The greatest dorm experience I have ever had in my life!
Which events or activities did you find the most satisfying and why?
The Shinjuku tour gave a good introduction to the area.
Why did you select this program?
This was the only program I found for a summer term in between semesters. It was also very affordable in comparison to other programs and seemed the best in providing me with a great education/immersion in the Japanese language
What were the most productive and interesting aspects of the program for you? The least interesting and productive?
Engaging in conversation with our professors and fellow students, even though our only common language was Japanese. The amount of work has been daunting, but useful in improving my language skills. I feel that trying to get meanings for some terms was difficult without being able to use a dictionary in class. Also, the limited amount of time permitted on compositions proved to be very stressful.
Were you pleased with the general living arrangements? Anything you especially liked? Any problems you experienced?
The greatest dorm experience I have ever had in my life! The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ueda, have been nothing less than wonderful to us and treated us like their own children. They held social events to welcome us to the dorm as well! The dorm itself is absolutely gorgeous, and my room itself was the biggest I've ever had in a dorm setting! Everything was absolutely fantastic, and I would definitely live here again if I could.
Any further thoughts or tips for those considering the program or new KCP students?
Interact and engage in class! The only way you're going to get better is with practice, so just try your best. Although studying is important, don't just stay inside every day. Tokyo is FULL of things to do and places to go; I was practically out every day experiencing new things! Plus you can practice speaking to locals, most if not all have loved trying out their English with me and were surprised to hear me speak Japanese. Even if you're shy, try your best to interact with fellow students. Everyone here has some mutual interest (the Japanese language), and although I didn't expect to, I've made friends here that I plan/hope to keep for a long time. You'll meet some amazing people here, from many different places; which is an opportunity you rarely get. Flashcards are your BEST FRIEND when it comes to kanji. Don't wait until the last minute and try to memorize it all; it won't work!
