~ Kakikala ~
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Being MIA
Sorry for the lack of update even though I said I was going to do a new post. Bad news for now. I won't be posting till I'm back at home after this exchange ends. Right now it's like finals week and I'm cramming a lot of stuff in. Super busy. And these past few weeks have been hectically busy too. And after finals, I will be moving out of residence and travelling for 2 weeks mostly without internet and computer before I go back home to my own country. So I won't have time till I get back to post anything or update anything here. And within like 2 weeks after I'm back I'll be moving back for school again and doing orientation week. I'm hoping that I won't spend too much time unpacking and packing up so I can spend some time with my friends before I move again! I have halted in uploading photos period because it eats up too much time to do so. So when I'm back, I will be updating here on everything inbetween the exchange, snack reviews, places I've been to. So check back next month! If you have questions or anything, feel free to ask me or comment underneath. I will have time to get to those! That's it for now! Sorry again!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
First Month of Exchange
Hello everyone! I know it's been a LONG while since I've updated about my exchange. I've basically been through a month of my exchange already! Lots of things to update here about it. I think this blog will be more of an informational update. I will update again later with photos of the beautiful city and country I'm in right now (Kyoto, Japan).
So last time I left off at budget planning. Let's talk about the application of the student visa. Basically once they get the Certificate of Eligibility back from the Kyoto Consulate or whatever office that it comes from, they will send you the last package through express mail. For Spring term, I got mine around second week of March? This is REALLY late and last minute. Once you get that package, rush to your town's Japan Consulate or wherever you apply for Japan visas. Make sure you have a photo with you, around the size of 3cm x 4cm I believe. (4cm is the height). I think you also need your actual passport and country's ID and also photocopies of it. Don't really remember if you need anything else. But do rush to get it done. Because depending on where you are and how fast your country gets things done, it will take around 3-5 business days to get the visa done. They will take your passport and give it back when it's done. The visa looks REALLY nice and it's inside your passport. Remember to keep your Certificate of Eligibility and BRING it with you ON the plane because when you go through customs in Japan, you will need to show them it.
Arrival to Japan was very smooth! Got through customs pretty fast. At customs, they will give you your resident card, which is valid for a year. It doesn't include your address so you will have to go to a Ward Office nearby in Kyoto to get your Japan address added onto the back or else it won't be valid and you can't use it. I think they give you 2 weeks to do this.
I got placed into Shugakuin International House. It is a residence that is the second closest to the University. The closest one is Yoshida International House, which is right on campus. I would say, if you want to save money, the best residence is Shugakuin International House (only if you are willing to bike everyday). If you want conveniency and save time, the best residence would be the one on campus, Yoshida International House. From the airport, I took MK Taxi to my residence because it's easier and faster to get there, especially when it's my first time here and I don't know my way around yet. For MK Taxi, you have to book it in advance. At least 2 days before the date and time you need to use it. You can go on their website to get this done. Here is their website:
So if you want to use it, book it in advance! If you booked it, you just go to their counter at the far side of the airport. Tell them your name and you just wait till they leave. Remember it takes around 2-3 hours to get to Shugakuin International House. And the last time they let people check-in is at 5pm. So plan your flight to arrive at Kansai Airport early!
So there were quite a lot of admin things to get done. After arrival and move in, there was an orientation a few days later. It had lots of information packages and things you need to sign and passports to photocopy for them. If you applied for Jasso Scholarship, you should have gotten an email near the end of March saying if you got it or not. If you didn't get it, that means you didn't get it. That's one thing I find that they didn't do well with. I didn't get the Jasso Scholarship, but I didn't know it because they didn't send out rejection letters. I only found out because my other friends that are also going to Kyoto University with me got it and I didn't. Apparently only 15 students get it each term and they look at marks.
Also a few days after you move in, there is also a Japanese Language Placement Test for students that want to take Japanese courses. I didn't end up taking the test because I decided not to take any Japanese courses. I would have liked to but I know I won't have time on top of my 6 KUINEP courses and Japanese language courses take up a lot of slots and time. And my major goal in coming here is to explore and travel around to experience the culture. But if you want to improve your Japanese, you should definitely take some of the language classes. They eat up a lot of your time though. It really depends on what your goal in doing this exchange is.
For courses, they start the week after you're expected to move in. The first week, you can attend any course and it's all informational and orientation type. After going to the first class, then you apply for which courses you want to take. So it's kinda like you get to see how the course is like before you actually take it. Some of the courses that were said to be offered before we came, got cancelled. Some got changed into something else. Some were newly added. So don't expect to be taking the exact 6 courses you chose when you applied to Kyoto University. Most of the courses seem pretty easy. Attendance makes up a lot of the marks for some of them. There is a policy where you can't miss KUINEP classes more than 3 times or else it's an automatic 0% for the course. So becareful and watch your attendance. Some courses have a lot of weekly homework while some don't. Some have presentations and some have group work. Depends on what you're taking.
Another important thing to talk about is a bank account. If you got the Jasso scholarship, you have to make a bank account. According to my friends, you get the scholarship at the END of the month. So bring enough money to last your first month. Bring extra is my advice because my friends ran out of money very fast. If you want to open a bank account, you have to have the address added onto the back of your resident card at the Ward Office in Kyoto. If you don't have that done, you can't open the bank account. I opened my bank account at the Japan Post Office Bank. There's one at the major intersection of Kyoto University and they're very used to International students opening up an account so setting it up there is easy. However, if you want to open a bank account where you can do international transfers from international bank accounts (ie get money from your parents through their bank account) then you shouldn't open it here. There's only one bank that would allow you to do it. My friends opened it there, it is near Kyoto Station. You have to get a inkan or hanko. They are name stamps. I'm not sure what the bank is called but if you want to know, comment and I will ask them for you. They have a branch near our school, except you have to open the account at the main one near Kyoto Station.
