Today was the Study Abroad Office's orientation part one for the fall students and in it they covered many aspects from traveling safely, to packing smart.
I really enjoyed the informative tips they had for us, and even if it wasn't required for all the students going abroad I would still highly recommend it.
Much of the information was covered in our handbooks and was animated and personalized with stories from students and staff making it more interesting to know about.
There were stories from students in Japan, China and elsewhere that really helped to give examples of what to, and not to do for various areas of the world.
We learned to stay safe, be smart and have fun, just like my mommy always told me.
I even found out about this great site as they suggested, One Bag that shows how to pack in one bag for convenience just as I was planning before, though I was originally considering 2 bags both carry on.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
PRE-DEPARTURE; Progress Update
Hello,
Things have slowed down a lot since I turned in the big majority of everything for Study Abroad Office, and submitted most of my scholarship applications to the Journalism department.
I do have another scholarship I plan to apply for, the Bridging Japan where I need to write an essay and get together my transcript and letter of recommendation and mail it out before April 8th.
I have still been active in the Japanese Language Group on campus meeting every week for 2 hours, taking Japanese 202, doing independent language and culture studies on Japan, and I also Skype once a week with a contact of my Sensei's in Osaka, Japan nearby where I will be.
I also meet in person once a week with another Japanese person where he practices his English and I practice my Japanese for an hour.
I have noticed other blogs of people studying abroad and one thing I find very frustrating sometimes is the lack of details. When I am researching-no detail seems too small when I really want to know more about the culture. However many of them are very informative and helpful.
When I went to Tokyo before I made sure to keep a journal, which I typed up for posts on my Travel Blog, kept receipts from purchases and just made sure to be aware of it all. I plan to do the same again, for readers and myself alike- We Got This!
I am a planner and have of course been planning what I will pack. I have decided to pack as lightly as I think I can get away with. I'm pretty excited for the challenge. Before when I went I was pretty good about what I brought and what I left back home, but I still packed too much for my intentions and plan to do better this time.
I have also been thinking about the layers of the culture I want to explore. I want to see things I didn't get to see before. I want to participate in community functions, agricultural harvests, nature walks and the like. I really am pretty excited for it all.
Since I last posted, I have applied for several
scholarships through various departments on campus like the Foreign Language
Department and College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences
since I am an Anthropology Minor and Anthro is in the CHSBS department.
Things have slowed down a lot since I turned in the big majority of everything for Study Abroad Office, and submitted most of my scholarship applications to the Journalism department.
I do have another scholarship I plan to apply for, the Bridging Japan where I need to write an essay and get together my transcript and letter of recommendation and mail it out before April 8th.
I have still been active in the Japanese Language Group on campus meeting every week for 2 hours, taking Japanese 202, doing independent language and culture studies on Japan, and I also Skype once a week with a contact of my Sensei's in Osaka, Japan nearby where I will be.
I also meet in person once a week with another Japanese person where he practices his English and I practice my Japanese for an hour.
I have noticed other blogs of people studying abroad and one thing I find very frustrating sometimes is the lack of details. When I am researching-no detail seems too small when I really want to know more about the culture. However many of them are very informative and helpful.
When I went to Tokyo before I made sure to keep a journal, which I typed up for posts on my Travel Blog, kept receipts from purchases and just made sure to be aware of it all. I plan to do the same again, for readers and myself alike- We Got This!
I am a planner and have of course been planning what I will pack. I have decided to pack as lightly as I think I can get away with. I'm pretty excited for the challenge. Before when I went I was pretty good about what I brought and what I left back home, but I still packed too much for my intentions and plan to do better this time.
I have also been thinking about the layers of the culture I want to explore. I want to see things I didn't get to see before. I want to participate in community functions, agricultural harvests, nature walks and the like. I really am pretty excited for it all.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
PRE-DEPARTURE; Application Phase I complete
So the application fee, financial statement that tells Japan I have money to support myself, essays, and other information was due and submitted February 28th.
It was a little tricky with the spreadsheet I had to fill out because of technical issues and language barriers dealing with understanding just what the questions were asking in their translated form. Sarah Barnard (Study Abroad Advisor) was a saving grace with helping me through these forms and everything really, though.
All in all it went well though, just a lot of things to make sure I had since we don't submit our stuff one item at a time as we get them done but rather all in one lump sum.
I worked on my essays which was called the statement of purpose and it basically explained why I am interested in Japan, what I hope to gain from my experience personally and academically.
