Personal Development
I made friends from all around the world living in an international dormitory, my understanding of Japanese improved, and I became more patient after having to deal with unfamiliar systems and processes.
Academic Development
I stopped procrastinating as much, as I wanted to travel and explore Japan. ... I learned to dedicate the days I had classes to study, so whenever I was on campus I completed my homework and assignments. This enabled me to explore and enjoy my exchange on my days off, without stressing over schoolwork.
Budget
I had a separate account for my exchange, so each week I would transfer between $200 and $300 for weekly expenses. For other payments, such as rent, phone bill, gym membership, and health insurance, I set aside the money at the start in seperate savings folders so I was never concerned with not having enough. I would cook my own meals regularly, however I was not stingy- I wanted to enjoy all of Japan so I often ate out and splurged on travelling and experiences. With groceries, it helped to make a meal plan at the start of the week (accounting for when I would eat out) and cook recipes with similar ingredients to avoid wasting money on spoilt food. For the five months, I spent just shy of $15,000, with approximately 1/3 spent on travel around Japan not necessary for the study abroad.
For future students, if you can I would prioritise exploring and experiences over buying material items- I found I gained more from them.
The funding I received I spent on travelling around the country during my exchange. As my main goal was language learning, it was important to me to absorb Japanese in the real-world environment. Often my experiences reinforced what I had learnt in class, for example, hearing vocabulary in context.
Advice/Top Tips
Be prepared to put yourself out there- I would not have made as many good friends if I had not asked classmates if they were interested in spending time with me outside of class. Two unknown Japanese students came up to me on campus one day and asked if we could be friends- getting dinner with them was fun and I would not have gotten to get to know them had I been shy.