Another important thing to talk about is mobile phones. You also need to get your address stamped on the back of your resident card to be able to get this done. There are different paths you can take with this. If you are staying here for a year+, then you can get a phone plan or contract because if you want to get an actual plan, you have to sign a contract for at least a year. If you cancel it before that, you have to pay extra. So if you're only here for a term, it isn't worth signing a contract for. The other option is prepaid. There's 2 options for prepaid. If you want just a simple and cheap prepaid plan, only Softbank does prepaid plans. You buy the phone along with the sim card for around 2100 yen. Then you have to buy a charger for it which is like around 1000 yen. Then the plan goes like this. 3000 yen credit that lasts for 2 months. You pay 300 yen from that per month for unlimited SMS and Mobile Mail. This is the plan I got because it is the cheapest and it is enough for me to use. Personally the phone is a bit dumb if you're texting in english, but it isn't a that much of a big deal for me since I don't text that much or call at all. I just need it for contacting people when I'm out. I got this done at a department store called Yodobashi near Kyoto Station. I asked at a store somewhere else and they didn't sell it. So I'm not sure if only big places have the prepaid or not. But at Yodobashi, they may have some employees that can speak english a bit so it'll be easier to communicate. Also, they have a point card that you can apply for free right away and you can earn points from buying your phone. You can use these points to save it on other things you might end up buying at Yodobashi. Which is a pretty good deal! The other option for prepaid is at this other company called b-mobile. You pay around 3000 yen per month and you get unlimited data. So if you want to use your own smartphone, this is the better deal. I'm not sure if they have microsim cards for iphones, but if you're using an android phone, it'll definitely work. Also, you have to make sure your phone is carrier unlocked. Which means that it is not locked to your own carrier in your own country. And also your phone as to be a GSM phone to be able to use in Japan I believe. I know some people like to have data everywhere they go and get GPS etc, but if you don't think it's something you actually need, you can go with the cheaper Softbank plan. For me I think the Softbank plan is enough.
Another thing I have to mention here is bikes. In Kyoto, a lot of people travel by bicycle because it is a cheap transportation tool. If you live at Shugakuin, you should probably get a bike. It will save you a lot of transportation money to school and it will be very convenient to get around. There are lots of new bike shops around. I bought my bike used at a store called Erin which is near school. They have the cheapest used bikes and it is pretty good. And you can sell it again when you leave. When you get here, you will realize how many people use bikes. You also have to get a bicycle license when you buy your bike, which is a yellow sticker that they give you. There are a lot of rules regarding biking and bicycle parking. Make sure you read and learn them. Even though some of them aren't followed by many people, but knowing it will be useful information so that you won't get pulled over by a police.
Last thing I'm going to talk in this post is about paying your electricity bills and rent. For residence, it doesn't include electricity. For guys, electricity is around 1000 yen a month if you don't use it like crazy. For girls it's around 3000 yen a month if you don't use it like crazy. Why is there such a big difference? That's because for girls, we have our own bathroom and shower inside our rooms. The water heater heats up EVERY single night for us to have hot water. If it doesn't, you don't have hot water the next day (actually they tell you this but I've tested it, you can have hot water the second day no problem, but the third and fourth day is only warm water until you use it up, then no more hot or warm water). It is very dumb. So for electricity bills, you just take it to any convenience store, and give it to the cashier. They will ring it up for you, then you pay in cash or whatever and then you're done. Very simple. For rent, you can pay anywhere, post office or bank. BUT there is a service fee of around 400 yen. If you want to save 400 yen off the service fee, you can go to the Sumitomo Mitsui bank to pay. It is the same bank that Shugakuin uses so there is no service fee. It is at Shijo area.
I think this update is pretty long. Next time I blog, I will talk about the food and other things! I will also have another post with photos and another few posts about Golden Week, transportation, circles/clubs, Tokyo and Osaka! Look forward to it!
So last time I left off at budget planning. Let's talk about the application of the student visa. Basically once they get the Certificate of Eligibility back from the Kyoto Consulate or whatever office that it comes from, they will send you the last package through express mail. For Spring term, I got mine around second week of March? This is REALLY late and last minute. Once you get that package, rush to your town's Japan Consulate or wherever you apply for Japan visas. Make sure you have a photo with you, around the size of 3cm x 4cm I believe. (4cm is the height). I think you also need your actual passport and country's ID and also photocopies of it. Don't really remember if you need anything else. But do rush to get it done. Because depending on where you are and how fast your country gets things done, it will take around 3-5 business days to get the visa done. They will take your passport and give it back when it's done. The visa looks REALLY nice and it's inside your passport. Remember to keep your Certificate of Eligibility and BRING it with you ON the plane because when you go through customs in Japan, you will need to show them it.
Arrival to Japan was very smooth! Got through customs pretty fast. At customs, they will give you your resident card, which is valid for a year. It doesn't include your address so you will have to go to a Ward Office nearby in Kyoto to get your Japan address added onto the back or else it won't be valid and you can't use it. I think they give you 2 weeks to do this.
