SSG: How to get here.

I've done a few posts for the "Student Survival Guide", like acquiring cellphones, electronic dictionaries and using the trains... but I forgot one of the most important things about being an exchange student, and that's applying to be one!

Please note that I'm just a student myself; I'm not an expert or representative. So I'll be writing from my own experience. 

I am a student from a university in Hawaii, studying at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. NUFS is an excellent school that really watches out for its students, setting you up with monthly stipends, housing, bank accounts, field trips, etc. The Office of International Exchange will even help you out with work permits, if you'd like to tutor your native language at the NUFS or NUAS Language Lounge.

There are two programs at NUFS- Culture and Language. 

If you want to start or continue studying Japanese, then you enrol in the Language program. You'll have three hours of grammar classes three days a week, plus an Oral class on Mondays, and reading and Kanji on Fridays. 

I am not sure if the same is true for beginner classes, but at an intermediate-advanced level, all of my classes are in Japanese. My text books are also all in Japanese. However the beginner level text books are written with English explanations. 

In addition, Language students can enrol in Culture classes for more credits. These are conducted in English. They have a wide range of interesting topics, which change for Fall or Spring. For example, you can take Japanese Pop Culture, Japanese Food Culture, Tourism Management in Japan, and even Judo! This semester I'm really excited to take "Service Learning Across Cultures", which will allow us to volunteer in local orphanages, teach English and help out with community service. 

The cultural program requires no Japanese classes- so even if you don't speak Japanese and don't want to learn, you can come to NUFS to take classes. However this may set you back in school credits. Not to mention, culture classes only meet once a week in the afternoon- so if you are only in the culture program, you will have a lot of spare time on your hands. 

Nagoya is about six or seven hours south of Tokyo by bus. It's much quieter, and even though it has its Industrial areas, in comparison I find it rural. I like it though. Personally, I think the location forced me to get out and speak Japanese with real people. (Not that I don't like speaking Japanese, I'm just very shy!)

By the end of Fall semester, I could call services on phones, understand keigo and communicate. Then I could go out to visit friends and chat away informally. I was personally very impressed with my progress. 

On the other hand, a friend of mine was studying in Tokyo, and I was surprised to see her Japanese hadn't really progressed. She said she rarely hung out with Japanese students, and couldn't understand natural speech. We were at the same level when we came to Japan. 

I'm not going to lie, it takes motivation, thick skin and hard work to do the language course. Even if you make mistakes talking with people you have to keep at it, that's how you learn. I think of language like a muscle... when you're working out, it hurts when you start right? Because tissues break then build up thicker layers, becoming stronger. Your skills are just like that. Mistakes are embarrassing and they sting, but they make you stronger in whatever you do. 

Hopefully that didn't scare you. And it shouldn't. Journeying out to learn a foreign language is something you should be proud of, and want to work at. At least I think so...

Now that we have some background, let's address a few myths about studying abroad.

"You have to be fluent in Japanese to study in Japan."

Wrong. Though I took four semesters of Japanese at my University, many students came without studying Japanese at all. Is it a good idea to take Japanese before coming? Absolutely. My minimal, scrapped-together Japanese saved my ass when I first came to Japan. 

But literally, many students came without being able to read furigana, katakana or kanji. When Placement tests began, all they had to do was say they couldn't read Japanese, and they were taken to another classroom where, guess what- they started learning to read Japanese. No matter what level you are, you can come study Japanese in Japan. 

To be comfortable living here, I'd recommend knowing at least beginner's Japanese. But even if you don't, many pick it up the longer they stay here. 

"Studying Abroad will be too expensive."

It depends. For me, Studying in Japan was exactly the same tuition cost as studying at my home university. I just paid my tuition normally, and my university handled the cost with NUFS. It may vary by university.

To help with living expenses. NUFS offers a scholarship to all foreign students. Your rent is automatically subtracted from this each month, so you don't have to worry about paying a landlord or housing office out of pocket. The remainder of the scholarship is yours to make your life in Japan fun and comfortable. 

The text books are dirt cheap, compared to the US. In Hawaii some of my text books were $180+! My Japanese textbooks on the other hand, are as cheap as 1,500-2,500 yen, and I only need two or three each semester. 

The biggest cost may be travel. I was devastated when I started looking for flights to Japan, and thought, I may not be able to come after all. I scrambled and had a huge yard sale before school ended, and got even more depressed when I only made about $60. But I got back on my feet, and took up lifeguarding at the YMCA all summer, working every day and saving everything I could.

