@CarolinaCG

Congratulations! I feel very happy for you, that you made it so far and got even accepted at an University in Japan. 羨ましいなー I hope you will have a lot of fun and perhaps you will get a chance meeting a few members from this board (Tzadeck perhaps?). We have a lot of great brains on here, so this makes me kind of jealous, too.
Is this university in Japan a partner university of your portugese one? Or did you just apply there? If so, what were the requirements? You passed N2, right? Was that required? (I guess yes, but I just want to ask to make sure:))
How expensive will it be? :s

Currently, I'm thinking what to study at University. I will probably have not enough points studying medicine or anything going into the direction of natural sciences (I love Biology for example, but it's said to be very hard/difficult getting a job after your masters in Germany at least and I want to get a job I know more or less I will be able to get employed with).

Japanese studies/eastasian studies came into my mind, therefore. I would be straight-accepted with my current average and I would also be able to have a semester as an exchange student in Japan, if I'm good. (I'm about N2 level, except for listening).
My question is: how safe is this study in terms of getting a well-paid/regular/safe job afterwards? Learning Japanese is really fun to me and if I cannot become a doctor I want to turn it into my job; but not only Japanese, also Chinese and later on I want to polish up my Russian.

Tori-kun, I'm a bit in a rush now so that I will reply to your post later.

vix86.
I want to go to China to not only to improve my chinese but also because I want to have the chance to change my career in the future, you never know what's going to happen right. I will focus on japanese translation and japanese, but eventually I will want to change my life and when that happens, or if that happens I will have the chinese option under my belt too.

What I want to do? Either translation/interpretation or working for some company.

For those who are/will be in Kyoto. Let's meet someday!

Tori-kun,

Thank you!
Nope, Ryukoku University is not a partner university of my portuguese one. I applied to it by myself, and since I have some money saved for this kind of ocasion, so I decided to use it.
Yes, I passed N2, but I'm probably at N1 level now. Requirements were to have at least JLPT4 and having finished high school.

I think it will be more or less 10.000€ for the whole year (with expenses included I think). I already paid the first semester (3.000€+-)

Here in Portugal there are no speacialized courses (bachelors, masters) in japanese language. Starting from the next school year there will be one masters in translation though (only N3 is required).
I think that when it comed to looking for a job I wn't have much problems, considering that I'll spend at least one year in Japan, will afterwards take a japanese language related masters (translation) and also knowing chinese and english will probably good me good chances in the job marker.

If I knew my japanese could reach this level, I wouldn't have come to my bachelors (east asian studies). I would have studied something like international relations, marketing or something like that, studying japanese on the side.

CarolinaCG wrote:

Oh my dog, I'm going to have classes fully in japanese! Oh my dog I'm going to make so many new friends and learn so much new things!

I think you mean "Oh my god". 

Que bom que deu certo! Eu estou na mesma situação em que estavas até há pouco. Estou à espera do certificado de elegibilidade... Deve estar para chegar esta semana. Muita ansiedade e nervosismo até estar tudo confirmado mesmo.

Eu vou estudar na Sophia University, bem no centro de Tokyo (Chiyoda). Honestamente, Kansai (Osaka em particular) era a minha prioridade, mas foi a oportunidade que apareceu. Já sei onde vou ficar, num dormitório em Kokubunji, cidade em 多摩地域. Mas é caríssimo!!! Os preços em Tokyo são obscenos...

Vamos mantendo contacto, ok? Boa sorte com todos os preparativos!

Well, in a nutshell, I've received my acceptance letter from Sophia University. I'm just waiting for the certificate of eligibility now. Crossing my fingers that everything goes well.

Last edited by franciscobc84 (2012 July 31, 11:32 am)

Got my certificate of eligibility! Also the details about my dorm and other useful information about my semester as an exchange student from the university. I'm going to buy the airplane ticket this week. Will probably arrive at Narita on September 18th.

CarolinaCG wrote:

Ficas até quando em Tokyo? Eu vou querer ir lá nas férias, quando as tiver.

Fico até ao fim de Março. Vou quere viajar pelo Japão e logicamente que Kyoto (e a região de Kansai em geral) são imperdíveis. Já vi que vou ter três períodos propícios a isso: em fins de Outubro/começo de Novembro vai haver uns dias seguidos sem aula na minha faculdade; no final de Dezembro há a paragem de Natal e Ano Novo; e a partir de 1 de Fevereiro, as férias da faculdade. Vou ter que me planear e decidir.

so...I got my visa! I'll leave in like 3 weeks! ONE YEAH STUDYING WHAT I LOVE!

I'm coming back to take a master course. or I'll try to get a scholarship in Japan and apply to a masters there.

undead_saif wrote:

Why neglect the change of getting hired? Why not get a job there (translation?) and study your masters? Just a suggestion. Good luck and enjoy it to the fullest!

well, I have much things planned to do in Japan, I'm not negleting a possible job, I just really haven't though about it. tomorrow I'm taking some 30 minutes to think about it .

Besides japanese and japanese culture classes I want to study lots of nihonjinron by myself, actually this has became my main purpose lately.
I actually am taking to japan a book on japanese translation, which I intend to practice a lot there.
I really want to hang out with japanese people (a job or volunteering would be awesome to get some experience with "older" people).
I want to start reading manga! (I just can't read online)

I gradually getting excited, I still have not internalized the fact that I'm really going.

timetable ^^
http://intl.ryukoku.ac.jp/english/html/ … ss_04.html

undead_saif wrote:

CarolinaCG wrote:

I see. So many things to do, eh?
I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you so much! I'll keep you guys updated

franciscobc84 wrote:

CarolinaCG wrote:

so...I got my visa! I'll leave in like 3 weeks! ONE YEAH STUDYING WHAT I LOVE!

Hell yeah! Congrats!! I also got mine today! Everything's set now. Airplane ticket, lodging, visa. Just counting down the days!

Best of luck to you! The best thing is you already have an advanced level of Japanese, which will make the experience all the more memorable and enjoyable. I wish I was in the same siatuation as you... And I can totally relate with what you say about not having internalized it yet... I think that even after arriving, it will take some time.

Likewise!

I still need to pack :p
I feel so relaxed, I think the nerves will affect me only the day before the flight. when are you leaving? if you ever go to Kyoto let me know.

Fellow koohii users, I'm leaving to Japan within some hours from now.

Thank you to all of you, you have contributed to this, to one of my dreams coming true (all the others are related though). If it wasn't for you I would never get motivated to "study" japanese.

Here I go