[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by Bugg333

I'm a mixed guy (1/2 black 1/2 white) in 10th Grade and i want to live in Japan as well. I am learning Japanese from books and whatever source i can get my hands on. I am 16 years old and I live in LA, Cali, USA. (the place where there are two seasons every year... Summer and Spring. ) I have always loved the Asian cultures and for many of years i have always loved the Japanese culture especially. So understanding the culture and history of Japan will never be a problem for me.

You're already on the right track, studying the language and the culture.

However, my concern is the grades. My parents have always kept on me about the grades and i have always been good about it, however i don't see how getting a 3.8 is possible... REALLY THOUGH. I get pissed when i get any C's on my report card, and my most recent report card had about a 3.3 average, with 3 A's, 3 B's and 1 C. (I play music too and im in a music academy, so i have 7 periods.) With a 3.3, am i going to be ok? I'm worried out of my mind dawg!!!!

You should be fine.

And what other necessities are there? Tell me now so i can prepare as much as possible. What colleges are there that are near or in a city, and what GPA is necessary for which ones? And also, what cards/papers do i have to fill to go over there to learn, and after that, what would i have to get to live there after college? What range of jobs would be available?

Well, once you graduate high school, look into universities that have exchange programs. It wouldn't surprise me if a place like UCLA had it. You can maybe minor in Japanese and then participate in an exchange where you can maybe spend a semester in Japan while studying. To go to an actual Japanese University, the way you're going on about it, you have to have a Japanese proficiency level of probably equivalent to the JLPT 1. Do you have any idea what your proficiency level is? Have you ever looked into taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)?

Aside from having a passport, to literally live there, you will need a Visa. There are different types, work visa, spousal visa, student visa, tourist visa, etc. There are requirements as to how you get the visa, but one of the main necessities is having a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university.

Anyway, do you plan on literally living there or do you just want to visit for a like a month or something? If you literally want to live there, would probably have to try and obtain a work visa, which isn't easy to obtain, seemingly. You have to already have a job and a place of employment to sponsor your Visa prior to living there.