My experience
The reason why I chose CIS Australia in Tokyo is that I am interested in Japanese culture and language and CIS Australia offered me exactly the right program for me. In host University - Seisen University, I learned the Japanese language and Japanese culture which expanded my knowledge about Japan and was very useful for my stay as a foreigner in Japan. Although it doesn't directly link to my degree, it influenced my overall life experience and made me more open-minded to the new environment and new people and this is also my favourite part of studying and travelling overseas - meet new friends and new cultures.
How has the experience changed you?
Staying in the new environment made me excited but also nervous. This kind of feeling pushed me to adopt to the new culture, to make new friends and to step out my comfort zone. Personally, I become more independent after this exchange in Japan, and also become more open-minded to new perspectives from others.
Favourite memory
Wearing a kimono is my favourite memory. Wearing it while walking down the street, you won't feel strange because there are lots of people wearing them too. This is a very new experience that I cannot encounter in Australia.
Top tips
Know about Japanese culture before your journey. Respect is a very important aspect in Japanese culture even as a foreigner staying there for a short time. Also, do planning (PLAN A PLAN B PLAN C...) before you travel anywhere in Japan because you may encounter lots of sudden situations out of expectations.
Funding
I received 1000 AUD travel grant for my study. Most of this funding was spent on food and transportation because those two expenses are indeed expensive in Japan.