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[bonuspoint]

From The Exchange Student Survival Kit:

"For most exchange students, the preparation stage is an exciting time... Yet in the midst of all this excitement, you may also be nervous about the upcoming experience. How will you make friends in this new place? How will you be able to manage in the school while struggling in a foreign language? You may

Comments

[an_kayoh]

I was super excited last fall when I went for a semester (I too had been as an exchange student before), but reading the stuff that my school required for students studying abroad made me want to puke. Suddenly, right before I left, I was frantic about getting into the classes I needed, my host family, the orientation, you name it; my mom had to shove me into the airport security line. Before that I had been fine, and after I arrived and met a few of my fellow students I began to regain that sense of excitement.

I loved the Exchange Student Survival Kit. It got me jazzed up the spring before and all of its advice helped in some way. I always loan it out to friends going abroad now.

[bonuspoint]

The Exchange Student Survival Kit is definitely one of the best preparation books out there. So great.

[blushingblood]

Yes. On top of that, my feelings got even more intense after I had been in Japan for several days!! It was basically because I knew no Japanese whatsoever, and suddenly there I was and needed to start living independently, taking care of all my own needs, showing up to work and school on time, avoiding faux pas at all costs... ;) I needed a lot of help, and thankfully I got it, and after about two weeks I was filled with the pride of achievement because I had mastered my routine!

What's fabulous is if you can forgive yourself for all the little mistakes you will make, and can enjoy that sense of achievement even after performing the most "common" tasks. Being clueless in Japan didn't make me feel vulerable; it ended up boosting my confidence because I would feel like a genius if I got on the correct train or successfully bought bananas!

[bonuspoint]

lol that's a great outlook... I'm actually a genius! I'm gonna try thinking that way.

[moldypotatochip]

I went to Japan for the first time in 2006 for a summer semester abroad. It was my first real experience out of the country, my first big journey by myself. I think I was more excited than anything else.

I came back to Japan in 2007 and I've been living here for 2 years now. It's challenging living here. But I think the point at which I really started enjoying it was when I stopped counting down the days to when I was going "home". What is really good is to look at wherever you happen to live as your home. Maybe it's not a permanent home, but Japan WILL be your home, so please make the best of every day you spend here. There will be times when you're homesick, but try to keep in mind that you're going to be able to go home eventually, but maybe you won't have another chance at Japan (who really knows where your life will take you). I hope that you can put your fears aside and become comfortable with a few things around you.

Don't be too worried about mistakes. They're natural. I make mistakes enough in my own culture >__<.

[bonuspoint]

I'm def gonna keep your advice in mind. It's all true.

What program did you go with in summer 2006? I went that same summer in HS with YFU.

[moldypotatochip]

I went to Nihon University AKA Nichidai (through my university, WMU). Nichidai's study abroad program is total foreigner isolation in a little building separate from all regular students other than a few volunteers :( but the Japanese courses were intense and I improved a lot, so I'm glad I did it.

[jimjamjenny]

I was terrified before I first came to Japan. But once I was living there independently everything was okay. If problems came up, there were lots of people I could turn to for advice (including this community!) and although I was worried about my Japanese level, the good thing is that if you're trying to communicate in it in the first place, it's going to get better anyway.

I wouldn't worry too much about cultural mistakes, because most people (especially young people) will forgive you as it's obvious that you haven't been brought up in the same culture as they have. Older people might get a bit offended, but just apologising and saying you didn't know works well :)

I think it's completely natural to be worried, it's stranger not to be worried. I was worried about such stupid things before I came (how would I know what cleaning products to buy?!), but I never had any huge problems.

Try to think positive though! It should be a lot of fun! ^_^

[yuenmei]

YES. I was horrified. The night before I bawled my eyes out, seriously, bawled. My dad had to force me to get on the plane.