I never want to leave

USAC’s Nagasaki, Japan program had been my number one choice when looking into study abroad programs. I applied to this program in the hopes of just getting in. That was my biggest goal at first. Initially, when I questioned one of USAC’s advisors about applying, they said that I probably wouldn’t be allowed to participate in one of their Japan programs because I was a community college student. Yet, they still made an effort for me, someone who was only a potential applicant. And after a few weeks, I got the email saying that I had been approved and that they would be changing their policy so that community college students could now apply for their Japan programs. I knew right then, after the incredible effort that they had made for me, that studying abroad through USAC was best possible choice I could’ve ever made.

They walked me through every step of the process. Whenever I had a question, they were ready with answers. The school application, forms, and visa stuff was all scary, but the advisors were able to support me when I was unsure and worried.

Since arriving at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, I have literally never been happier in my life. Being in this program may actually have saved my life. It is so easy to make friends at this school. The people are so kind that if you are shy and sitting alone they will just come up and talk to you. The classes are great and the professors are amazing. I feel like I am learning so much here and it is all stuff that I want to learn.

The dorm is much nicer than I was expecting. I got a single dorm. It comes with the obvious stuff like a bed, desk, closet, sink, shower, and bathroom. It also came with an electric stove top, which is actually really nice. The bed has storage draws, so I can put a lot of stuff under there. They gave us a pillow, sheets, and a blanket, but you might want to buy some extras. And you should definitely get a little mattress for your bed. You don’t absolutely need one, but I would highly recommend it. The lobby is where most people socialize. There are usually people playing games in the lobby and they are always very welcoming to more players. I will say, guys and girls aren’t allowed on each others floors, so that is a little annoying when wanting to hangout with friends, buts it’s not too bad since we can hangout in the lobby.

The area is absolutely gorgeous. If you are a nature person, then you would love it here because there are mountains everywhere. If you are a city person, then you would love it here because basically just down the street from the university is a city. I thought I would miss my car but I love walking around and the transportation system in Japan is amazing. Almost everything in Japan is so much more affordable, as well!

I would recommend for anyone who is interested in studying in Japan to apply for USAC’s Nagasaki program. I love this program so much that I extended my stay from one semester to a whole year! Because of this experience, I am now planning to live in Japan. None of this would have been possible for me if the USAC advisors hadn’t done everything they could to help me get into their Nagasaki program