I got placed into Shugakuin International House. It is a residence that is the second closest to the University. The closest one is Yoshida International House, which is right on campus. I would say, if you want to save money, the best residence is Shugakuin International House (only if you are willing to bike everyday). If you want conveniency and save time, the best residence would be the one on campus, Yoshida International House. From the airport, I took MK Taxi to my residence because it's easier and faster to get there, especially when it's my first time here and I don't know my way around yet. For MK Taxi, you have to book it in advance. At least 2 days before the date and time you need to use it. You can go on their website to get this done. Here is their website:
So if you want to use it, book it in advance! If you booked it, you just go to their counter at the far side of the airport. Tell them your name and you just wait till they leave. Remember it takes around 2-3 hours to get to Shugakuin International House. And the last time they let people check-in is at 5pm. So plan your flight to arrive at Kansai Airport early!
So there were quite a lot of admin things to get done. After arrival and move in, there was an orientation a few days later. It had lots of information packages and things you need to sign and passports to photocopy for them. If you applied for Jasso Scholarship, you should have gotten an email near the end of March saying if you got it or not. If you didn't get it, that means you didn't get it. That's one thing I find that they didn't do well with. I didn't get the Jasso Scholarship, but I didn't know it because they didn't send out rejection letters. I only found out because my other friends that are also going to Kyoto University with me got it and I didn't. Apparently only 15 students get it each term and they look at marks.
Also a few days after you move in, there is also a Japanese Language Placement Test for students that want to take Japanese courses. I didn't end up taking the test because I decided not to take any Japanese courses. I would have liked to but I know I won't have time on top of my 6 KUINEP courses and Japanese language courses take up a lot of slots and time. And my major goal in coming here is to explore and travel around to experience the culture. But if you want to improve your Japanese, you should definitely take some of the language classes. They eat up a lot of your time though. It really depends on what your goal in doing this exchange is.
For courses, they start the week after you're expected to move in. The first week, you can attend any course and it's all informational and orientation type. After going to the first class, then you apply for which courses you want to take. So it's kinda like you get to see how the course is like before you actually take it. Some of the courses that were said to be offered before we came, got cancelled. Some got changed into something else. Some were newly added. So don't expect to be taking the exact 6 courses you chose when you applied to Kyoto University. Most of the courses seem pretty easy. Attendance makes up a lot of the marks for some of them. There is a policy where you can't miss KUINEP classes more than 3 times or else it's an automatic 0% for the course. So becareful and watch your attendance. Some courses have a lot of weekly homework while some don't. Some have presentations and some have group work. Depends on what you're taking.
Another important thing to talk about is a bank account. If you got the Jasso scholarship, you have to make a bank account. According to my friends, you get the scholarship at the END of the month. So bring enough money to last your first month. Bring extra is my advice because my friends ran out of money very fast. If you want to open a bank account, you have to have the address added onto the back of your resident card at the Ward Office in Kyoto. If you don't have that done, you can't open the bank account. I opened my bank account at the Japan Post Office Bank. There's one at the major intersection of Kyoto University and they're very used to International students opening up an account so setting it up there is easy. However, if you want to open a bank account where you can do international transfers from international bank accounts (ie get money from your parents through their bank account) then you shouldn't open it here. There's only one bank that would allow you to do it. My friends opened it there, it is near Kyoto Station. You have to get a inkan or hanko. They are name stamps. I'm not sure what the bank is called but if you want to know, comment and I will ask them for you. They have a branch near our school, except you have to open the account at the main one near Kyoto Station.
Another important thing to talk about is mobile phones. You also need to get your address stamped on the back of your resident card to be able to get this done. There are different paths you can take with this. If you are staying here for a year+, then you can get a phone plan or contract because if you want to get an actual plan, you have to sign a contract for at least a year. If you cancel it before that, you have to pay extra. So if you're only here for a term, it isn't worth signing a contract for. The other option is prepaid. There's 2 options for prepaid. If you want just a simple and cheap prepaid plan, only Softbank does prepaid plans. You buy the phone along with the sim card for around 2100 yen. Then you have to buy a charger for it which is like around 1000 yen. Then the plan goes like this. 3000 yen credit that lasts for 2 months. You pay 300 yen from that per month for unlimited SMS and Mobile Mail. This is the plan I got because it is the cheapest and it is enough for me to use. Personally the phone is a bit dumb if you're texting in english, but it isn't a that much of a big deal for me since I don't text that much or call at all. I just need it for contacting people when I'm out. I got this done at a department store called Yodobashi near Kyoto Station. I asked at a store somewhere else and they didn't sell it. So I'm not sure if only big places have the prepaid or not. But at Yodobashi, they may have some employees that can speak english a bit so it'll be easier to communicate. Also, they have a point card that you can apply for free right away and you can earn points from buying your phone. You can use these points to save it on other things you might end up buying at Yodobashi. Which is a pretty good deal! The other option for prepaid is at this other company called b-mobile. You pay around 3000 yen per month and you get unlimited data. So if you want to use your own smartphone, this is the better deal. I'm not sure if they have microsim cards for iphones, but if you're using an android phone, it'll definitely work. Also, you have to make sure your phone is carrier unlocked. Which means that it is not locked to your own carrier in your own country. And also your phone as to be a GSM phone to be able to use in Japan I believe. I know some people like to have data everywhere they go and get GPS etc, but if you don't think it's something you actually need, you can go with the cheaper Softbank plan. For me I think the Softbank plan is enough.
