Studying abroad will be one of the most amazing experiences of your life, though it can also be the most overwhelming. Even with all the planning and preparation you may do, once you get there it’s a whole other ball game. If you’re considering a study abroad program, don’t consider, do it! You won’t regret it as it will likely be the best time of your life. You’ll come away from it a different person, with new perspectives of the world. Not only will this benefit you as a person, but studying abroad will be a great addition to your résumé. Employers like to see a person that can adapt to new situations, and believe me, if you can live in a foreign country for a few months then you can easily adapt to anything.
Whether you’ll be gone for a few weeks or several months, make sure you set a budget and stick to it! You may find yourself wanting to eat out or travel more then you originally planned, and those things will quickly eat away your money. I found that in the last month I was in Tokyo, my money was depleting as I had stopped paying attention to a budget months before. There’s no way of knowing ahead of time how much money you will need to spend on food, going out, clubbing, karaoke, travel, or any number of extra activities. The best thing you can do is set a base budget per week and try to stay under that budget. This way you can accrue a bit of extra money as you go along that can be put toward something else. Any study abroad program will advise you not to buy any souvenirs until the end so don’t splurge on the first things you see. Setting a budget for souvenirs per week is also a good idea, as it will keep you in check and you (hopefully) won’t start spending wildly.
When you first arrive in Japan, you’ll feel like you have all the time in the world, especially if you are going to be there for an entire semester. You’ll come to find that time passes quickly and before you know it, the last few weeks will be there and you’ll have a list of places to see that you have to cram in. Don’t waste a single weekend while you are studying abroad! You might have those days when you don’t feel up to doing much, but at the very least, go somewhere new or do something different every week, if not every day.
A lot of people will say that getting lost in Tokyo is one of the best things you can do. While I personally would not want to be so lost that I have no idea where I am, the train system in Tokyo is so easy to use that exploring the city isn’t a problem. Try picking a random location on a train map or even getting off at a different stop along your route home; you never know what you may find.
If you are unable to take any language classes before you go, at the very least learn some basic vocabulary. Many people do speak English but you’ll find that they are much more welcoming if you make the attempt to speak some Japanese. Learning how to read hiragana and katakana before you go is also incredibly helpful because not all restaurants have an English menu and not all signs have English translations. While English is commonly used in Japan, don’t expect to find it everywhere you go or for everyone to speak it, especially when you get outside of the main metropolitan area.
Packing light might seem like a difficult task, but it will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. I learned this the hard way when I brought three suitcases with me, each one completely full. First, bring as few toiletry items as you can. Foreign products are available in Japan and many Japanese products are the same, if not better than the ones in the states. Of course, if there’s anything you can’t part with for a few months, like certain makeup or toothpaste, then by all means bring extra to last the duration of your trip. But things like shampoo, face wash, or contact lens solution can all be bought in Japan. This will save you a lot of space and weight in your luggage if you only bring enough to last a few weeks. One thing that I highly recommend you bring extra of is deodorant. The only kind that is available in Japan is spray kind and it is weak compared to American ones. Other than that, anything you can find here is readily available in Tokyo.
The first few weeks in Japan may be a bit overwhelming and you may even experience some culture shock. This will all fade in time and before you know it, you’ll be having a blast. Of course, you will be taking classes while abroad so don’t forget to spend at least some time devoted to your school work. Though, don’t study too hard because you won’t get another experience quite like this one.
