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Studies > Japan > Osaka > Kansai Gaidai University > Review by Hans M 
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Kansai Gaidai University

197 reviews
3.98 / 5 based on 197 reviews
Useful  |  2
Hans M
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Business Studies, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel, Nightlife: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Activities
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Personal comments
So basically Hirakata is boring as hell.. it is considered like country side in Japan and for a reason. There is not much to do in the town except eating out a bit and going to karaoke to get wasted. It is scary silent and dead after sunset... a bit depressing to be honest. So, the solution is to go to Osaka or Kyoto by train (at least 30 minutes each), and there you can have lot of fun, especially Osaka for the nightlife, although there are a few clubs in Kyoto too but way quieter. Kyoto is better for day trips, Osaka for the nightlife. In Osaka you can get drunk really cheap at Pure which always has an all you can drink on weekends for pretty cheap. But the place itself is small and not really good. After you can head out to some better clubs, like Onzieme, Grand Cafe, Giraffe, etc. Onzieme used to be amazing (before the law that closed all clubs so early), among the top clubs in the world, few foreigners, amazing music and set up, expensive as all good japanese clubs, like 4000 Yen just to enter no drink included or 1 drink included. Japan can be really really fun, but you need money basically. Hopefully you have a good scholarship.. ;)
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Useful  |  6
Hans M
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Business Studies, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Overall
I wish I had known...
That Japan would be so amazing. Honestly, had the time of my life, ended up coming back often to Japan after KG, later entered in another/better university to learn more Japanese, made great friends, learned a new language and even met my wife which is Japanese. It pretty much completely changed my life.. I would have never thought it would as before going there I knew nothing of Japan, I did not have any interest in it, I just went there to discover something new as I had traveled a lot to other parts of the world but never to Asia.
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Academic reasons
1
Culture
4
Costs
2
Activities
3
Campus life
2
Party / people
3
Weather / location
3
Personal recommendation
Go there, not for the academic side, as it is poor, but to discover Japan, learn Japanese by speaking a lot with local people (do not spend your time with the other exchange student, you will regret it eventually), the only classes actually worth paying attention are Japanese classes as they will help you improve, and yea, just make sure you will have lot of money before going there as Japan is awesome if you have money as you will be able to travel a lot, eat out, party, etc.. But if you are poor as some students I knew, it will really affect your experience as you will not be able to do much besides going to school and hanging out with your friends. Also, if you have a girlfriend back home, forget about her as you will be missing on a lot..!
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
3
Traveled
4
Improved language skills
4
Met people from other countries
4
Became more independent
3
Partied a lot
4
Experienced a change in life
4
Advanced my studies & career
2
Final comments
Go for it, stay at least 2 semesters as time goes by too fast and if I had stayed only one semester, which is basically just the time to get used to your surroundings, my experience would have been very different. Find an apartment as soon as possible as the dorms are a prison. Make sure your will have lots of money as you need it to travel, party, basically enjoy yourself. Do not take university too serious as the level is poor, even compared to Japanese standards, it is basically seen as a university for rich stupid people as the fees are really expensive but the level low. Just concentrate in improving your Japanese, so spend your time with Japanese, not with other foreigners. Also, be respectful of Japanese culture and manners..do not be the annoying stupid foreigner talking too loud in the train, throwing your trash everywhere, etc.. I hate them when I see that. Anyway, enough said, be ready to be mind blown ;)
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Useful  |  1
Hans M
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Business Studies, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Leaving at the university dorms is only good for perhaps the first months to make friends and get used to the city, but if you stay a 2nd semester, it is much better to find yourself an apartment. You can find cheaper than the dorm, much closer to the uni... the dorms are actually a bit far.. and you can finally have privacy as you cannot even invite friends at the dorm without registering them, etc.. it is basically like a nice clean little prison.
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Personal assessment
Cost
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Personal comments
Like I mentioned before, get yourself an apartment as soon as possible, just way better.
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Useful  |  1
Hans M
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Business Studies, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Academic
Course recommendations
Many of the English courses are not really good and exams are often a joke like the teacher is not even in the classroom and everybody is copying haha. The Japanese courses are better as you learn something useful for your everyday life as speaking Japanese helps so much in Japan but the level is not that good compared to other universities and school in Japan. Still much better than back home though.
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My academic experiences
Quality of courses
Variety of courses
Access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
All the courses would just need to be a notch higher quality and more serious... but to be honest, are you really coming to Japan to spend your time studying? That would kill your experience in this amazing country, so I guess it is better like it is now.. not much studying, lots of partying.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Useful  |  2
Hans M
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Business Studies, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Social
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Personal comments
You can very easily meet Japanese at school as KG is basically a school where Japanese students come because they want to learn foreign languages and/or they want to go abroad.. so they basically want to meet foreigners. It is almost ridiculous how many people you will meet, you will have groups of people following you, asking directly: can I be your friend? Whats your phone number? etc Kind of ridiculous, as for the most part you will never meet those people again. But still, you have the opportunity to meet a lot of people on the campus, very easy and fun to practice your Japanese because that is how you will really improve your language skills, by having lots of stupid conversations, etc.
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Useful  |  2
Hans M
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Business Studies, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Expenses
Main source of funding:
A private grant
Other sources of funding:
Family<br> Personal savings
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
You can eat relatively good food for really cheap in Japan, so that is not a big expense. The big expenses will come from your traveling (transportation costs a lot and adds up quickly..but it is so efficient and nice to use) and activities you do outside of school. If you just eat, go to school and sleep, it will be as cheap or cheaper than back home... but then your life will be really boring. There are so many delicious foods and restaurants to eat to, activities and trips to do as Kansai area is beautiful and also if you like nightlife as I did it can also be great but again..all of this is expensive!
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Overall, Travel, Nightlife:
was more expensive than at home.
Telephone, Food, Housing:
was the same price as at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Personal comments
If you move in, go buy most of your stuff to a dollar shop..crazy how many things you can find there. Also buy your furniture to a second hand shop, there is one in Hirakata. The quality of used items is really good in Japan. Otherwise there is an IKEA in Osaka too, but a bit far. Food at school cafeteria is pretty good and cheap. Also, in most big supermarkets, the food gets discounted heavily around 6-7 pm.. So if you can wait a little for your dinner, you will be able to eat lots of sushis every night hehe.
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