Japanese students' life
 

Hello!=)
Are there any people here, who study or studied in Japan? Could you share your experiences about the daily life of a University/College student, please?
I've made a poll (12 questions) about the things I'd like to know more about. It' ll take you less than a minute to answer it.
Japanese students' life - Mister Poll
Please, answer, if you can:)

hey!:) I'm sorry I can't help you as I'm not a college freshman YET.

but was just wondering...are you asking those questions just out of curiosity or because you are going to be a college student in Japan as well?

It's okay:) Wow, so you're going to be in a college there soon?

It's my dream to be able to study in Japan:rheart: . Unfortunately, I don't think it'll be soon enough. I was thinking about improving my japanese, at first, and only then I would probably try to apply to a University or college.
But still, I could hardly imagine what it's like to be a student in Japan ( I thought it might be somehow different from other countries, I wonder if there is something to be prepared for:D ) , so I decided to make a small research on this subject)

I answered your survey, but I feel like most of your questions don't really have anything to do with being a student in Japan so much as simply being a student in general. My answers didn't really vary from what I would have put from my experience as a university student in the states versus my experience as a student in Japan.

The very distinct impression I get from every single one of my students, who themselves are university students here in Japan, is that they were subjected to an incredibly difficult entrance exam for which they had to do more studying than for the entirety of their university life...

In other words, it's really really hard to get into them, but once you're in it's a walk in the park compared to western universities.

The difficulties of a students life increase steadily until they climax at the university entrance exam, and then it's like a free pass till graduation, and then they do training at whatever company they get hired by, and then life is difficult again. So there's a 4 year break during which they have more time to spend with friends and travel than at any other point in their lives.

These are my observations.

That's what I've heard from my friends themselves who attend Keio and Waseda (two large universities) in Tokyo.

Thank you for answering=)
Oh...... I was trying to find something different/special about studying in Japan. I mean, I heard it's easier to study in a Japanese university, than to study in J. high school, for example, or than studying in America. So, I thought I'd try asking these questions like "How many hours do you sleep? How many classes a day do you have?" - to find out, in what way the higher education is said to be easier on students..)

Yeah, I 've read about these horrible entrance examinations. "Examination hell" they call it?
But it doesn't seem scary to be a student, that's great:D
I'm happy you answered me, thank you very much. I understand it better now.

The very distinct impression I get from every single one of my students
 

The very distinct impression I get from every single one of my students. But what about teacher?

Teaching at universities in Japan is irritating, you basically MUST pass all your students unless they've done one of very few things which can hold them back.
You have very little to no power at all.

It's almost a social understanding that these people are going to commit their lives to 70hrs a week or more after they graduate and this is the last bit of freedom they'll have until retirement, which grants them a free pass.

That's my take on it, once more. Simply what it seems like from where I'm sitting.