Hello everyone! (or should I say Konnichiwa!?)
My name is Cortney, and I am VERY interested in moving to Japan for my last year of high school! (In fact, I'm leaving in February!)
I have a lot of questions, and I *LUCKILY* found this website!
my first questions are concerning schools.
-What is the average high schoolers age?
I'm going to be 17 when I arrive there, and I'm not sure if thats going to be too old! (in October I am turning 18 when I am down there)
-If I have already gotten 3 years of high school done, do I still have to take the entrance exams?
-if I do have to take the entrance exams, what do I have to prepare for? do I have to be fluent in Japanese?
-Are high schools easy to find? and when you do, is it a hassle to enroll if you aren't using a foreign exchange program?
-Can I get by for a while using a language translator and an after school tutor?
-Will recommendations from *most* of my high school teachers help my chances of getting in? (even if they aren't translated in Japanese?)
(also please note: i am done with all my high school credits, i do plan on going onto a university AFTER i spend this year in japan, i am not interested in going with a university, because i've always been interested in going to high school! thank you so much!)
Living alone?!
-Is living alone in Japan safe? will I be okay alone?
-Is there a lot of crime in Japan (I.E. Kidnapping?)
(please note: my financial situation is perfectly fine, i can afford to live on my own. THANK YOU
)
Food:
-Is there a lot of cheap food down there (in convince stores, for us, the poor broke students!)
And finally:
after a while of living in Japan (appx. 4 months) going to give me enough experience to get into the swing of things? learn the language, and get around fine?
(ALSO- not to be mean, but i'm not interested in what i need to do (meaning how unprepared i am *helpful advice is welcome!*) or how impossible this may seem *i went to another forum, asked the same questions, and got nothing but discouragement* so please just answer the questions asked above, or along the lines of helping. again not to be mean, but i don't really want people asking about my financial situations, or how i'm going to do this!)
THANK YOU so much for all your help! I look forward to your responses!