Program Reviews

Hi,
This Programm is all about showing people Japan and showing Japanese other people. It's a simple way of experiencing the Japanese and their lifestyle, that being living with them. If you are looking for a Programm in which you will
- Learn about Japan & the Japanese people
- Learn about their culture
- Experience Japanese Festivals
( - Go To JAPAN!)
- Eat many kinds of Foods (The Host-Families try very hard - it's almst all delicious)
(*cough* Nato *cough*)
- Get to know many People
- etc.

Then you should consider checking out the Webpage for Details.

If you struggle with Embarrassing situations, Too many new people or are a very untrusting person AND are not ready enough to try to fix those things then you may end up in some unenjoyable situations. However the Staff are there to help and they ensure a safe environment where all things that do not cause physical damage to simply be laughed off. (I ran into a lot of such ... special situations ... i got the nickname Anime Protagonist ... )

The main things i gained from this Programm are:
- A great Holiday with a lot of Fun with new Friends around the Globe
- Places in Japan i can call home
- Pictures to remember
- I matured a lot as a person (i used to think americans were fools - after meting some i thought they werent actually all that bad ... then Trump happened so yeah)(point is i learned that "American A" is not the same as "American B")
- I am confidant i could now survie in Japan on my own - nowhere close enough to "Live" there but i have learnt enough to survive there ... probably

Conclusion:
I recommend this to Everyne who A. has some spare money B. has an interest in Japan and C. wants to grow as a person
I do not recommend it to those who are A. very easily Tired B. extremly shy or C. can't handle making a leap of Faith (cause you travel alone to another country and that can be scary) However if you think that these do apply to you and you want to try this programm anyways try contacting WCI and the Staff will do their best to support you.

So I had a great time in Japan and it turned out that this program fitted me perfectly. For the last year before participating I've studied Japanese and it was a good way to put it into practice. The program doesn't require any knowledge in the language but if you do, or want to do you will get a lot of opportunities to practise while taking part in great communities. Anything from learning how to cook Japanese omelett to cutting bamboo in the forest. Weather you want to visit every shrine in sight or just want to stay around a camp fire with your host family and their friends, -turning into a dance party, this program is simply put full of opportunities and it is great. It is a great moral boost to be surrounded by 40 school children calling out your name. And the best part, except for all the nice people and delicious food, the only thing that is required from you is that you are decent and have an interest, how great isn't that? :D

The only downside to this program is that after weeks you will have to leave your family (not your host family but family- period) and friends. Thank ... what ever or whomever you want to thank, for the internet so that you could keep in touch. Loved it!

World Campus Japan really was one of the most intense and fun experiences of my life. I got to be with an international group and to know Japan not from the point of view of a tourist, but as a member of a local community. Living with host families really makes you emerge in the japanese culture, and learn all the aspects of it.

But more than that, WCI - Japan taught me that one to one, we can change the world. It showed me how great it was to get out of my comfort zone, try new things and help people. It showed me how great it was to mix with other people with diferent cultures and how much we can learn from it. We interacted with so many people and touched so many hearts... I was overwhelmed when it was over. It was a lifetime experience.

I totally recomend it :)

I never expected that the host family experience would be so great - was just thinking it would hamper our social time - but I have made friends for life! Staying with local families is THE way to see a place and really learn about life there. Hostels / hotels are the same around the world but a family home gives you safety and an insight to the traditions & customs of that culture.

The experience of students / participants from many other countries was great - I felt that not only did I travel to and learn about Japan - but so many other countries - I know I will travel to meet those close new friends in their home countries one day - have plans to already!

working together with local communities was not only a team effort, hands on learning and very rewarding but gave me confidence to begin a new career path. Overall this is a life changing and wonderful experience in a safe structured environment but yet with room to grow and find yourself!

I went on World Campus the summer of 2009, right before my exchange in Japan, the first time I would be living there, getting me great contacts and a chance to trial-by-fire. World Campus gave me a great opportunity to ease myself into it, while meeting some amazing people and getting to do things that make my friends jealous to this day. The chance to live in multiple Japanese households really gives you a unique perspective on life in Japan, really appreciating the local nuances inside what can seem a homogenous culture. Plus, they know all the cool places in their area that the guidebooks don't tell you about, like the ninja castle in Iga, not to mention the second-only-to-kobe-beef Iga beef! It was great for my Japanese as well, as class can only prepare you for a certain amount, especially the more natural Japanese you hear and use at home. The only negative was that I went for a month and a half (a half program back then) and people went a bit stir-crazy with all the events and planned stuff, but they do a great job in preparing you for that as well as reducing the length of the programs a bit. The two days off a week also really help :-) All in all, World Campus was a memorable experience for me and I highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to go!