Finally, I found STA, a student travel agency that helps find discounted flights and travel deals. My agent helped me find a decently cheap flight to Japan. In the end, I still had to ask my parents for help with the ticket. But when they saw how serious I was about going, and how hard I worked, they agreed to loan me the money. :)

I still rely on my STA agent, who also keeps in touch to make sure everything goes as planned. If something as little as a flight number changes, maybe even four months out from departure, she emails and lets me know. 

Even after my terrible experience with Delta airlines last September, I emailed my agent to tell her. She helped change my schedule so I could fly a different, but just as affordable airline. So I guess my point about travel is, don't get discouraged, where there's a will there's a way... and you'd be surprised at how helpful people can be. 

"Studying Abroad will set you back in credits."

Since I attend school on mostly scholarships, I was worried studying abroad would push back my graduation date and jeopardise my plans. However, after talking with my International Exchange advisor, I found out that wasn't true at all! 

The typical course load at my university is capped at 15 credits a semester. Here at NUFS, if you take all your language courses and two culture courses, you also earn 15 credits per semester. My advisor even helped me find courses that corresponded with requirements for my major. Ask at Academic Advising, if there's an Office of International Exchange at your school. 

"It's hard to sign up; you need to apply like a year in advance!"

Typically, this is accurate. I got extremely lucky with my chance to study in Japan. 

As you all know, last March Japan was struck by Earthquakes and a tsunami. After that, many exchange students, even in Nagoya, were evacuated. Many students who planned to come to Japan changed their minds.

My Japanese teacher knew how badly I wanted to come to Japan, but I could never convince my parents to let me go. One April afternoon, she announced that the Advisor for International Exchange would come in to talk to us about an open spot in Nagoya. She made direct eye contact with me. The advisor told us that if we wanted to apply for the spot, we had to do it the same day, before deadline. When he left, I asked my teacher, "Should I go? Am I good enough?" and she told me I'd be perfect for it.

Instead of going home I went to the office to talk to the Advisor. I brought up all the urban myths I've just covered, all the reasons my parents said it was a bad idea. And as it turned out, all of those fears were false. Studying abroad in Japan was totally possible- and right within my grasp. 

From there it was a whirlwind. I had to complete the paperwork and applications other students had months to work on. I had to apply for my passport, my Student Visa, get (really awful) photos for immigration, and book my flights within a month. But it was totally doable. Compared to the horror stories I'd heard, it was painless. Or maybe I was numb to it because I just wanted to come, haha. 

So a lot of people tell me, "I always wanted to do what you're doing"... and I think, if you want it badly enough, nothing can stop you. 

If you do it last minute like I did, it's a lot of information to swallow at once, and it seems to have a thousand steps before you finally get here. But when you are here, standing at the top of the hill and looking back, you're proud of the climb right? When you were at the foot of the hill, did you think you had it in you to climb that high? 

Till next time,

Cherie

Student Survival Guide: Cellphones

I didn't mean to drop off the face of the Earth, honestly! The NUFS Fall semester is already coming to a close. 

Today I got myself an early Christmas present: a pink 電子辞書, or electronic dictionary. I borrowed one from a friend in class recently, and wondered how I ever got through my assignments without one. I wish I bought one first thing this semester.

Honestly, they are amazing. Not only can you look up words in English and Japanese, but you can add any language from Korean to French with a simple upgrade. There is an SD card slot for additional content, such as memos and recipes. The screen is in full color, which makes browsing easy on the eyes. There is a stylus which allows you to draw a kanji and look up the reading. 

They normally run 25,000-35,000 yen, depending on how big and fancy you want it. But mine was on sale today for 17,000 yen. On top of that, the salesman said "Regrettably, all we have left is pink." Oh, boo hoo! ;D

Speaking of handy electronics, I thought I'd take the time to try and explain one of the cloudiest matters about studying abroad in Japan... prepaid cellphones. 

When I first arrived in Japan, I had no intention of buying a keitai. I thought, "That's useless, just another money eater". 

However as the first month passed, I realized I was the only one without one. Even with the advent of Facebook, I couldn't get a hold of my friends. Then when we started taking school excursions, keeping in touch was even more of a pain. 

The features of Japanese cellphones were tempting too. For example, even with the most basic prepaid phone, you can beam your information via infrared to your friends, eliminating the need to manually enter contact details.

So, you're a student in Japan and you want a cellphone. How do you make it happen?

The major companies are Softbank, Docomo, and au. I decided on Softbank because there are so many stores in my area, it seems to be the cheapest, and all of my friends got Softbank plans.

