Panelist Recruitment : Calling all exchange students!!

marmaladejacqui · Post by **marmaladejacqui** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 8:49 am

Hello! I'm planning on submitting for a panel for AB '08, and was wondering if anyone who has participated in a summer-, semester-, or year-long foreign exchange program to Japan would be interested in helping out with my panel.

It's meant to be both informative about specific programs (costs, scholarships, participating schools, etc), as well as personal experiences (X company's rules were too strict, school Y had great teachers, my host family was... , etc). If you'd like to help out, please drop me a line on thread or through PM. Thanks!

~Jacqui

YouTube · Post by **basharoftheages** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:11 pm

Forum user dokool has been doing a Student's guide to Tokyo panel both at AB and at other cons for about 3 years now i think. He's a bit busy with this at the moment, but i'm sure he'll chime in when he gets back to his apartment and sleeps for a day or two.

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:37 am

Well, my program wasn't foreign exchange (Temple University Japan is a branch campus of Temple University in Philadelphia) so I'm not sure if that counts as much :p Plus my current language school, of course.

But seeing as my panel focuses more on life in Tokyo (getting there, doing things, etc), I think that this panel is a really good idea to go over the nitty-gritty of being a student in Japan. I'll definitely try to help if I can.

Ranakori · Post by **Ranakori** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 6:46 am

Um, well I haven't studied abroad, but I HAVE hosted a Japanese exchange student, if you wanted to discuss the hosting half of an exchange student program as well.

Bucket Mouse · Post by **Bucket Mouse** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:57 pm

I'd be more than happy to help. I went to Kansai Gaidai in 2003 and I wrote my senior journalism project as a guidebook for anime fans in Japan.

marmaladejacqui · Post by **marmaladejacqui** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:04 am

Thanks for the help!

Since there's a time limit, I'm going to try and stick mostly to how to get to Japan, though I wish I had time to cover having a student from abroad stay in your home. >_<; But if you'd like to come to the panel (provided it gets a slot, anyway) and mention it during the Q&A part, that'd be great! =3

Thanks for the tip, Bashar. ^^;; dokool, if you're free, maybe you can come pitch in a few words about language schools? It's a bit of a different environment from doing exchange at a university or high school, since the curriculum's a lot more intense, so I think we should try to get in a bit about that too. And Temple U. in Japan counts, I'd think!

Thanks again for the input!

cwong617 · Post by **cwong617** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:21 pm

I'm also trying, so it would be important to study some more and see if I am a right candidate

ladylaurajones · Post by **ladylaurajones** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:28 am

Hey there.
Covering how to get to Japan is great, but with the advent of so much internet-based advertising, it is rather easy to pick up some discounted airline tickets and a 90 day visitors passport, soon to find yourself in Narita saying, "Hm ....Now what?"
I have traveled to Japan several times (the first being to take classes at Temple University Japan on visual anthropology and documentary/film making, so I will list some of the things I REALLY wish our whole group had known before living in Japan:
What to do when you catch a cold or a bug (which does happen, believe me).
How to read basic Japanese signs and directions.
Make sure to learn basic spoken Japanese (those two should hopefully be a given to most people).
Basic politeness etiquette as it is very different from here in the States, especially in places like the metro, the bus, and restaurants.
How EXPENSIVE things can be if you don't know where to go. I once published an article called, "How to live in Tokyo on 20 dollars a day" and I should have gotten a book deal for it. It is really hard to live cheaply if you can't understand the language and learn the strategies for cheap eats and good values.
Cultural differences can make for a very difficult journey for some Americans. I recommend some academic as well as general readings on the topic.
And of course, if you have any questions, I am more than happy to help.
One last thought: if your attendees are women, you should possibly give them a heads up on traditional toilets.... (hehe)

tkawaii · Post by **tkawaii** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:51 am

lol, I think after going to the islands I think I can handle japanese toilets.

do they realy give you a 'gaijin' cirlce on the metro even if you're a girl? that would be a good thing cause I dont want to be groped

I'll make sure to stop by this panel

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:03 pm

[quote=ladylaurajones] I have traveled to Japan several times (the first being to take classes at Temple University Japan on visual anthropology and documentary/film making, so I will list some of the things I REALLY wish our whole group had known before living in Japan: [/quote]

Shameless plug, but I actually cover many of these questions in my Student's Guide to Tokyo panel :p

ladylaurajones · Post by **ladylaurajones** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:23 am

Hehe shameless plugging. Sorry but I had to give props to the people who first brought me to Japan.

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:29 am

[quote=ladylaurajones]Hehe shameless plugging. Sorry but I had to give props to the people who first brought me to Japan.[/quote]

TUJ is actually how I got there the first time too :p What year were you?