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Attending a Japanese University -
02-16-2008, 09:14 PM
I am currently interested in attending Osaka University. As I am only 14, I have quite a few years before this is possible, but making plans for college can never hurt.
As of now, I am learning Japanese with the method at all japanese all the time, so I plan on being fluent four years from now (not to a native level, just fluent enough to attend college). I typed up a short overview on my plan to attend Osaka university. Will you please post anything you find wrong with it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plan for attending Osaka University Osaka University is a major national university in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of Japan. Osaka University is recognized as a leading university, especially in basic sciences and the medical field. The university was ranked the 61st among the world's best universities and the 3rd best Japanese university in 2006, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. (Information from wikipedia) Expenses Entrance examination fee: 160$ Tuition fee (two semesters): 5000$ Matriculation fee: 2600$ Accommodation A. 50$ a month (International students lodge on campus) B. 250-600$ a month for a private apartment Estimated Monthly Costs (Information from Osaka University) A. Cost of Food 300-400$ B. Living Cost, Utilities, Travel Expenses 500-600$ C. Study Expenses 60-120$ D. Entertainment, Clothes 210-220$ F. Other Miscellaneous Expenses 140-230$ E. Total (Per Month) 1210-1570$ Yearly expenses based on the above First year- 26,000$ Second, Third, and Fourth years- 24,300$ (The above includes all expenses, although, of course, prices may rise a little bit) Financing Before leaving for Japan, I plan to have 10,000$ earned through part-time work in high school, international scholarships, parents, student loans, etcetera. This money will be used for fees that have to be paid within three months of my move to Japan (University fees, accommodation, etc.) During this three month period, I will be searching for a part time job. According to Japanese visa laws, international college students are only aloud to work for 28 hours a week. There are two different employment options I am considering. 1. English Teaching: This involves teaching English to Japanese citizens. Hours are flexible, so I could teach after school. The average pay is 20-40$ per hour. Assuming I was working for 25$ per hour, for my allotted 112 hours a month, I could make as much as 2800$ a month. In summer time, when the government permits you to work eight hours, this would double to 5600$ a month. 2. Freelance translation: Since this is done primarily online, the Japanese government could not enforce the 28 hour limit. Most translators can handle 2000 words of translation with an eight hour work day. Most Japanese-English translators make 0.25$ to 0.40$ per word. Assuming I could translate 1000 words a day, six days a week, for only 0.15$ (rather low pay, considering the market values given above), I would make around 3600$ a month. Since this is all freelance, I could work whenever I wanted after college hours. Based on the “Expenses section” it would be safe to say my monthly expenses for my first year will be around 2200$ a month. The above employment options, along with scholarships (which there are many), student loans, and the generous support of my family should cover my stay in Japan. Schooling Plans Now that I have covered my financial plans, I can talk more about my actual schooling. Although getting into a Japanese university is difficult, many people say the school is very easy to succeed in once accepted. Foreigners must take a nationally standardized test called the EUJ that determines their level of Japanese. If they score high enough, many schools will accept them, after, of course, they pass the entrance exam. I plan on studying at Osaka University’s College of foreign studies. My major will be Japanese, and my minor will be business, or English. Below is a course description from Osaka University’s college of foreign studies. “Our goals are to promote education and research in foreign languages and cultures, both in theory and practice, to instill broad knowledge in the students so that they can contribute to the world community, and to nurture their deep understanding of foreign affairs. To achieve these goals, SFS offers 25 modern languages as majors and many other ancient and modern languages as minors. During the first and the second years, the students are to take one foreign language as their major language, together with core introductory subjects in various academic disciplines. In the final two years they will study their major language at a more advanced level, along with a problem-oriented research related to a particular academic discipline of their choice.” Plans for life after graduation After graduation, I plan on moving back to America for 1-6 months. After my temporary visit, I plan on going back to Japan to be either a full time translator or a full time English teacher. Closing Note Although I plan on going to college in Japan, I realize it will probably happen in a much different way then described in this document. The main purpose of this article was to give some information about financing undergraduate life in Japan, along with giving some basic course descriptions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: I know freelance translating, even after obtaining the work permit from your university and the immigration office, is most likely illegal. I would rather engage in english teaching. Which brings me to my question. If you obtain a part-time work visa while in college, can you teach english if someone is willing to hire you. As I have stated numerous times, I am only 14, so this is a very vague/naive plan to my future. Please give any advice you may have. Thank you! 