Another thing I have to mention here is bikes. In Kyoto, a lot of people travel by bicycle because it is a cheap transportation tool. If you live at Shugakuin, you should probably get a bike. It will save you a lot of transportation money to school and it will be very convenient to get around. There are lots of new bike shops around. I bought my bike used at a store called Erin which is near school. They have the cheapest used bikes and it is pretty good. And you can sell it again when you leave. When you get here, you will realize how many people use bikes. You also have to get a bicycle license when you buy your bike, which is a yellow sticker that they give you. There are a lot of rules regarding biking and bicycle parking. Make sure you read and learn them. Even though some of them aren't followed by many people, but knowing it will be useful information so that you won't get pulled over by a police.
Last thing I'm going to talk in this post is about paying your electricity bills and rent. For residence, it doesn't include electricity. For guys, electricity is around 1000 yen a month if you don't use it like crazy. For girls it's around 3000 yen a month if you don't use it like crazy. Why is there such a big difference? That's because for girls, we have our own bathroom and shower inside our rooms. The water heater heats up EVERY single night for us to have hot water. If it doesn't, you don't have hot water the next day (actually they tell you this but I've tested it, you can have hot water the second day no problem, but the third and fourth day is only warm water until you use it up, then no more hot or warm water). It is very dumb. So for electricity bills, you just take it to any convenience store, and give it to the cashier. They will ring it up for you, then you pay in cash or whatever and then you're done. Very simple. For rent, you can pay anywhere, post office or bank. BUT there is a service fee of around 400 yen. If you want to save 400 yen off the service fee, you can go to the Sumitomo Mitsui bank to pay. It is the same bank that Shugakuin uses so there is no service fee. It is at Shijo area.
I think this update is pretty long. Next time I blog, I will talk about the food and other things! I will also have another post with photos and another few posts about Golden Week, transportation, circles/clubs, Tokyo and Osaka! Look forward to it!
~ Kakikala ~
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Exchange Planning
Today I'm going to talk about planning for an academic exchange. Planning ahead is very important. There are many things you have to plan ahead for. One of the first things you plan ahead is when you want to do your exchange. Usually schools require at least half a year to a year ahead of your planned term to apply for the exchange. While planning which term to do the exchange, you should also look into how to plan out the rest of your university degree and how your courses will work out with the terms you have left. It is definitely easier for people in programs that aren't as structured. But for people that have a really structured program, you must plan out the courses you need to take and when to take them or else you may end up staying back a term or two trying to finish these courses. What do I mean by structured? Programs that are more structured have more specific courses that you are required to take. Sometimes these courses may only be offered one term a year. And sometimes these courses are chain courses where you have to take the first one, to be able to take the second one, to be able to take the third one. That's why these courses are harder to work around with and need to be planned ahead of time. You should also see what kind of courses you can take at the university you are planning to apply to and see what courses you can exchange for credit. Therefore, you won't waste a term doing your exchange and have no credits that are useful to you. It is best to save up spaces for electives for the term you're doing overseas. That's because a lot of exchange programs don't offer as many choices of courses and it is hard to find a course to transfer back as a specific course at your home university. That is due to the difference in course curriculum, the way things are graded etc. But if it's electives, you can basically take anything you like when you are doing your exchange.
Other than courses, you have to plan ahead your budget. How much do you want to spend and how much are you expecting to spend? How much assistance can you get from other sources and family members? Are there scholarships or bursaries you can apply for? I will tell you this right now. If there is a scholarship or bursary that you are eligible for, apply for it. It will help you a lot in the long run. Even if you have enough fund for your exchange, that extra bit of money will help you a lot. An exchange usually costs a lot of money. That's because you not only have to pay for tuition & books, but you also have to pay for your plane ticket, residence/accommodations for the whole term, food, travel expenses, entertainment, shopping fees and souvenirs. These are things that I'm sure all exchange students spend the most on. Planning out a detailed budget ahead of time will help you a lot. Different countries have different living fees and standards of living. If you are going to a country with a higher standard of living, expect to spend a lot on everything. Once you find out where you're living, calculate how much you have to spend on living fees. Most people will choose to live in residence if it's offered. I will also recommend residences at the exchange university you are going to. That's because you'll also be living with other exchanges and it will definitely be a lot more fun, adding on to your exchange experience.
Transportation is another big thing in your budget. Research on how much buses, trains, subways cost in the country you are going to. Are you planning to travel to other cities while you're on the exchange? If so, research on how much that will cost for which type of transportation. Usually I would say that train is more expensive than discounted airplanes. If there are overnight buses, that should be the cheapest option. This is the case for Japan. It is different for every country so do some research. I would recommend you to travel around while you're on the exchange. You already paid for so much to go to this different country, so why not while you're there, travel around other cities in the country? Or if you're going to Europe, travel around different countries that are nearby! I have friends who went to Europe for exchange and travel around to different countries around the area on the weekends since it's so close by and convenient. If you are going to Asia, travelling within Asia is cheaper than travelling from let's say North America to each individual country in Asia.