I also applied for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (link is here if you want to check it out)
This took nearly as long if not longer, than my Nara application phase I. But it is mostly straightforward with a few things I had to ask my Study Abroad advisor about.
However, I got the info and the two 7,000 character limit online essays complete and submitted after much work and so many revisions. If I had a choice I would still be revising them, but that's me.
I am a Journalism major and as such I decided to apply for every single Journalism scholarship in the department that I am eligible for.
That meant writing out essays, printing and filling out forms, printing off resumes and getting recommendation forms for 13 scholarship applications due right after spring break. Literally the Monday we get back (in 2 days) is when they are all due.
To any CMU Journalism majors who may be reading this, make sure to get started on the applications ahead of time like I did, because the office didn't have the information posted like due date, and recommendation forms etc. until maybe a week before spring break.
So just some advice-bug them, go to the office, email them whatever you have to do to get that information if it isn't available so that you can apply for those scholarships worth $600, $1,000, and $2,000.
I just finished everything for the Journalism department except one last recommendation form which I have an appointment Monday for.
Today (Saturday) has been the first day of spring break (the next to last day of it) that I got to do something other than forms, essays, and more essays. However I am very proud of the work I did and and really hoping the work pays off in the form of scholarships to help fund my study abroad experience.
On Monday when classes resume I will have to start working on a few other scholarships for the Foreign Language department, the Bridging Japan scholarship and one essay for the Study Abroad department.
So now that the 'Phase I' as I am calling it is done, I will wait for a letter from Nara saying they think I'm an OK chick, and I take that letter and mail it to the Japan consulate in Michigan for a visa.
Sounds good. I never had any clue that study abroad had so many steps, but it's fine because they are mostly just lots of baby steps and amazing advisors who walk you through it. Just make sure to ask for help along the way!
More on the personal side of things
I originally wanted to go to the Osaka and Kansai area when I first thought of going to Japan years ago. The rumors of a boisterously happy bunch of people spoke volumes to me. I liked the idea of a hearty, happy un-pretentious people.
Then I went to Tokyo for a month where my sister was studying abroad, and had plans to just visit Osaka. However plans changed and that didn't happen but I was more than happy, and loved Tokyo's complexity which soon became the basis for most of my judgement and experience in Japan.
So when I found out CMU's 2 options for Japan were Nara (in the Kansai region) and Hikone which is pretty close by (in the Shiga prefecture), I was a little disappointed at first hoping to get right back into Tokyo.
Now that I have had time to think about it I realize I am really glad that I was pushed towards the Kansai area for a few reasons.
One is that it gives me a more balanced understanding of the separate subcultures that make up Japan. I know this will be helpful and that I will love Nara too.
Another is I have been growing more and more interested in agriculture and farming in Japan as well as lake Biwa which I have wanted to see and interact with ever since I watched the film 'Satoyama Japan's Secret Water Garden'
The unity and simple harmony that the people in Takashima city on Lake Biwa exibit is breathtaking. The communal involvement is awe inspiring and it made me want to be in Japan that moment, I wanted to be transported immediately to Takashima to help the community members clearing water plants for their man-made river that flows from Biwa and along the community.
The houses each have a section of the river in their home where they use the water and take care to not spoil the water for others downstream. This is what I think harmony is.
I also want to be closer to the farming community more after I saw these images from a photobook called "Misao The Big Mama and Fukumaru The Cat" about an older Japanese lady farmer and her two-tone-eyed cat. The images are so intimate, and they are just so beautiful!
It made me want to be there helping her dig up Daikon (the native white radish plants), help to share her burden in the back bending work. She really reminded me of my Great Grandmother too. Her spunk and tenacity and her strength.
So I now have a lot of goals for Japan, and a lot of them right now revolve around getting Japan's soil under my fingernails and learning more about how Japan nourishes its people.
I am so excited, and this time I have been there before (Well to Japan, not the Kansai area), and so much of the "What is it really like?" isn't as big in my head as it was before. This is helping me to focus on what I want to accomplish and learn on a deeper level.
It was a little tricky with the spreadsheet I had to fill out because of technical issues and language barriers dealing with understanding just what the questions were asking in their translated form. Sarah Barnard (Study Abroad Advisor) was a saving grace with helping me through these forms and everything really, though.
All in all it went well though, just a lot of things to make sure I had since we don't submit our stuff one item at a time as we get them done but rather all in one lump sum.
