Originally Posted by Columbine (Post 823973)

I know the term dates, but that's how our schedule was run. We started last week of August and then worked over the break through till Xmas, then we got a month off through January. Sucked coming back second term though as of course, there were hardly any Japanese students around for half of it!

I guess it depends on the high school and how many exchange kids they take in. Either way, most high school exchanges don't require any kind of Japanese fluency, so it's not like they have to slot the kids suddenly into the set curriculum half-way through the term; they have their own lessons. Also gives the Japanese kids and teachers a chance to settle in before the excitement of foreign visitors. Certainly at my school here in England they don't even like doing school trips before half term.

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 823974)

How many weeks were you in Japan before school started?

Originally Posted by Columbine (Post 823975)

I arrived really late, so barely even one. We were all also college-age, so less fuss and control over where you stayed at first, or when you arrived. Provided you were there for induction at the start of term, that was about it.

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 823978)

I have been a part of a few exchange programs, and that seems more normal. I wonder what the OP is doing all day while he waits for school to start.

Originally Posted by Akihiko (Post 824078)

Sitting inside hoping that everything goes well for the next week. Also, I take long walks to nearby shrines and pray for good luck.

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 824084)

Cool. Is your house close to the school?

Originally Posted by Akihiko (Post 824105)

There's a bus stop near by

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 824111)

Oh, so you have to take a bus to school? Early mornings...

So it's a good thing you found this site. Lots of people experienced with Japan here.

What kind of cultural issues have you run into with your host family? Do you have a host brother or sister (likely brother) going to the same school?

Originally Posted by Akihiko (Post 824114)

Yeah. But they're shinto. And I know it's not really a religion, I consider myself shinto. So no conflicts thus far. They're really cool :3