If you are planning to travel, then you have to add accommodations into your budget. Cause when you travel for a weekend, or a week, you'll have to stay somewhere. If you take overnight bus, you can save on one night of accommodations. I've looked into different types of accommodations for my exchange. Generally, hotels are VERY expensive. Motels and inns are still very expensive. But that depends on the country you're going to and your standard of "expensive". Since I'm on a very low budget, it is very expensive to me. But these options are generally the safer ones. There are hostels which are cheaper options. But it isn't as safe compared to the other options. You have to make sure you watch your stuff. For females, try not to travel alone. Travel with a group of friends or at least a buddy system. Do look for places that offer female only floors or female only area. Some countries may not have these type of systems but some do because it isn't that safe. So do some research ahead of time.
Next thing on your list, food. How do you budget food you may ask. This is how I did my budget for my food/meals. You can do it however way you want, but I found this way easier if you have a super tight budget like me. Firstly, I calculated how many days I would be in the country. Then how many meals I would eat a day. Since I don't eat breakfast, I only have to worry about 2 meals a day. This way I found out how many meals I would at least have to eat on the exchange. Now do some research on how much a normal meal would cost in the country you are going to. Also, are you going to cook at home/residence while you're there? Usually cooking would save some money compared to eating outside. So first I calculated how much meals usually cost. Then a more expensive mean and then a fancy meal, how much those would cost. Then I put a limit to how many fancy fancy meals I would eat, how many fancy meals I would eat, how many a bit more expensive meals I would eat in the duration of my whole exchange. For example 5 super fancy meals in my 4 months exchange, 20 a bit more expensive meals in 4 months exchange etc. I subtract these meals from the total meals I would need to eat. The rest I put them to meals at a normal price. Because I need to save money, I changed some of my normal price meals to super budget meals. These meals I would probably make instant noodles or cup noodles or buy something really cheap at the convenient store. Since these would cost less, it would save me some money for super budgeters like me. I also expect to cook some of my meals so I can lower my budget a bit. That's how I got my budget. Of course I add a little extra money in my budget for times that I may need it. Don't make your budget so tight that you won't make it. Also include snacks and drinks into your budget. When you go overseas, there are many different snacks in different countries that you won't find in your home country. So do try as often as you can!
Other than food, you have to plan out your entertainment and shopping budget. When you go on an exchange, you will probably go out and hang out with the other exchanges. Go out and have some fun. Plan out some certain things you MUST do in that city and how much that would cost. For example, you know you want to visit this certain museum and there's an admission fee, put that in your budget. If you will go karaoke with friends, how much that would cost. If you will watch some movies, how much that would cost. If you go to an amusement park, how much that would cost. Because entertainment is such a broad category, try to split it up as much as you can into little ones. Then put some spare budget into entertainment for everything else that you don't expect to do right now, but when you get there you might need to. Expect a higher budget in this area. You want to enjoy yourself while you're there too and you also want to socialize with other exchanges and local students. Shopping is also another big thing. Especially if you are a girl, expect to shop. Especially if you are in a country known for people going there just to shop such as Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and many more. Check out the usual amount of prices for the things sold in the country you are going to. Then set a max limit for the amount you will spend on each certain things. For example, I will put a limit to spending a maximum of $200 on beauty products, $200 on make up, $500 on clothes, $100 on shoes etc. Just like the entertainment category, split up your shopping into more smaller and specific categories. Remember to make reasonable limits. Don't set a limit that you can't even reach normally. And while you're there, watch your budget and limit.
On top of shopping budget, you have to set a budget for souvenirs. Unless you don't plan to get souvenirs at all (which is great). But most people will get some souvenirs for family and close friends. I would say, only bring back souvenirs for family and really close friends, and maybe some closer friends. Why? One, you may not have that much luggage space to bring it all back on top of the things you shop for yourself. Second, even if you ship them back, it will cost a lot of money. Thirdly, you may not have that much budget for all the friends you have. Firstly, I made a list of who I have to buy a souvenir for. Then beside their name I put a maximum budget for souvenir. Generally I didn't put a lot of budget per person. Unless I am giving them their birthday gift. For me, I think that a souvenir doesn't have to be very expensive. It's the thought that counts. Depending on the country, you can probably find something $3 or less per person for a souvenir. Especially if you have a long list of friends, then put less budget per person. Unless you have a lot of money for this. Remember, you also want to spend for yourself to eat and shop too.
The last thing I'm going to talk about is flight tickets. You will have to buy the flight ticket for your exchange by yourself. Once you know that you are accepted into the university for sure, then plan to buy your ticket right away. The earlier you book your flight ticket, the cheaper it is, and the more spaces they will have. You will have more options compared to booking it last minute.
So that's my blog on budgeting for an academic exchange. Remember to start early and plan ahead. This will give you a closer estimate to how much money you will need and use. If you don't have enough, see if you have other sources you can get money from such as parents, scholarships, bursaries or student loans. For my exchange, I had to use my student loans because I don't have enough money at all. You can also look into finding a part time cash job before your exchange, or sell some stuff to fundraise for your exchange, which are options that I looked into and did earn a little bit of extra money to help fund my exchange. If the budget is still too high for you and your family, then look into things that you can save money in your budget. Maybe travel less, look for cheaper accommodations, spend less on entertainment, do less shopping, put some meals into super budget meals, look for cheaper travel options etc. Remember to try to stick to your budget as best as you can while you're there so you won't end up over spending! You can always take parts of your budget money that you don't end up using and put it into other parts. For example, you don't spend up to your maximum limit for shopping budget, then you can use some of that money for more food. Try to enjoy yourself as much as you can! Because this is probably a once in a lifetime experience. You don't get to go on exchanges that many times in your university life. So don't let budget get to you too much. Still try to enjoy yourself at your own budget.