I worked on my essays which was called the statement of purpose and it basically explained why I am interested in Japan, what I hope to gain from my experience personally and academically.
I also applied for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (link is here if you want to check it out)
This took nearly as long if not longer, than my Nara application phase I. But it is mostly straightforward with a few things I had to ask my Study Abroad advisor about.
 |
| Screenshot from the Gilman site |
However, I got the info and the two 7,000 character limit online essays complete and submitted after much work and so many revisions. If I had a choice I would still be revising them, but that's me.
I am a Journalism major and as such I decided to apply for every single Journalism scholarship in the department that I am eligible for.
That meant writing out essays, printing and filling out forms, printing off resumes and getting recommendation forms for 13 scholarship applications due right after spring break. Literally the Monday we get back (in 2 days) is when they are all due.
To any CMU Journalism majors who may be reading this, make sure to get started on the applications ahead of time like I did, because the office didn't have the information posted like due date, and recommendation forms etc. until maybe a week before spring break.
So just some advice-bug them, go to the office, email them whatever you have to do to get that information if it isn't available so that you can apply for those scholarships worth $600, $1,000, and $2,000.
I just finished everything for the Journalism department except one last recommendation form which I have an appointment Monday for.
Today (Saturday) has been the first day of spring break (the next to last day of it) that I got to do something other than forms, essays, and more essays. However I am very proud of the work I did and and really hoping the work pays off in the form of scholarships to help fund my study abroad experience.
 |
| Screenshot from the Journalism Dept. Site |
On Monday when classes resume I will have to start working on a few other scholarships for the Foreign Language department, the Bridging Japan scholarship and one essay for the Study Abroad department.
So now that the 'Phase I' as I am calling it is done, I will wait for a letter from Nara saying they think I'm an OK chick, and I take that letter and mail it to the Japan consulate in Michigan for a visa.
Sounds good. I never had any clue that study abroad had so many steps, but it's fine because they are mostly just lots of baby steps and amazing advisors who walk you through it. Just make sure to ask for help along the way!
More on the personal side of things
I originally wanted to go to the Osaka and Kansai area when I first thought of going to Japan years ago. The rumors of a boisterously happy bunch of people spoke volumes to me. I liked the idea of a hearty, happy un-pretentious people.
Then I went to Tokyo for a month where my sister was studying abroad, and had plans to just visit Osaka. However plans changed and that didn't happen but I was more than happy, and loved Tokyo's complexity which soon became the basis for most of my judgement and experience in Japan.
So when I found out CMU's 2 options for Japan were Nara (in the Kansai region) and Hikone which is pretty close by (in the Shiga prefecture), I was a little disappointed at first hoping to get right back into Tokyo.
Now that I have had time to think about it I realize I am really glad that I was pushed towards the Kansai area for a few reasons.
One is that it gives me a more balanced understanding of the separate subcultures that make up Japan. I know this will be helpful and that I will love Nara too.
 |
| Screenshot of the film. |
 |
| Screenshot from the film |
The unity and simple harmony that the people in Takashima city on Lake Biwa exibit is breathtaking. The communal involvement is awe inspiring and it made me want to be in Japan that moment, I wanted to be transported immediately to Takashima to help the community members clearing water plants for their man-made river that flows from Biwa and along the community.
The houses each have a section of the river in their home where they use the water and take care to not spoil the water for others downstream. This is what I think harmony is.
 |
| Both photos are screenshots from the Huffington Post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/misao-the-big-mama-and-fukumaru-the-cat_n_2117734.html |
I also want to be closer to the farming community more after I saw these images from a photobook called "Misao The Big Mama and Fukumaru The Cat" about an older Japanese lady farmer and her two-tone-eyed cat. The images are so intimate, and they are just so beautiful!
It made me want to be there helping her dig up Daikon (the native white radish plants), help to share her burden in the back bending work. She really reminded me of my Great Grandmother too. Her spunk and tenacity and her strength.
 |
| Another screenshot from the Huffington Post article (link above) |
So I now have a lot of goals for Japan, and a lot of them right now revolve around getting Japan's soil under my fingernails and learning more about how Japan nourishes its people.
I am so excited, and this time I have been there before (Well to Japan, not the Kansai area), and so much of the "What is it really like?" isn't as big in my head as it was before. This is helping me to focus on what I want to accomplish and learn on a deeper level.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)