The program was a great opportunity for me to go to Japan. I had studied a lot about it and I wanted to visit, but I wanted more than just travel. The program took care of the travel and arranged host families for me (great people, great experiences), while I could concentrate on learning Japanese, Japanese culture and society. I also made friends all over the world on top of that.
I eat all food so I didn't have any complaints, on the other hand it was the opposite the host families wanted to give me special food, but because I eat everything I didn't know what to tell them I liked.(there were vegetarians on the program)
The program allowed me to access places that I could never have accessed on my own and learned me much about Japan. On the other hand, one also learns about one's own country, because of all the questions from fellow participants and Japanese people.
Japan was magnificent, but also exhausting. The events themselves and the community interaction were quite agreeable, but instead of coming home and relaxing on the computer, the host family wants to entertain you and take care of you and so on, which makes every day very very full. But also very fun, of course. ;)
What to take on this program:
-Excitement
-stuff from your country (should have brought more)
-An open mind towards other cultures
-A good night's rest before the program starts
-Some money for drinks in summer (Japan is hot) and other stuff you'd like to buy
-English skills (well if you can read this you'll probably be fine)
-Smiles, lots of smiles

I have to say that the experience I had with World Campus was one of the best, most influential experiences of my life! Not only did I get to see the vast beauty of Japan, I was able to experience the dynamic interplay of the city verses the country, witness festivals, religious temples, assist with community-building and noodle making--you name it! Not only that, but I was able to learn and interact with people from all over the world, be immersed in the language, and discover just how small (or if you think about it, how big/different) our world really is. I would recommend this program to anyone who is really looking to get something out of a summer adventure, who wants to make an impact in the lives of everyone they encounter, AND who wants to experience what it really means to visit and possibly become a part of Japan.

I cannot imagine any better way to experience Japan. This program really focuses on learning about the culture, coming from the amazing host families and many opportunities to interact in the community. More than that, you meet participants from all over the world, and become part of a global community that continues long after the program is over. It has been two years since I participated, and I can still say that it has been the most influential experience of my life. Give this program a close look... you won't regret it!

This will be an unforgettable experience. It's truly a place where individuals from all walks of life and regions of the world come together and open up, sharing experiences, thoughts, and lives with others. You certainly experience Japan in a way that you would not as a tourist, forming lasting bonds with your host families, community supporters, staff and other program members. I would not say it is the most environmentally conscious program (thus the 9 on the impact), but there is no question about the good intention of the staff and community members involved. All in all, I recommend this intimate experience of Japan and a diverse group of to-be family!

I spent about three months in Japan although strangely, I have enough memories to fill a year! They are as vivid and colourful as if it was yesterday. I remember with an incredible accuracy my first thoughts when I heard about WCI; the excitement, the taste for adventure, the anticipation of learning and meeting strangers from all over the world. I also recall the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied me in the last days before I left for this life-altering trip.

The first month is about getting out of your comfort zone (pushing it further and further), making the first and most important learning about the unique Japanese culture, meeting people from all over the globe and learning from them. Life in host families, the Japanese environment and being in the program allows you to create a new life for yourself. A life in which honesty, trust and personal responsibility are at the foundation of the new character you become. Visiting incredible sites such as the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Museums, the Hiroshima A-Dome and Matsumoto Castle were some of the great opportunities we had. We also had meetings with different guest lecturers such as two A-Bomb survivors; a university doctor that spoke about communication and the chairman of the board of education of Ueda. We also had the incredible chance to assist in the peace ceremony in Hiroshima on August 6th, the Ueda Washoi event and the Buddhist week in Omura! Unforgettable moments…

Having a handful of members leaving after the first month when Session 1 was finished, the priorities diverted from the initial learning to the creation of a big family in Japan. Experiential learning became internal communication learning (among the participants) and the bonds between the participants grew immensely creating a priceless international network. Also, dealing with these 14 different cultures and evolving in the Japanese culture allows you to naturally start introspecting and adjusting your thoughts, behaviours, etc, to international standards. The environment changed radically as we passed from big cities to the isolated city of Uda in the Nara prefecture. The second face of Japan was about to be revealed…

As the World Campus – Japan program came to an end, the last month in Japan became a moment of reflection about the changes and learning brought by WCI. Members shared their last memories together in what became their life in Japan. We had different important events such as the visit to one of Toyota Corporation’s manufacturing plants and the meeting with their P.R. representatives or the ExxonMobil presentation where some of us had the opportunity to communicate with important management members. Giving classes to students and assisting university courses where we would integrate or share international opinions to the topic were also on the menu. Finally, some members had the most difficult task of the program – leaving for home. The strong family created by the hard and good times of WCI made it incredibly difficult to let those people go. I myself sometimes had a hard time spending all my time with the same people every day but in the end, these friends, brothers and sisters who were part of me…. letting them go and leaving on my own was a tremendous task.

Finally, back home, it’s only then that you discover the real changes that operate in you. Your mentality changed, your knowledge increased, your interest and priorities were reorganized and you acquired (want it or not) a certain form of discipline and an energy reserve that can allow you to function more and longer than before. Besides, you now have friends and family all over the world that support you, understand you and that want to hear what you have to say. Facing your real self again, your environment and the person you became allow you to make final changes in your person and fix what had to be fixed and lets you take another great step towards wherever you are going.

To describe World Campus International in a few words, I would say: “Life changing, learning, appreciation for your own background, respect for others and yourself, lifetime opportunity and most memorable”.

If ever you are interested in WCI, please be in touch; I can only wish you can experience what I experienced as it might just change your life and in the long run change the world for the best.