Other than courses, you have to plan ahead your budget. How much do you want to spend and how much are you expecting to spend? How much assistance can you get from other sources and family members? Are there scholarships or bursaries you can apply for? I will tell you this right now. If there is a scholarship or bursary that you are eligible for, apply for it. It will help you a lot in the long run. Even if you have enough fund for your exchange, that extra bit of money will help you a lot. An exchange usually costs a lot of money. That's because you not only have to pay for tuition & books, but you also have to pay for your plane ticket, residence/accommodations for the whole term, food, travel expenses, entertainment, shopping fees and souvenirs. These are things that I'm sure all exchange students spend the most on. Planning out a detailed budget ahead of time will help you a lot. Different countries have different living fees and standards of living. If you are going to a country with a higher standard of living, expect to spend a lot on everything. Once you find out where you're living, calculate how much you have to spend on living fees. Most people will choose to live in residence if it's offered. I will also recommend residences at the exchange university you are going to. That's because you'll also be living with other exchanges and it will definitely be a lot more fun, adding on to your exchange experience.
Transportation is another big thing in your budget. Research on how much buses, trains, subways cost in the country you are going to. Are you planning to travel to other cities while you're on the exchange? If so, research on how much that will cost for which type of transportation. Usually I would say that train is more expensive than discounted airplanes. If there are overnight buses, that should be the cheapest option. This is the case for Japan. It is different for every country so do some research. I would recommend you to travel around while you're on the exchange. You already paid for so much to go to this different country, so why not while you're there, travel around other cities in the country? Or if you're going to Europe, travel around different countries that are nearby! I have friends who went to Europe for exchange and travel around to different countries around the area on the weekends since it's so close by and convenient. If you are going to Asia, travelling within Asia is cheaper than travelling from let's say North America to each individual country in Asia.
If you are planning to travel, then you have to add accommodations into your budget. Cause when you travel for a weekend, or a week, you'll have to stay somewhere. If you take overnight bus, you can save on one night of accommodations. I've looked into different types of accommodations for my exchange. Generally, hotels are VERY expensive. Motels and inns are still very expensive. But that depends on the country you're going to and your standard of "expensive". Since I'm on a very low budget, it is very expensive to me. But these options are generally the safer ones. There are hostels which are cheaper options. But it isn't as safe compared to the other options. You have to make sure you watch your stuff. For females, try not to travel alone. Travel with a group of friends or at least a buddy system. Do look for places that offer female only floors or female only area. Some countries may not have these type of systems but some do because it isn't that safe. So do some research ahead of time.
Next thing on your list, food. How do you budget food you may ask. This is how I did my budget for my food/meals. You can do it however way you want, but I found this way easier if you have a super tight budget like me. Firstly, I calculated how many days I would be in the country. Then how many meals I would eat a day. Since I don't eat breakfast, I only have to worry about 2 meals a day. This way I found out how many meals I would at least have to eat on the exchange. Now do some research on how much a normal meal would cost in the country you are going to. Also, are you going to cook at home/residence while you're there? Usually cooking would save some money compared to eating outside. So first I calculated how much meals usually cost. Then a more expensive mean and then a fancy meal, how much those would cost. Then I put a limit to how many fancy fancy meals I would eat, how many fancy meals I would eat, how many a bit more expensive meals I would eat in the duration of my whole exchange. For example 5 super fancy meals in my 4 months exchange, 20 a bit more expensive meals in 4 months exchange etc. I subtract these meals from the total meals I would need to eat. The rest I put them to meals at a normal price. Because I need to save money, I changed some of my normal price meals to super budget meals. These meals I would probably make instant noodles or cup noodles or buy something really cheap at the convenient store. Since these would cost less, it would save me some money for super budgeters like me. I also expect to cook some of my meals so I can lower my budget a bit. That's how I got my budget. Of course I add a little extra money in my budget for times that I may need it. Don't make your budget so tight that you won't make it. Also include snacks and drinks into your budget. When you go overseas, there are many different snacks in different countries that you won't find in your home country. So do try as often as you can!
Other than food, you have to plan out your entertainment and shopping budget. When you go on an exchange, you will probably go out and hang out with the other exchanges. Go out and have some fun. Plan out some certain things you MUST do in that city and how much that would cost. For example, you know you want to visit this certain museum and there's an admission fee, put that in your budget. If you will go karaoke with friends, how much that would cost. If you will watch some movies, how much that would cost. If you go to an amusement park, how much that would cost. Because entertainment is such a broad category, try to split it up as much as you can into little ones. Then put some spare budget into entertainment for everything else that you don't expect to do right now, but when you get there you might need to. Expect a higher budget in this area. You want to enjoy yourself while you're there too and you also want to socialize with other exchanges and local students. Shopping is also another big thing. Especially if you are a girl, expect to shop. Especially if you are in a country known for people going there just to shop such as Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and many more. Check out the usual amount of prices for the things sold in the country you are going to. Then set a max limit for the amount you will spend on each certain things. For example, I will put a limit to spending a maximum of $200 on beauty products, $200 on make up, $500 on clothes, $100 on shoes etc. Just like the entertainment category, split up your shopping into more smaller and specific categories. Remember to make reasonable limits. Don't set a limit that you can't even reach normally. And while you're there, watch your budget and limit.
