CET Japan

I knew signing up that the program would be work-heavy and very intensive--and it was! We were at OGU for five hours a day, four of which were dedicated to class time. On top of that I did homework for 3 - 4 hours a day. Of course, depending on what you want to get out of the program, this can vary. If your intentions are to learn as much as you can and really take advantage of the resource of academia, then you will be doing lots of homework and pushing yourself mentally. If your goal is to explore Japan while getting a little learning on the side, then perhaps you will do less homework and more adventuring. Personally, I really wanted to improve my language skills, so I spent more time on homework and studying than other students. I would advise incoming students to know exactly what they want to get out of the program before going into it. In studying abroad, you are going to want to do everything--try all the foods, visit every cool shop, make lots of new friends, get straight A's, and still be able to sleep. Well that's tough. Prioritize your time with what you most want to do; figure out what is most important. Maybe making a lot of local friends is more important than spending time exploring the country. Keep that in mind when you plan, because it's impossible to do everything. The summer session was 9 weeks, which might sound like a lot of time, but for an entire country, it's miniscule.

My time in Japan was one of the greatest times of my life. I got to meet many new people, hang out with them, and make new experiences. The program also really helped me improve my Japanese. The teachers and staff were very helpful the whole time and helped you with any problems that you had. Your roommate will also be there to help you with your homework. He/She will be with you the whole time and will help you explore around the city and on your Japanese on your times of need. You get to use Japanese the whole time, and by the end of the program, you will feel like your Japanese has improved drastically. You also get to learn the local dialect. By the end of the program, it will be hard to let go since you don't want to leave everything that you have experienced during your time there. You will have so much fun during your time in Japan.

The program is well set-up for students who wish to have close interactions with Japanese peers without living with a homestay family. The housing is very comfortable, and there is a lot of opportunity for interaction with Japanese students and fellow international students. The course load is heavy, with lots of homework, but the instruction is excellent, with a wide variety of learning opportunities. Though there were some opportunities for more "cultural" experiences, they were more limited than expected, though the few group excursions that were held were quite enjoyable. The living accommodations are very conveniently located near public transportation and close to the campus, as well as being in a quiet and safe neighborhood. The housing itself was excellent for someone with dietary restrictions as a personal fridge and stovetop unit were included in the room.

If you are looking for a challenging and immersive study abroad experience please consider CET Japan.

One of the most beneficial things about CET Japan is the language pledge: which forces you to speak Japanese inside and outside of the classroom. This can seem quite intimidating, but it was so helpful for my Japanese. In addition, it strengthens camaraderie with the other CET students who also took the pledge.

The CET program staff were also very supportive and always available to help. They pick you up at the airport, help you fill out important documents, and even take you to the hospital if need be. I always felt extremely comforted knowing that I could talk to them if I had a problem.

The CET academics were very high quality. Class sizes ranged from 2-5 students, which really helped me to participate in class and develop a strong relationship with my teachers. The teachers were extremely knowledgeable and skilled.

There were many social opportunities and it was easy to take advantage of them to fit your own lifestyle.

My building was somewhat old and things occasionally broke. That being said, the landlord always responded promptly. You should be advised that you may have to pay extra for utility cost.

Studying abroad with CET Japan was one of the best experiences in my life and I am extremely glad I chose it. I highly recommend CET Japan!

This program was intensive, as promised. I did make a lot of progress in regards to my Japanese ability. I would recommend your Japanese be at least low/mid-intermediate, as the pace does not allow for much adapting if you fall behind. Expect to have a lot of busy work in regards to homework. Myself and fellow classmates had consistent trouble managing sleep and completing all of the homework. If you prioritize your grades, do not count on having free time to explore the area or travel. CET does a good job warning students beforehand that this isn't a vacation, but even finding time on the weekends was a challenge. I highly recommend that students with ANY type of health or mental health related issue start that dialogue as soon as possible with the staff and to already have relevant documents on hand when arriving. This was a life saver for me, the absence/tardiness policy is pretty unforgiving if you don't come prepared.

A highlight of the program were the language partners. The Japanese students were incredibly patient and accommodating. If your assigned partner isn't the most helpful, other partners will be more than happy to help so don't hesitate to engage with the other language partners.

It was a great cross-cultural experience. The students were offered great opportunities to attend awesome excursions with the program.; The staff and the local roommates were definitely supportive of the foreign students for the most part. Although the academics had proven to be rather challenging, it was definitely an effective way of learning a language in a fast pace. One thing that I would recommend on improving is the communication between the local roommates and the foreign roommates. A weekly check-up on both of them could be beneficial.

I chose this program primarily for the academic rigor, which it did provide. My Japanese language ability improved significantly over the course of the program and the materials provided by my classes was generally effective. My teachers were all excellent and I very much enjoyed going to school every day to learn the new vocabulary and grammar. In this respect, I got what I wanted from my experience at CET.

This program was challenging and some assignments felt unnecessary and superfluous to the development of my Japanese skills, but overall it was a good program. The people I met on the program, both Japanese and international, are unforgettable. The language pledge is difficult at first, but extremely helpful for developing confidence and fluidity in speaking. It is easy to default back into English, but if you try to speak in Japanese as much as you can, even if you cannot get it right, it helps. If you're looking for a program that will drastically improve your skills in Japanese this program is a good choice. Osaka is a great city for someone who wants the big city, but also someone who wants a more quiet area to live. Great food, funny and unique people, and a decent class.