me. Early next month I will also be going to a local school to do a presentation in English about the US to some local high schoolers who are interesting in improving their English as well.

Culture Shock

This might be a little bit of a boring answer, but I don’t feel like I experienced much culture shock upon arrival. I do think that I may experience some reverse culture shock on my return to the US in March, but frankly when I arrived I didn’t feel particularly blindsided by anything.

I have been very fortunate that things have worked out well so far, even if there have been some small hiccups.

I think I did plenty of research to the point that I have never felt overwhelmed or out of my depth.

Conclusion

So far, I am really enjoying my time here. My classes are fun and interesting, I’ve met some really cool people from all over the world, and my Japanese is improving very fast. In just a few days (as of writing this) I will be going on a solo weekend trip to nearby Sendai city, and I am very excited to do my first bit of solo traveling.

Pre-Departure: Japan ” Waiting, Waiting, Waiting” – by Ethan McConkey

August 3, 2023August 3, 2023nevitth

Akita International University’s Nakajima Library – Wikipedia

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

To say everything has gone smoothly in preparation to study abroad would be a vast overstatement.

Frankly, I’ve spent most of my summer being worried about whether this will even work out. Regardless, I remained in good spirits. It was nice to know that the things I was worrying about then were leading up to a (hopefully?) rewarding experience.

At the risk of sounding like all I do is complain, I’ll say that pretty much everything from getting medical forms signed by a doctor, to getting required and requested vaccinations, to getting plane tickets has been downright stressful. This was by no fault of anyone involved, of course; It was just the way things unfolded.

Both Western and my host school have been very accommodating and helpful throughout this whole process, and I don’t want this to sound like I am discouraging anyone from studying abroad.

What’s important is that all of the difficult stuff is in the past now.

*Front Entrance to Akita International University* – Wikipedia

My Goals for Studying Abroad

The thing I hope to gain most while abroad is experience in, and knowledge of, another country. My career goal is to teach English in Japan, either through a program like JET or Interac, or through manual job search, with help from connections. One of the things that can really strengthen an application to these types of programs is lengthy experience in Japan (or any country other than your own.)

I am an over-researcher at heart. I tend to plan things out a little too much. It’s out of excitement usually; Preparing to be in a new place surrounded by new people gets me thinking about what I can do while I’m there. When I was a kid, I loved researching other countries, geography, language, vexillology, religion; Anything you can think of related to countries and their identities, I probably had a stint of being really into it.

I took a year of Japanese classes at my local community college when I was in high school, and since then I’ve done self study of the language to get up to the level I want to be at before I arrive. I plan on taking language classes while at AIU as well, so I need to pass a certain level of exam to test into the right class. This is definitely the largest part of my Strategy to Overcome Perceived Challenges that May or May Not Happen. (Title is a WIP, more on this later.)

I’ve also done a lot of research on Akita city and the surrounding area, and I really hope to meet someone with a car so I can do some proper exploration.

What am I excited about?

What am I not excited about? I get to experience something that not everybody gets to, and I am incredibly fortunate to be able to do so.

I’ll get to meet all sorts of new people, see things I’ve never seen before, go and do things I’ve never done before, all while learning firsthand about the language and culture of a country so different from my own.

Something that has been echoed to me throughout my journey to getting all of this sorted out so far as that most people have one of two responses to studying abroad. “I studied abroad and I loved every second of it!” Or, “I really wish I had done study abroad.” The last thing I want is to regret not going.

What am I worried about?

What am I not worried about? I’m flying halfway across the world when I’ve never even left the country before, and there is a lot of uncertainty involved about how everything could go.

I think that if I wasn’t worried about anything, that would be more concerning than how I feel now. I’m not worried to a point where I’m scared of going, and the thought of changing my mind and staying here has never really crossed my mind. Again, if I were to change my mind, I think it would become my greatest regret in the future.

So, although I am worried about a lot of things, I am sure I will be able to adapt and overcome.

Strategy to Overcome Perceived Challenges that May or May Not Happen

Continuing to learn Japanese and study as much as I can about Akita and the surrounding area has left me feeling pretty prepared for what’s to come. (I think) I understand how to get around the city, what it will cost to get from place to place, and whatever a Suica is.

Plenty of introspection has also helped me come to terms with the fact that I am going to have to put myself out there. At the risk of sounding shallow, as a peace offering I have purchased a bag of a local Washington State sweet, Chukar Cherries. I’ll be living with anywhere from 1-11 other people (though I think it’s probably pretty unlikely to be at either end of that spectrum) and nothing brings people together faster than sweet stuff.

I’ve also been accepted into a themed living program, in which I will essentially be living with my club-mates in the Japanese language club. In addition to that, I have reached out to a sports club, Kyudo, which is a kind of archery.

Conclusion

I am equally as excited as I am worried, and I think that’s a good thing. This phenomenon has lead me to do lots of research, and I don’t think it is possible to do too much in a situation like mine. I have less than a month to go and I couldn’t be more happy. I know I am going to have to put myself out there to make the most out of my experience, and I am not afraid to do so.

I am ready to do everything in my power to make the most of this experience!