On top of shopping budget, you have to set a budget for souvenirs. Unless you don't plan to get souvenirs at all (which is great). But most people will get some souvenirs for family and close friends. I would say, only bring back souvenirs for family and really close friends, and maybe some closer friends. Why? One, you may not have that much luggage space to bring it all back on top of the things you shop for yourself. Second, even if you ship them back, it will cost a lot of money. Thirdly, you may not have that much budget for all the friends you have. Firstly, I made a list of who I have to buy a souvenir for. Then beside their name I put a maximum budget for souvenir. Generally I didn't put a lot of budget per person. Unless I am giving them their birthday gift. For me, I think that a souvenir doesn't have to be very expensive. It's the thought that counts. Depending on the country, you can probably find something $3 or less per person for a souvenir. Especially if you have a long list of friends, then put less budget per person. Unless you have a lot of money for this. Remember, you also want to spend for yourself to eat and shop too.
The last thing I'm going to talk about is flight tickets. You will have to buy the flight ticket for your exchange by yourself. Once you know that you are accepted into the university for sure, then plan to buy your ticket right away. The earlier you book your flight ticket, the cheaper it is, and the more spaces they will have. You will have more options compared to booking it last minute.
So that's my blog on budgeting for an academic exchange. Remember to start early and plan ahead. This will give you a closer estimate to how much money you will need and use. If you don't have enough, see if you have other sources you can get money from such as parents, scholarships, bursaries or student loans. For my exchange, I had to use my student loans because I don't have enough money at all. You can also look into finding a part time cash job before your exchange, or sell some stuff to fundraise for your exchange, which are options that I looked into and did earn a little bit of extra money to help fund my exchange. If the budget is still too high for you and your family, then look into things that you can save money in your budget. Maybe travel less, look for cheaper accommodations, spend less on entertainment, do less shopping, put some meals into super budget meals, look for cheaper travel options etc. Remember to try to stick to your budget as best as you can while you're there so you won't end up over spending! You can always take parts of your budget money that you don't end up using and put it into other parts. For example, you don't spend up to your maximum limit for shopping budget, then you can use some of that money for more food. Try to enjoy yourself as much as you can! Because this is probably a once in a lifetime experience. You don't get to go on exchanges that many times in your university life. So don't let budget get to you too much. Still try to enjoy yourself at your own budget.
~ Kakikala ~
Monday, January 28, 2013
Fundraising Sale
So I'm not sure if you guys heard yet, but I got accepted into Kyoto University for my exchange! Right now I'm doing a fundraising sale to raise money for it. Please check out the facebook page, like it, and yeah. Here's the link:
Thanks so much! :D
~ Viv ~
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Officially Accepted!
I know this blog post is a bit late, but I've been officially accepted into Kyoto University for exchange! I'm accepted into the KUINEP program for Spring term only. (Can't afford to go longer...) I'm pretty excited! I found out last week but now there's just so much more things to worry about and to plan.
Before I was going to do a blog on just my exchange and trip to Japan, but I decided to close it down and just merge it into my normal blog. So let me go over a brief overview of this exchange.
What is it? Well it's an academic exchange for undergraduate university students.
Where is it? I applied for Kyoto University which is located in Kyoto in Japan.
When and how long is it? I only applied for their spring semester. There is an option of choosing either Fall semester or Spring semester or both. Fall is from October to February and Spring is from April to August.
How did you apply? Well, the university I go to in my home country is a partner university with Kyoto University. So I applied through my own university and they help me through with the applications. And it's almost a guarantee to get in if you have the marks and requirements in your home university.
What are the marks requirements? Other than your own requirements in your home university, you also need at least a 70% or mid 70% average I believe.
How much does it cost? Because I'm going through my own university, I'm paying my normal university fees at home.
When did you start the application and how long did it take? Well my university required me to apply the January a year before the actual exchange for spring semester. (The January in the same year for fall semester) After that I think I had to fill some applications in around February/March. Then they handle all the fall exchange applications first and then spring later. It wasn't until December that I got some other application forms to fill in. Then they send out official acceptances in January. After that, they'll send you a certificate of eligibility in March and THEN you apply for a visa right before you leave. (Pretty rushed in my opinion since school starts beginning of April).
Where will you be living? As an exchange student, you're basically guaranteed a place in their residences. Only after you're accepted do you choose to apply for residence. You don't know till March/April I believe. It's a lottery system so you might not get what you apply to. It depends on how much space there is left. But it might be a lot cheaper to live in residence than finding your own place outside. But be prepared to buy a bike or have to pay for travelling costs to school. Because almost ALL the residences are REALLY far from the main campus.
What is the KUINEP program? The KUINEP program is the english exchange program at Kyoto University. They only offer courses in english at their university for this program. If you're fluent in Japanese, you can take Japanese classes and not do the KUINEP program.
How many courses do you have to take for your exchange? For the KUINEP program, the offer around 15 different random courses at very basic introductory level every semester. Courses range from physics, to health, to economics, to business, to environment, to religion. You HAVE to take 6 courses from that list specified. Japanese courses are EXTRA over those 6 courses if you want to take it.
Why did you choose Kyoto University? Well many reasons. There were other choices of universities that I got to choose from.
The PROS: Out of all the universities I get to choose from, Kyoto was the most famous one in the list for Japan. Another thing is that, it was in a really good location in Japan. It's located in a city on the main island of Japan, which will make travelling around easier and cheaper compared to a city in the southern island of Japan. Another thing is that, Kyoto University is known for their social sciences, which is what I study in my home university. But that doesn't really matter since the KUINEP program doesn't have anything to do with it.
