CET Japan

I chose CET for the chance to be roommates with a Japanese student, and to experience Osaka, a city that seemed to be a loud, fun, vibrant counterculture to Tokyo. My semester abroad turned out to exceed all my expectations and left me with heartwarming memories and a whole lot of personal growth.

HOUSING: CET offers the chance to room (either in a house or an apartment) with Japanese students who attend Osaka Gakuin University. I lived in a house with three Japanese girls and two other Americans, about a fifteen minute bike ride down a gorgeous path from school. I believe my housing option was a happy middle between a homestay and a dorm - I had the independence of living on my own (cooking for myself, no curfews, privacy), and the opportunity for cultural exchange with Japanese my age. My housemates became some of my best friends - some of my best memories are small moments we all shared, sitting around the kitchen table studying together, my Japanese roommate explaining kanji to me, cooking American food for our Japanese friends. This sort of housing option operates as a safety net (you probably won't be isolated or lonely very often) and an opportunity to create lifelong bonds. Also, on a practical note, most study abroad programs in Japan require a significant commute to campus, but all of CET's housing is either within walking distance or a 15 minute bike ride/5 minute train ride.

ACADEMICS: CET academics are rigorous and tough; the standards are high, and include about 2-3 hours of Japanese class daily and a research project. You will spend at minimum one hour studying each night. Although I struggled at times, I completed the program amazed at how much my Japanese improved (especially compared to friends who participated in other programs). Additionally, many of the Japanese roommates (as well as people in Osaka generally) don't speak much English, especially compared to Tokyo, so the environment forces you to become comfortable communicating in Japanese! CET also offers electives in a wide range of subjects (I took a history course and an international law course while there). Finally, the interview-based research project is really what you make of it. I felt like it opened a lot of doors for me and gave me an excuse to strike up a conversation with someone I might never have talked to.

LOCATION: Osaka is amazing! Loud, fun, beautiful, DELICIOUS! People are friendly, talk to you on trains, and help you when you're lost. It's fun to explore the different parts of the city, as well as get to know the neighborhood where CET is. The dialect they speak there isn't as hard to understand as some people might tell you, and people get really excited when you can use it. Also, Osaka is centrally located in Kansai so that Kobe, Nara, and Kyoto are all only a short train ride away. Great for exploring!

This program truly challenged me academically and personally. I grew exponentially as a result of choosing CET and thanks to the incredible people I met while abroad. I hope other students consider this program - while of course I cannot guarantee that you will have an experience like mine, I can attest that the CET program provides a strong foundation for all of these positive experiences.

After having a few study-abroad options prove untimely or too expensive, a friend informed me of CET's Intensive Language and Culture Program in Osaka for the summer. After having approval from my Japanese teacher, and researching the program, I applied for CET Osaka. The price was right, and the length of the program gave me plenty of time to do other things during the summer. It helped fulfill several of the requirements for my major, and counted as 2 semesters worth of Japanese class in only two months. The academics of the program are very intense- unlike other study abroad programs that involved barely any work. My knowledge of kanji was greatly increased and reinforced, as we went through most of the textbook. If you want to learn a lot of kanji in a short time, and are serious about improving your verbal ability in Japanese, this is the program for you.
As for the learning environment, there may be a bit of a learning curve in understanding and fulfilling the standards the Japanese teachers have. They can seem a little strict; and unlike American professors, they do count absences against you, so it would behoove you to attend every class. But the teachers are all very kind and willing to help you, and I am still in contact with my former teachers today.
Osaka is a great city, and should totally be considered on par with Tokyo in terms of culture, shopping, and general enjoyment. Though me and many of my classmates and friends did not get to do much traveling outside of the Kansai region, we had a blast making Osaka our home and becoming familiar with the local culture. Overall, Osakans are very funny, and easy-going people, so it's easy to reach out for help, or extend the hand of friendship. Get out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in this wonderful place. I can't wait to go back there someday!

ALL of the Japanese roommates were amazing people to get to know!! The beauty of CET is that not just your roommate, but all the other roommates too, are your friends and want to hang out with you just as much as you want to hang out with them. Moreover, program participants are welcome to interact with non-CET OGU students as well. Because many students at the university are majoring in foreign language, hospitality, or international studies, they really enjoy getting to know foreigners. I felt like a superstar on OGU's campus because of the very friendly reception. I can honestly say I've made lifelong Japanese friends through this program and communicate with many more even today.

I picked CET's program for convenience (it lines up with the US school year) and because of the appeal of the housing situation. And indeed, the housing situation was easily something I wound up being hugely grateful for. We, the foreign students, were neither isolated in an international student dorm, nor treated as guests by a home-stay family. Within our houses we were equals, roommates, and ultimately, family. As such, during the times when homesickness or culture shock might have otherwise been overwhelming, we had immediate support right outside our doors. The only problem with housing is the variation in residences - some homes have drying machines, others don't; some have large common areas, while others are much more cramped. This can also change how you interact with your roommates, so you might have to make more of an effort if you don't have a common space.
Similarly, the program staff was very supportive, especially the Resident Director. The local teachers could, however, set expectations rather high, and they were not always as understanding of failure - in Japan it is seen as a result of simply not working hard enough. This could be very stressful, especially in the more advanced class levels, though in my case I'd been lucky enough to have covered a few chapters of our textbook in my previous Japanese class. Classes tend to be quite small, so they are intensive - but they also help hone your language skill quickly and efficiently.
In terms of having a good experience outside of class, Osaka is a great place to find yourself. My roommates and I made friends with a group of old men who walked along the path we biked to school, and their smiles and high-fives were a wonderful part of many mornings. Kobe and Kyoto are both easily reachable by train, as is downtown Osaka, and whether you like sightseeing or clubbing or shopping, you certainly won't run out of things to do! Plan carefully though, since as the semester draws to a close it gets much busier academically. As much as I enjoyed an early winter trip to a mountain onsen, I would have been a lot less stressed if I wasn't also worrying about my final project at the same time.
Ultimately, of course, I had a great time in Osaka with CET. I still keep up with my roommates, I learned more Japanese than I'd ever hoped to, and I came away with a lot of great memories. If I could do it all again, I would!

CET's Japanese Language program in Osaka offers a tremendous opportunity to improve your language skills while learning about the culture through the people. From day one you begin to build relationships with your Japanese roommate, who not only gives you insight into the culture and cool places to go, but can also be a means for you to meet more Japanese people than you may be able to in a program with just foreign students. In my experience I hung out with more Japanese students than actual foreigners for a majority of the program. They were even able to tell me how much my Japanese improved. I remember one day me and my roommate were on our way to Tokyo and he said that he's impressed with my language skills because initially it was difficult for me to understand him but now he is able to speak quickly and I would pick up everything he said. So your skills will definitely improve a lot.
In terms of Osaka, the city is AMAZING and probably has a great mix of traditional Japanese elements and very modern city experiences. The people are probably amongst the most friendly of all of Japan. I became very good friends with a group of people outside the program on a random trip to Osaka Castle. They struck up a random conversation with me and I ended up hanging out with them for the next 4-5 hours and I still keep in touch with them today.
Some of the difficulties are that being so immersed into the culture and lifestyle from day one can be overwhelming initially. But I think this is where the strength of the program is; you become quickly accustomed to being constantly out of your comfort zone to the point where after the entire experience you feel 100% confident in your language and interpersonal abilities and apply this confidence to other aspects of your everyday life.