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02-16-2008, 09:40 PM
You sound dedicated and motivated and have done some very thorough research.
Being fluent enough to attend college means being native fluent, and I think that is a pretty ambitious goal over the next four years, especially if you don't live in Japan. Although you are right, the hardest thing about Japanese colleges is getting in, you want to go to Osaka University, It's ranked number 3 for a reason. Without a degree or passing JPT1 or a lot of translating experience, finding consistent translation work is going to be hard. $0.40 a word? That's what some companies charge for highly technical translations which include a translator and editor/proofer, but that's not a realistic number. $0.15 is more realistic, but I still am not sure how you plan to attend classes and do homework AND work 28 hours a week (but you're young and have more enery than me). Tutoring english is probably more lucrative, but 28 hours (plus travel time) is very ambitious. 3 or 4 hours a week is more realistic. Just a couple things to think about...
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02-16-2008, 09:56 PM
I honestly dont really know about many of the stuff you talked about, but it seems that getting money in japan is not going to be so easy. Its like MMM says u have to go to classes u have to study and the work teaching (suposing u find work teaching) and translating.. u would have to go to an hospital really soon from exaustion... If i were u i would seriously consider learnig japanese very well until u are fluent and then try a scholarship or some program not to think too much about money and concentrate in the important things, your studies and the experience itself...
But like i said i dont have any information about many of the stuff you talked about...
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02-16-2008, 10:02 PM
Thanks for the help! Yeah, I think I am going to drop the translation work idea for now. By the way, the 0.40$ was taken from a website that had no idea what they were talking about. It was stupid of me to even include that figure.
You are also right about the over-working situation. That was a bit naive of me to state I could work 28 hours a week, on top of school work, in the document. Just wandering though, it is legal to work 28 hours while under the visa status "college student" if you recieve permission from your school and the immigration office, correct? I was also looking into the Monbukagakusho. The competition is very steep, although that is not to say I won't give it a shot. It appears as though many people take the test and interview with no knowledge of the Japanese language...yet still pass. I read one blog where a guy was talking about how he guessed on most of the questions, and didn't answer anything on the Japanese test, yet he was still awarded the scholarship. I know this isn't the case for everyone, but it still gives me a bit of hope. I would assume being fluent in Japanese (yet not being of Japanese origin) would only benefit you in the application process. There are many other scholarships besides the Japanese government scholarship, such as the ones from JASSO, and private organizations. A student loan would be last resorts. Based on your answer, I am going to try to cut down on the work, and look into scholarships and student loans instead. I have heard, from many people, that University education in Japan is very poor, and not very demanding. Supposedly, many students go out and get drunk and party. I know it would be ignorant for me to believe this fully, but I think that led me on to thinking I would have a lot of free time. Do you agree/disagree with this idea the Universities in Japan are less demanding than their American counterparts? By the way, I have no particular preference to Osaka University. I would study in any major city, so if you have suggestions, please state them.
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02-16-2008, 10:14 PM
I'm not trying to be negative at all. I just don't know how realistic it is to obtain the level of Japanese necessary to pass the entrance exam for a Japanese university within the span of only 4 years. Even if you spoke every single day. A lot of my Japanese friends weren't even able to pass that exam. I have a friend now who told me all the studying he did for that test. He had to study various subjects such as Japanese history, etc. I forget what else. I'll ask him again for you.
Haven't you considered going to college where you live? let's say you enter college at 18 then get your bachelor's degree by the time you are 22 or 23. You could get a master's degree by the time you are 25 or 26 and then go for your doctorate. You would be maybe 28 or 29 by this time and able to get a well paying job. Let's say you eventually make $75,000 dollars plus every year. You can live a very comfortable life. I think this is more realistic than spending the time and resources to get into a top 3 Japanese university. I would love to see where your Japanese is in 4 years. You should ask MMM how much studying and how long it took him to be able to become a translator. I'm not sure if he took that entrance exam or not but you should ask.
