International Student Exchange Program (ISEP)
Meet the Students
Alyssa C. is a Psychology major who went to Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka Prefecture in Spring 2012 as a junior. She is now finishing her senior year back here at WCSU.
Hirakata, Japan, Kansai Gaidai University:
Alyssa C. attended Kansai Gaidai University in Japan in the Spring of 2012.
What were your favorite and least favorite
foods?
Alyssa: My favorite foods were curry, gyudon, and okonomiyaki.
My lest favorite food was Japanese pizza (has mayonnaise on it).
Did you travel a lot?
Alyssa: Yes, to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Tokyo.
What did you do during your free time?
Alyssa: During my free time I hung out in the seminar house with
many of my friends, went out to bars and clubs, and ate a lot of
food!
What were your favorite and least favorite
things to do while abroad?
Alyssa: My favorite things were to discover new places to eat
and travel and make new friends. My least favorite thing was
going to the bathroom on a Japanese style toilet.
Was communicating easy?
Alyssa: No. At first, I didn't know any Japanese or even
how to order food, so I had to have my friends help me, but after a
few weeks I got used to it. Not as many people in Osaka speak
English as in Tokyo. I did learn basic Japanese, and i don't
consider myself fluent, but I can communicate with people and read
and write Japanese.
What difference did you find with regards to
academics?
Alyssa: The classes were much different. Japanese classes
were five times a week and were pretty difficult. However, our
lecture courses taught in English were very easy compared to home.
What advice would you give to other students
traveling abroad?
Alyssa: Although you may read about culture shock, there's
nothing like experiencing it. It gets pretty scary in the
beginning and you'll doubt why you ever decided to travel, but force
yourself to get out and try new things and you'll love it!
Alyssa: I absolutely loved everything about my trip and was sad
to leave at the end. I will never forget the people I
lived with, and we're already planning our reunions. This trip
was a once in a lifetime experience, and I wouldn't have had it any
other way.
