Study Abroad in Japan

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Tokyo street scene.

Mary Alania: Life as a KCP Student

Mary Alania, a former student, shares her experience and valuable insights about KCP. She immersed herself in the program and the Japanese culture and way of life.

KCP campusWhen I first went to Japan in January 2009, the only knowledge I had of Japanese was how to write and read hiragana and katakana. My vocabulary was little to none, and I could barely read 20 of the most common kanji. Once I arrived at KCP and was (quickly and accurately) placed in level 1, I realized that my knowledge really was next to nothing and felt a little intimidated. It wasn’t long until I was comfortable, though, thanks to my fellow classmates and the KCP teachers who were truly enthusiastic about teaching.

KCP campus.

I studied at KCP for a total of 1½ years and completed levels 1 through 6 in that time. Each level represented a new challenge; I continued to realize that I didn’t know as much as I thought. Constantly learning new things motivated me to work hard.

It isn’t easy to succeed at KCP, and I struggled a lot through every test in every level. This only made me want to push myself harder; I took my books with me everywhere so that I could study a bit extra, should the opportunity present itself. (My friends made fun of me quite often because I would even study in the pub when we’d go out for drinks.)

A Typical School Day

I’m not sure I could use the word “‘typical” to describe a day in Tokyo. Every day was an adventure in its own right, and I shared many adventures with fellow classmates, now fast friends.

During my last 6 months in Japan, though, my school schedule was fairly regular. It looked like this:

6:15am–wake up, shower, eat breakfast.

7:20am–leave the apartment by to catch the train; go to the local 100-yen store near the school and buy a snack for lunch.

8:30am–arrive at KCP; study for an exam or talk with my friend on the outside bench.

9am–classes start.

12:15pm–have my snack/drink.

12:30pm–extra co-curricular class starts.

1:15pm–return home, study for about 3 hrs, shower/eat, and then head out again to teach English lessons privately. (I had permission to work that I had applied for earlier.)

9pm–back to the apartment, continue my studies for another 1 to 2 hours.

11pm–sleep.

During school breaks and on weekends, I would have the opportunity to go out with my friends. These excursions often varied, but our most common activities were karaoke, purikura, shopping, and drinks/food at local places. There is no such thing as a day with nothing to do in Tokyo.

Advice

1.) KNOW your Hiragana and Katakana BEFORE you go. It will help you out a lot and you won’t find yourself desperately struggling to keep up.

2.) Dedicate yourself to your studies. Do take some time to explore, but also remember that if you don’t study and involve yourself in class, you’re missing an enormous opportunity to grow and learn with your classmates.

3.) Kato-sensei’s English support classes are truly life-saving for levels 1, 2, and 3. Make sure you take advantage of the support classes and ask questions if you have them. Kato-sensei is a wonderful teacher and knowledgeable resource. 🙂

4.) Use the new vocabulary/sentence structures/etc. that you’ve learned in class, the same day! It really is true that if you don’t use it, you lose it. Plus, the feeling that you get when you use it correctly is quite satisfying.

5.) Ask questions in class if you’re confused. Chances are someone else has the same question, and you’re not only helping yourself by asking, but others as well.

Class picture.

All of my classes were filled with many highly motivated and inspirational people. My teachers and classmates made my learning environment one of the best. | KCP Flickr

Overall Experience

Tokyo street scene  

This program is extremely valuable to students who are open-minded, motivated, and willing to work hard. If you really give this program all of your attention, chances are you’ll succeed. Being dedicated to your studies and turning in ALL of the homework is also very important. Don’t just throw it away once you get your corrected works back, either. In my experience, there is something to be learned from every corrected paper.

Tokyo street scene | KCP at Flickr

While I have not found employment to use my Japanese yet, I have already received several offers for jobs once I graduate from university due to my experience abroad and knowledge of Japanese. For the time being, I am using my Japanese daily by writing letters & emails to friends/teachers, reading Japanese books, and talking via Skype with my friends from KCP. I have also volunteered to be a teacher’s assistant for the Japanese classes at my local college.

Overall, I rate my time in Japan as off the charts. I met people from all walks of life and was able to learn, mature, and grow in an environment completely different from what I had known. KCP represents an opportunity to educate yourself, grow,  and have fun–a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

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Read all about Japanese immersion learning and studying abroad. Check out our eZasshi archives for more articles!