The CONS: Well, as I mentioned before about the courses, it is VERY limiting in what you can take. There's only 15 courses to choose from and you HAVE to choose 6. Not only do most of the courses sound really boring to me, but I'm also not interested. I only prefer to take courses I'm interested in, even at my home university, because this way I am more focused and interested in learning the material. Usually my marks reflect how much I like the course. Another thing about the courses is that, we have to take 6. I usually take 4 courses in my home university. So I'm not sure how well I would handle it. Some other universities in Japan only require you to take 5 courses. Another thing about the restricting courses is the subjects they offer. They're all subjects you see in normal universities. Some of the other universities I was considering offered really fun looking courses like tea ceremony, flower arranging etc. Courses that would allow me to learn and experience the Japanese culture, which is what I would have preferred.
That's all about the university I believe. Now after getting accepted, there are SO many things to worry about. Things such as budget, travelling expenses, shipping things home (because I only have one suitcase in my situation), exchanging money, plugs and many more things. The most important thing right now is budget. Have to plan it out because I don't have much budget for this exchange even with student loans. I want to save money but I also want to enjoy myself too. Dilmemas.... One of the most expensive part is the travelling costs in Japan. A big chunk of your money will go to that. A forewarning.
So that's about all for now. If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask or comment. I'll be glad to answer some questions!
Before I was going to do a blog on just my exchange and trip to Japan, but I decided to close it down and just merge it into my normal blog. So let me go over a brief overview of this exchange.
What is it? Well it's an academic exchange for undergraduate university students.
Where is it? I applied for Kyoto University which is located in Kyoto in Japan.
When and how long is it? I only applied for their spring semester. There is an option of choosing either Fall semester or Spring semester or both. Fall is from October to February and Spring is from April to August.
How did you apply? Well, the university I go to in my home country is a partner university with Kyoto University. So I applied through my own university and they help me through with the applications. And it's almost a guarantee to get in if you have the marks and requirements in your home university.
What are the marks requirements? Other than your own requirements in your home university, you also need at least a 70% or mid 70% average I believe.
How much does it cost? Because I'm going through my own university, I'm paying my normal university fees at home.
When did you start the application and how long did it take? Well my university required me to apply the January a year before the actual exchange for spring semester. (The January in the same year for fall semester) After that I think I had to fill some applications in around February/March. Then they handle all the fall exchange applications first and then spring later. It wasn't until December that I got some other application forms to fill in. Then they send out official acceptances in January. After that, they'll send you a certificate of eligibility in March and THEN you apply for a visa right before you leave. (Pretty rushed in my opinion since school starts beginning of April).
Where will you be living? As an exchange student, you're basically guaranteed a place in their residences. Only after you're accepted do you choose to apply for residence. You don't know till March/April I believe. It's a lottery system so you might not get what you apply to. It depends on how much space there is left. But it might be a lot cheaper to live in residence than finding your own place outside. But be prepared to buy a bike or have to pay for travelling costs to school. Because almost ALL the residences are REALLY far from the main campus.
What is the KUINEP program? The KUINEP program is the english exchange program at Kyoto University. They only offer courses in english at their university for this program. If you're fluent in Japanese, you can take Japanese classes and not do the KUINEP program.
How many courses do you have to take for your exchange? For the KUINEP program, the offer around 15 different random courses at very basic introductory level every semester. Courses range from physics, to health, to economics, to business, to environment, to religion. You HAVE to take 6 courses from that list specified. Japanese courses are EXTRA over those 6 courses if you want to take it.
Why did you choose Kyoto University? Well many reasons. There were other choices of universities that I got to choose from.
The PROS: Out of all the universities I get to choose from, Kyoto was the most famous one in the list for Japan. Another thing is that, it was in a really good location in Japan. It's located in a city on the main island of Japan, which will make travelling around easier and cheaper compared to a city in the southern island of Japan. Another thing is that, Kyoto University is known for their social sciences, which is what I study in my home university. But that doesn't really matter since the KUINEP program doesn't have anything to do with it.
The CONS: Well, as I mentioned before about the courses, it is VERY limiting in what you can take. There's only 15 courses to choose from and you HAVE to choose 6. Not only do most of the courses sound really boring to me, but I'm also not interested. I only prefer to take courses I'm interested in, even at my home university, because this way I am more focused and interested in learning the material. Usually my marks reflect how much I like the course. Another thing about the courses is that, we have to take 6. I usually take 4 courses in my home university. So I'm not sure how well I would handle it. Some other universities in Japan only require you to take 5 courses. Another thing about the restricting courses is the subjects they offer. They're all subjects you see in normal universities. Some of the other universities I was considering offered really fun looking courses like tea ceremony, flower arranging etc. Courses that would allow me to learn and experience the Japanese culture, which is what I would have preferred.
That's all about the university I believe. Now after getting accepted, there are SO many things to worry about. Things such as budget, travelling expenses, shipping things home (because I only have one suitcase in my situation), exchanging money, plugs and many more things. The most important thing right now is budget. Have to plan it out because I don't have much budget for this exchange even with student loans. I want to save money but I also want to enjoy myself too. Dilmemas.... One of the most expensive part is the travelling costs in Japan. A big chunk of your money will go to that. A forewarning.
So that's about all for now. If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask or comment. I'll be glad to answer some questions!
~ Kakikala ~
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