First of all, get your Gaijin card. It is an ID card that proves/validates your temporary residence in Japan. You normally get it the same time you get your insurance card. Without a Gaijin card, you will need someone else with a Gaijin card, or a Japanese resident to help you get a cellphone in their name. 

Second of all, you must be at least 20 years old to get your own cellphone plan (at least with Softbank). I took my friend to the store to get his cellphone, but since he was only 19, he was ineligible.

When you go to get your phone, it is recommended that you have an intermediate level of Japanese, or take a friend who does. Sometimes there are English speaking staff on deck, but it's never guaranteed.

When you're all set to get your phone, all you have to do is walk into the store. It tends to get swamped in the afternoons when people get off work, but during the day on weekdays it is practically empty. You may still have to take a number and sit in the waiting room. 

When the staff is ready, a salesperson will come and get you. When you're seated, just ask for a prepaid phone. 

I asked for the cheapest, a Softbank 740SC. 

It was only 3,000 yen, but has a color screen, 2.0 megapixel camera, infrared, web capabilities, and texting/email. You can choose either the white model or the black model; the black is more of a deep graphite color and slightly metallic. 

After choosing your phone, the sales person will explain the prepaid plan to you. The easiest, cheapest option is choosing the 3,000 yen package; that is to say, you get 3,000 yen worth of minutes on your plan, good for up to 60 days. Then out of that 3,000, you can pay 300 yen for unlimited texting/email. 

The only thing is, this phone doesn't come with a charger. I bought their cheapest compatible charger for 900 yen, so my total came out to just under 7,000 yen. Considering the phone was topped off, set up and ready to go, that's not bad at all. However, I wish I invested in a sturdier charger for that price, since mine is all ready broken. 

Topping up your phone is very simple (I just did it yesterday for the first time). Softbank sends you free texts when your prepaid plan is about to expire. With that warning, I went to my nearest conbini and asked for a prepaid Softbank card at the desk. The clerk directed me to the Loppi automated kiosk, where I selected the 3,000 yen package, again, good for 60 days. 

The kiosk printed a receipt, which I took to the till. The cashier printed out a piece of paper with a number on it. All I had to do was call the automated Softbank line and input that number, and bam, my phone was set to go again. It was as simple as using an iTunes card. 

I did have to set up my unlimited texting again, but 300 yen for 60 days on text messaging was an amazing deal. Between study sessions, field trips and hanging out with friends, I used well over 300 texts. 

Even if you do not top off your phone, you can still keep your number for up to one year. 

That being said, the Softbank prepaid plan is an excellent resource for students. It is the bare essentials as far as cellphones go... for example, these phones can't browse the internet, or scan those nifty barcode things. However, you can email content like ringtones and photos to your Softbank email, and the camera is pretty nice. I've found it super handy for those times I forget my digital camera. 

If any of this seems vague, feel free to ask questions and I will clarify as much as I can. But really, getting a cellphone in Japan was much easier, less expensive, and more convenient than I expected. Like Manaca cards and Denshi Jishos, they will only make life easier during your studies and travels. 

Student Survival Guide: Public Transport

I wish that somebody wrote a how-to guide before I moved here. I had read blogs beforehand, but most were from the male point of view, in a country other than Japan, or the authors dropped off the face of the planet after arriving in Japan.

I decided to write 'Student Survival Guides' on different topics, to help others who want to study abroad in Japan. By the way, I'm not doing this for a scholarship or any type of profit, so I'll say what I think, not a dressed up version.

Where to start though?

How about, with the first thing you will probably have to deal with when you get off the plane: buses and trains.

I'm from Hawaii, where I took the bus everywhere, but maybe in your hometown public transportation isn't as common.

At the train station, you buy your ticket from a vending machine. First, locate your destination on the map or chart posted by the vending machine. In Nagoya, I've found things are always written in romaji (Roman characters) somewhere, so have no fear if you can read few or no kanji. That map will tell you how much you need to pay for your ticket.

For example, if you want to from my home station to Nagoya Station, the cost is 290 yen; if you want to go to Sakae, it is 260 yen. When you put in coins or bills, buttons will light up depending on how much I put in. If I press the 260 button, I will get my 260 yen ticket to Sakae, and the change will be dispensed.

There are automated turn stiles at the stations. You feed your ticket into one end, walk through, and it will pop up at the other side. Don't forget to grab it, you'll need it to disembark at your destination.

When you step onto a platform, there will be an analog clock with the current time, and a digital clock projecting the time of the text train (and the train after that, sometimes). The trains arrive roughly every five minutes.

One side of the platform goes one direction; the other side of the platform goes another direction. The sign with the clocks will tell you which city or train station that train is headed for. It sounds redundant, but trust me, I boarded the train in the wrong direction when I wasn't paying attention.

