A Year In Nagoya (IES)

I participated in the IES Nagoya program for the 2014-2015 academic year. The program itself was wonderful. I was directly enrolled into the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) program at Nanzan University. I met people from all over the world that shared a common interest in Japanese culture and language. I joined a dance circle and performed with other Japanese students at the Nanzan Festival. I was taught Japanese in Japanese and really got to see myself improve on a daily basis. The CJS staff were very helpful in aiding foreign students in anything academic and with housing concerns. During school hours, they were my go to for any problems and questions I had about anything. My professors were also really supportive and were always concerned about my well-being and how I was handling the workload. For academic support, I felt that I could rely on the CJS staff to help me when I needed it.

Instead of living in the Nanzan dorm, I chose to live with a host family. I lived in a small apartment outside of Nagoya with a host mom, dad and 2 year old sister. Living with a host family was one of the best decisions I made when I decided to study abroad with IES. Through my host family, I was able to gain a third support system. My host family helped me with learning Japanese, took care of me when I was sick, took me to places within and around Nagoya and made me the most delicious meals. Without my host family, I feel as if my first few months in Japan would have been more stressful than fun in regards to adjustment. I also had to commute 40 minutes to get to school every day, and although that may seem like a chore, the commute helped me gain confidence and comfort in using navigating around Nagoya.

Since Nagoya is situated right in the middle of Japan, it was the ideal place for traveling to other places to experience different aspects of Japanese culture. IES planned monthly trips, concerts and other culture related activities for me to participate in for cultural immersion and adjustment. The IES Nagoya staff did an amazing job at planning the trips/events. I got to learn about different topics and go to places that I probably would not have been able to go to by myself. I felt the IES Nagoya staff became more than just staff; they became friends. They really took care of me while I was in Nagoya and did everything that they could to have us enjoy living and studying in Japan. My host mom would always look at my travel itineraries and say that I was lucky to be a part of IES and other CJS students would be envious of everything IES provided for its students (commuting subsidies, lunches at delicious local restaurants, exclusive experiences such as meeting geisha and maiko in Kyoto). I am definitely grateful to IES for helping to make my study abroad experience so memorable.