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02-16-2008, 10:31 PM
Quote:
You are 100% right about the entrance exams though. I am not sure if the exam is editted at all for foreign students. If not, I will just have to study harder. In the past, I did consider attending a university in America. The idea faded though. My goal is not to get rich quick or anything. My goal is to live a modest life in Japan. Obviously, it would be ignorant to say I wanted to live in Japan my whole life, because I haven't been there, but I would like to attend college there. On another note, like I said earlier, I am really only using Osaka University as an example. I am not to picky about the college I will attend in Japan. I don't have too go to Osaka University (Or any of the "top universities".) Thanks for pointing out all that stuff though. It got me thinking about those issues. If you (or anyone) has any more advice on this topic, or personal experience in Japan please share.
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02-16-2008, 11:17 PM
I have never taken JPT1, but I have enough experience translating that it isn't necessary. I graduated with a BA in Japanese and then lived in Japan for three years in an almost 100% Japanese life (I didn't have many non-Japanese friends, partially by design, to make sure my Japanese would be strong). I even taught Japanese for a few years before getting into translating. (Which you aren't sure about now, so this really doesn't matter.) With a major in Japanese from a school with a very Japanese program and reputation, I don't think I would have wanted to attend Japanese college...or that I would have been able to...but that is just me, and it doesn't mean you will have the same experience.
I have never heard of people attending Japanese Universities after one year of language study, unless they are doing an exchange, and the classes they are taking are in English. I know Waseda has a program like this. International Universities or ones which teach classes in English may be something to consider. You have taken a lot of important things into consideration, but I think you are kind of forgetting the most important thing when you say you don't care what University you go to, as long as it is in a big city. Do all universities have Japanese majors? Do you really want to go to SCHOOL in Japan, or do you just want to live there. If you just want to live there, I would say wait until you graduate college, when you can have a full-time job, and not have to worry as much about doing your homework, writing essays and taking exams in a foreign language.
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02-16-2008, 11:33 PM
Here's another option to consider.
Attend a university in the US, but take a full academic year to study abroad in Japan. In most study abroad programs sponsored by a US university, all the credits you earn at a Japanese university will transfer back to your home university. I did this myself. I went to a university here in the US, my first two years I spent in the US taking Japanese classes (among other classes related to my major). Then on my third year, I studied in Japan for a year. My Japanese improved drastically over that one year, enough so to be fluent in speaking. Right now I'm in the middle of applying to the JET Program, so I can work in Japan after I graduate this spring. The big reason I recommend this option is because it truly is an extreme amount of work to go through in order to enter a Japanese university. And once you do get into a Japanese university, you're going to be dropped into an entirely new environment for four straight years. You may end up not liking it, and if that happens, all that work you put into getting in will have been wasted. You might think now that attending a Japanese university is the right thing for you, but unless you know exactly what its like, you could be setting yourself up for something you might end up not enjoying. Studying abroad lets you go there for a year (or just one semester) and see how it is. A year of intensive Japanese courses in Japan is certainly enough to really get your Japanese language skills up to par. I also took part in an internship there at a Japanese law firm, and I had a chance to meet a lot of different people, and that can really open up doors (career-wise) for a person. Spoken fluency, an internship, and career contacts - all in one year - best choice I ever made, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Anyway... that's something to think about. And also, I have to agree with MMM - complete literacy in Japanese in four years is a tall order to fill. You'll have to take some intensive, university-level classes for those four years, which is usually at least two hours a day, five days a week. If you can find those classes, afford those classes, and fit those classes around your high school schedule, you might have a shot. If there are no classes available where you're at, I personally don't think it would be possible to become 100% fluent in that amount of time.
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02-17-2008, 01:07 AM
Quote:
I would enjoy an exchange program, but there are some factors to consider. 1. They cost a lot, considering most of the time you will not even be studying your major. 2. They are rare in my area (Oklahoma) 3. They are only 1-2 semesters Although I understand you 100% for thinking Japanese fluency is impossible in four years, who knows, I may just prove you wrong.  You are right, I may not like it, but then again, what is four years? Anyways, to answer your question MMM, yes, I actually want to study in Japan. Although, as a 14 year old, I do not have a plan in stone, meaning I would switch my preferred major/school. I certainly do not want to go to Japan just to live there. I, personally, think that would be taking advantage of the university I attend. Thanks a ton for all of the advice guys (especially MMM) please share anything else you may think of!
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