Help/Support ► Japanese School?

[riku's_artist7]

hey its me again, okay well my mom and i were talking about japanese school just like 10 minutes ago and she said she let me go to the japanese school that was right around the area we live, but only if i was comiited to it. I've always been fascinated in the language and culture and ive always wanted to know what they said on HEY! HEY!HEY! too (without the subtitles) Im actually studying the language on this little book i bought a little while back. So maybe i can can get a litle advice on people who've actually gone to japanese school and what it's like. should i go or not? just a little help thnx!! (this is one of the things i think im going to do over the summer)

 

[Tobuoi]

Well, I went to camp with a girl who had been living in Japan for the past year, and she said that Japanese school was a lot more difficult than our schools. Also, I don't know if this applies to the Japanese school that you're talking about, but I believe that they have somewhere around 280 days...? I know that it's basically double what we have, so...yeah. Going from an American (I'm assuming) school to a Japanese school would be a very big culture shock, I would imagine. I wouldn't recommend it if you're not already on honor roll, but then again, if you're really determined, I wouldn't tell you to not go for it. Also, I don't know if they speak English or Japanese at the school, but I would recommend fully understanding Japanese before you start.

One last thing...does the new year start in April at this school? I know that schools in Japan start the new year off in April. Just curious.

 

[riku's_artist7]

yeah ur probably right, but i am in honors in some subjects, and i really am determined to really learn this language, (i think it's not that long, or maybe it is, it only happens on saturdays[like saturday school])

 

[I]

You have to realise that schools in Japan have much higher requirements than those in the United States(actually, pretty much any schools outside of the US have higher requirements). It's not just a decision you make on the spur of the moment - like your mother said, you have to be extremely committed to it (I've already had this conversation with some of my Japanese teachers - I myself am entering an exchange program this year... it's going to be almost overwhelming). So, no, it's not just like you're going to be going to a new school and it'll be exactly the same as a US school but just in Japanese - it'll be completely different.

 

[riku's_artist7]

well it not as if i just said "yeah i want to go to japanese school cause i have nothin else to d o over the summer!" ive actually been thinking on this for a VERY long time,and ive been studying it for a long time too.... maybe ill study more and think about it (even more!)

(oh and sry i didnt really mean to sound defensive )

 

[Tobuoi]

No, I think that it's cool that you're interested in doing this and I would advise that you do so, just make sure that you're prepared both academically and emotionally, because you wouldn't want the stress to get to you too much. So, even if you need to wait until next year, if you are willing to go for it, do it. Just make sure that you give yourself enough time to prepare.

 

[Inuyashigan]

If you've ever watched death note, and how much light yagami studies...that's about as much studying as you'll do when you go to japan. it's all study study study, because education is taken very highly over there, and everyone competes with eachother for the highest test scores and grades, so they can be accepted in good universities and get good jobs. it's extremely competitive in education there. so be ready for school to consume most of your life, especially since you're a foreigner and you have to get used to it.

 

[X Twin_Phoenix X]

If u r really committed 2 it then go 4 it but if not stay at ur regular school

 

[Zaraki]

I say if your up for an extreme challenge go for it. But dont expect the school to be like japanesse schools in anime I say this b/c half of the kids on this forum think that.

 

[tetraalmasy]

It's not just japan, it's everywhere else except here.....

Philipines, Korea, China a bunch of others

they go to school early, come home late, have more school days and guess what...

THEY GRADUATE FASTER

that's why you see so many young doctors and such.

It's not like a Japanese school school but like for the study of the language right? It's as hard as learning spanish and french, I'll tell you that. So much conjigation.

That's why I'm glad I'm more Vietnamese blood than my Japanese Blood (No conjugations in Vietnamese!!!)

 

[Xehanort: 17]

Oh Man, i want to learn Japanese. *sigh*

 

[Sielle]

My school had a Japanese language club that met once a week for 45 minutes. Go through that for a year (it only cost $10 for one year) and you gained a Beginner's Level for a popular Japanese exam board. My school shut down the club though when the teacher went on maternity leave but two years before it was open I was teaching myself from books and CDs that I had bought. I listen to them at night a couple of times when in bed, prehaps even only once a week. After that I'm already at GCSE level and I'm only 15 - not even doing my GCSE exams yet!

If you just want to learn about the language I'm pretty sure teaching yourself is a good idea - it worked wonders for me and it costs barely anything (you have to buy the CDs of course). You don't have to go to a school to take proper exams. You can actually apply for an exam outside of school and take it under exam conditions at home or at your school in a separate classroom. That's what I'm doing. You can then do the same at A-Level and then move onto college/university and take Japanese there (they start from scratch anyway). Then you're a qualified Japanese student!

However, Japanese school would be absolutely amazing and I can see why you want to go. It's just that it will be extremely hard in both culture and subjects and you won't get the same holidays, meaning you won't see your school friends very much. Japanese schools, like China, are incredibly work intensive and they expect you to reach extremely high marks in all grades and subjects because of the work all of the students put in.