When your train is approaching the platform, a song will play. Every station has a different melody. 

If you are traveling with suitcases, please be mindful of others. Bullet trains have areas at the front of each train car where you can stow and lock your bags, but the subways aren't equipped for this.

On the subway, there are seats reserved for the elderly and pregnant women, please watch where you sit. Even if you're in an 'open' seat, always offer your seat to the elderly.

There are women-only cars. It's normally one or two central cars, on weekdays during the morning and evening commute.

The name of every station will be announced on the intercom as you approach it. It will also be displayed on a digital screen at the front of the car, sometimes in romaji (roman characters) too. Sometimes these announcements will be made in English. If you disembark at Nagoya Station, the announcement is made in several languages!

When you disembark a train, locate the exit and proceed. You will probably have to take an escalator down or up. You'll have to exit through a wicket, which is just a checkpoint of turnstiles. Insert that ticket you were supposed to hang on to, and proceed through the gate. It will be 'eaten' by the machine, and you go on your merry way.

What if you bought the wrong ticket? Remember when I said your fare may vary by your destination? Once I bought a 260 yen ticket when I meant to buy a 290 yen one. When I was exiting through the wicket, a bell rang, and the doors closed on me.

The solution was simple though. All I had to do was walk over to a window where a tenant helped me adjust my fare. I paid him the extra 30 yen, and exited smoothly through the manual door. If there's not a tenant, there will be an automated fare adjustment kiosk, with options in English and other languages. 

Besides buying a ticket every trip, if you are in a hurry you can invest in a Manaca (マナカ) card. These silver cards have a yellow smiley face on them, and act as prepaid passes for buses and subways. You can buy them at vending machines right next to ticket vending machines.

All you have to do is pay a 500 deposit for the card itself, then you can load it up with as much cash as you want. You can pay in denominations of 1,000 yen. Then, because of the chip inside, that money stays on your card like a virtual account.

Every time you pass through a wicket, all you do is swipe your card over the Manaca pad (it's blue), and the fare is automatically deducted from your account.

Now, it's not the trains that scare me. If you get lost on a train, all you have to do is get off at a station, consult a map, and catch another train back the way you want to go. Technically, as long as you don't exit through a wicket, you don't have to buy another ticket. You could ride the train around all day if you want, if you're a train enthusiast; it's not like a roller coaster, where you have to get off every time.

Buses? Totally different story.

Once, my friend and I got lost coming home from our station. We stood in the wrong bus terminal and took a bus somewhere we had never been before, then had to catch a cab home, since it was the last bus for the night. 

If you pay attention and know where you're going, the bus is great. If it's your first time, you'll want to take a well-adjusted friend.

Some buses in Japan want you to pay when you exit the bus; our local buses have you pay when you board. The fare is 200 yen, or you can use your Manaca card on the touch pad. After that, you just take a seat or stand. As with trains, offer seats to the elderly and pregnant.

My stops are easy to remember; whether I'm going to the station or coming home, it is always the last stop. If your stop is somewhere in-between, you press an orange button that says "とまります (tomarimasu)", which means "stop". Exit through the back door and continue your adventure.

Buses and trains are nice, but it can rack up... 200 yen for the bus to the station, 260 to get to a destination... your round trip could easily break 1,000 yen, depending on how many stops you take. What's an adventuring student to do?

Wait until the weekend, and buy a pass!

At vending machines (at least in Nagoya), you can buy a green paper pass for 600 yen. Good for one day, these passes grant you unlimited access to subways and buses. I've only used them once for a field trip, so it may have even more perks I'm not aware of! 

Like I said above, you should prepare for trips by knowing your destination and route ahead of time. If you get lost, don't panic; sometimes all it takes is a cool head to figure out your route home. Also, check the time tables at your home stations, so you know when the last bus and train come. Make sure you don't miss them!

If you are caught up the creek without a train... as my friends say, you have two options: Taxi or Karaoke! 

Seriously. Karaoke places are usually open twenty-four hours, sometimes with unlimited soft drinks. Depending on how late you're out, it may be cheaper to rent a private karaoke room and chill out until the next train home, than it is to hail a cab. 

For cabs, a twenty minute ride may cost between 5,000-7,000 yen. Ouch. The benefits are that your cab should have a GPS installed, for confidence in your driver. Not to mention, it's always worth it to sleep safe in your own bed. 

Now, you can consider yourself primed on public transport; or at least everything you'll exhaust as an exchange student sans bike and car. 

Good luck and grand adventures!