Graduate from college if you want to live in Japan.

[Hatredcopter]

Originally Posted by Kenpachi11

yea well i dont have faith in our government but why do i care im not going to live in the united states?

What makes you think Japan is so much better?

You aren't more free in Japan. Especially not as a gaijin.

Also, I'm curious to what your plan is in order to live in Japan. Sure, it's possible without a degree, but a high school graduate isn't going to have the skills or experience necessary to do so.

[Orodreth]

Originally Posted by MMM

Just out of curiousity, if you are 16, why have you already decided you are not going to college? If you want to be an international traveller/worker, things are going to be a LOT easier with a degree.

Orodreth, and I am not trying to discourage people to try to live in Japan, I am trying to encourage to start that quest with a degree in hand.

It's a lot easier to build a house with a hammer and nails than just with your bare hands.

No, I wasn't trying to say that you were discouraging people. I meant, that i didn't like the fact that it is nearly impossible to get to live in Japan without 4 years in a college.

But, I too have decided that I don't want to go to college. I might just go to a community college for a couple years, and during that time perfect my japanese, and if worse comes to worse, transfer from the community college for 2 years at a university.

[MMM]

It is curious to me that you would decide to close doors on your future by not going to college, especially if going to Japan is a goal. If you plan on taking over your father's business or something like that, I understand, but it's a little like saying "I want to be a policeman, but I don't want to go to the Police Academy" or "I want to be a lawyer, but don't want to take the Bar Exam".

If that's your life plan, then I'd make it a plan to marry a Japanese person. Then you can apply for any job you want in Japan (as long as they don't require a 4-year-degree).

[Orodreth]

Well since it is my goal, if I have to(as i just stated) I will get a 4 year degree.

I personally just see no point in me going to college(atleast at the point that I'm at) when I have no career that I am interested in going into, and i do not want to go to college only to spend money to learn about something I may have no passion in.

[kcyk8703]

Whats the point of moving to a country without a plan? If you're so determined to go but dont know what your doing, might as well just do it as a visit instead of something more permanent.

[tommasi]

Originally Posted by Orodreth

Well since it is my goal, if I have to(as i just stated) I will get a 4 year degree.

I personally just see no point in me going to college(atleast at the point that I'm at) when I have no career that I am interested in going into, and i do not want to go to college only to spend money to learn about something I may have no passion in.

Wow, I wish I could go back to my teenage years and say something like this.

Maybe you should start living by yourself and see how hard it is to earn money and pay your bills on time.

Then, you will realize how a college degree could help you earn more money. Yea, it's just a credential but that's how today's society functions.

Earning a bachelor's degree shows that you can be committed to something for at least 4 years not run away and avoid it.

So many people waste their time wondering around but at the end, most people feel the need to come back and complete their degree so you might as well do not when you are young, when your time is less valuable in the job market.

Plus, bachelor's degree mean almost nothing anyways as many people are getting their master's.

Time is ticking fast my friend.

You think you are only 18, the next moment you will be 24 and all of the sudden you feel behind in your life.

Japan is a rough place to survive.

Graduates from top American universities end up teaching English for years just to stay there so you can imagine how difficult life could be in Japan for those without college degrees.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Orodreth

Well since it is my goal, if I have to(as i just stated) I will get a 4 year degree.

I personally just see no point in me going to college(atleast at the point that I'm at) when I have no career that I am interested in going into, and i do not want to go to college only to spend money to learn about something I may have no passion in.

Take a year or two to decide what you want to do. But know that if you are determined to live in Japan, chances are you are going to be an English teacher.

If you don't know what you want to be, but are determined to live in Japan, do what I did: major in Japanese.

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by MMM

Take a year or two to decide what you want to do. But know that if you are determined to live in Japan, chances are you are going to be an English teacher.

If you don't know what you want to be, but are determined to live in Japan, do what I did: major in Japanese.

hmmm, maybe I will do that when that pittance known as social security kicks in. I could actually enjoy teaching English and it gives me a few years to learn Japanese.

[godwine]

MMM, on that topic, Kenpachi was the kid who started the thread about his special skill being welding and he demonstrated that in his shop class by setting himself on fire, therefore the Japanese should offer him a job as a welder

Orodreth, I think its fine if you transfer from college to a university degree. As MMM pointed out, a degree is a degree, as long as the degree is legit and is not one of those "Buy your way through university".

Half these kids who debate over this issue are refusing to accept reality. Talk to anyone who live and work in Japan, and they will tell you how valuable a university degree is to get a decent job in Japan. Or better yet, a JOB that WE, as foreigner, can get.

My cousin and his wife, they are both NATIVE LOCAL JAPANESE. Both of them graduated university, but a 3 years degree. They have monkey jobs. They are not doing BAD, I mean, they were able support the family and such, but they don't live an extravagant life

My other cousin, really my cousin's cousin. She is from Gunma, finished a 4 year degree, did a 6 month exchange program in Vancouver to study English. She works as an office clerk making slighly higher than minimal wage doing data entry work.

My fiancee's best friend. Finished a 4 years engineering degree in Toronto, did a 2 years master degree. Found a job as an entry level IT analyst, making minimum wage in Roppongi Hills. Her fiancee, finished a 4 years engineering degree in Toronto, can't find a full time job. Got rejected by University of Tokyo, Tsukuba University and Waseda. Got a part time job at a private institute as an assistant instructor, now he is doing a part time MBA on the side hoping to get something better

My fiancee, finished a 4 years Mec engineering degree in Toronto, did a 2 years master degree. Not a single phone call yet.

I finished a 3 year electrical engineering diploma, did a 3 years master in IT, with a load of other related certification under my belt and 10 years of experieince in the field. So far I have two calls, one from Panasonic (Yokohama), the other is Toyota. In both cases, I was rejected after the phone interview.

My point is, listen to others, especially ones that have experieince in this area, if you really want something, you have to work hard for it. What MMM stated may not (again just a MAY), be 100% accurate, I can't say for sure, but its a guideline that can give you better "hopes".

All things in life is about what you want vs what you have to offer, be it buying something, a relationship or anything. If you can't offer them what they want, then the don't want you. Plain and simple

[chaseme]

I got no chance then lol
anyway i know LOTS of people living in japan that havent finish college.
a cousin of mine for example only finish HS, well most of them are businessmen though particularly import/export