Today I survived the class placement tests for Ryukoku University 2014. I should at least get a t-shirt. Or a medal. Or some kind of honorific title. A knighthood? Something like that...
Just so you know what hellish endeavors I encountered, and so that next years students have a feint idea as to what's going on - I'll do a quick, rough write up about what came up. I've probably pushed most of it to the back of my memory, where it will never resurface again, though.
So to start, we had a listening exam - we were handed a double sided sheet of paper with questions on which we had to fill out as the tape was played for us. The first one was about a phone number, so that was quite easy. I kind of only half-heard one of the digits though, so I may have got one of them wrong! They only play each track once - so if you miss it, you miss it. Next was just a sentence somebody said that you HAD to write in Hiragana. It was something about an oneechan. It ended shimashita. But I didn't catch the middle part because I was too busy writing the first part. :(
After that there were some conversations between people, and then a list of phrases under the question, and you had to choose which of the phrases was correct for what the people said. I think that was about it for the listening, I probably missed something, but I don't know.
The listening was only one side of the sheet. On the other side, there was a sort of kanji type exercise test, if I remember correctly. It was mostly just writing out the kanji for provided hiragana, and hiragana for provided kanji. I'm sure there were other types of question but it was all kanji knowledge. I knew a fair amount of the kanji, but I also didn't know a fair amount of the kanji :(
Next up came the essay question! That was horrible. We got provided with the topic "日本語と私" (Japanese and I), and had to write a long piece on it. My piece wasn't very long, and didn't really use any exciting grammar points or crazy vocab. It was all pretty basic. I didn't feel very prepared for it, even though it's a pretty simple question, and I came out feeling like I could probably have done better. Maybe. Japanese is difficult,
We then had a break for lunch in the crazy Japanese canteen, which was fun/scary/interesting, and then we had a library tour, which made me realise I will probably never use the library because my Japanese isn't good enough.
Then we were shepherded back for our Interviews, which were essentially oral exams. Different teachers took different interviews, and I have a feeling that they did this based on your marks last year (since they have that information) and how well they think your ability is, though I don't know if this is true, or just a thought I had. In my interview there were three of us, but I have friends who were just in couples and some people did them on their own. Different people were asked different things, but mostly around the same sort of subject. We were asked questions like when did you arrive in Japan? What was the weather like in your home country? What would you like to do whilst you're in Japan? What sort of things do you want to study on the JCLP program? In terms of Japan, what interests you? What are your hobbies? Etc. We were also asked relevant follow up questions - ie I said that I liked to cosplay and I was asked what I cosplayed and if I make the cosplays myself. Other people said they liked food and they were asked what their favourite food is. So if you don't think you can expand on an answer you want to give, it's probably better to give a different answer.
I think the oral test/interview went better than the written exam. I'm not so worried about it as they don't have any bearings on marks, but only decide which class you will be placed in for the first semester. At the beginning of the next semester, I will undergo the same hell to decide which class I will be in again, I think. Though I did read something about generally if you pass the exams at the end of the semester, you will move up a level the following semester. I really want to study hard and advance my Japanese as much as possible whilst I am here! I also found out that you need 60% to pass here - which is scary because you only need 40% at UEA, and sometimes I barely achieve that!
Also, a lot of my friends found out that they were getting the JASSO scholarship, which I am not getting. That kinda sucks as you get a good 80,000 yen a month, or something, which would be really nice for me, but no. I'm going to have to try and find a part time job or something, I'm sure.
This was our first day going onto the University Campus, and we were given loads of information and little books, and our campus card, which I love! The campus looks fab, and new and wonderful. I really like it so far, but we will see what the course is like, before I pass judgement :)
Tomorrow is more induction type stuff, so if anything important arises, I will update you all! I hope you found this helpful! If you have any questions about my first day on campus, or the class placement tests, post a little comment below and ask me! If you are interested in coming to Ryukoku, or studying abroad in Kyoto or anywhere in Japan, you should give my blog a little follow, because it's nice to know what you are and aren't interested in!
Watch this space for more crazy adventures!
Wednesday 17 September 2014
Monday 15 September 2014
Gaijin Guide to the Fushimi Inari Shrine!
So I climbed (read crawled) to the top of the Inari shrine last week, at about 3 in the afternoon, in the humid Japanese heat, but there are few things I sort of wish I knew before I set out to climb the monster that is the Inari mountain, so I thought I'd write a bit of a 'guide' to the shrine, for those who are completely unaware.
Bring a drink with you
So it sounds silly, but when I left for the Fushimi Inari shrine, I didn't really do my research on it. All I knew about it, was that there were lots of Inari shrines, all in a row, or in a circuit, at least. What I didn't know was that the circuit was 2km long, and up a 233m high mountain. I didn't know this until I got there. Me and my friends didn't really gauge how long it would take us until we had already walked for an hour and had barely started, according to the 'you are here' map. I bought myself a can of melon soda for 150yen at a vending machine, and after that had gone, and we realised we had much further to go, I wish I had bought my own drink with me. The drinks got slightly more expensive as you climbed up the shrine, and at the crossroads I bought a bottle of water for 200yen, which managed to last me until we were finished. But yeah, bringing a drink with you is a good plan.
Bug Spray!
Get some bug repellent! If you're lucky, like most of my group, you will come away with one or two bites. If you are unlucky, like me, you will come away with (as far as I've counted) thirty. So get some bug repellent to try and stop this from being a thing. Because it was a thing, it is a thing, and it is not a very pleasant thing.
Set aside a lot of time to do it
Don't assume it won't take you long, because it will, especially if you want to see as much as possible. Don't be scared to stray from the path or take a closer look at the shrines. At the beginning, we didn't get too close because we weren't sure if we should, but after seeing Japanese people get closer to some of the shrines, we decided it was ok. However, after a certain point, we stopped going to have a close look, because we were exhausted. Climbing steps up a mountain takes it's toll! But we did have a good look at the Zodiac shrine near the bottom on the way down, that one was brilliant, so I recommend giving that a look, too.
Bring a drink with you
So it sounds silly, but when I left for the Fushimi Inari shrine, I didn't really do my research on it. All I knew about it, was that there were lots of Inari shrines, all in a row, or in a circuit, at least. What I didn't know was that the circuit was 2km long, and up a 233m high mountain. I didn't know this until I got there. Me and my friends didn't really gauge how long it would take us until we had already walked for an hour and had barely started, according to the 'you are here' map. I bought myself a can of melon soda for 150yen at a vending machine, and after that had gone, and we realised we had much further to go, I wish I had bought my own drink with me. The drinks got slightly more expensive as you climbed up the shrine, and at the crossroads I bought a bottle of water for 200yen, which managed to last me until we were finished. But yeah, bringing a drink with you is a good plan.
Bug Spray!
Get some bug repellent! If you're lucky, like most of my group, you will come away with one or two bites. If you are unlucky, like me, you will come away with (as far as I've counted) thirty. So get some bug repellent to try and stop this from being a thing. Because it was a thing, it is a thing, and it is not a very pleasant thing.
Set aside a lot of time to do it
Don't assume it won't take you long, because it will, especially if you want to see as much as possible. Don't be scared to stray from the path or take a closer look at the shrines. At the beginning, we didn't get too close because we weren't sure if we should, but after seeing Japanese people get closer to some of the shrines, we decided it was ok. However, after a certain point, we stopped going to have a close look, because we were exhausted. Climbing steps up a mountain takes it's toll! But we did have a good look at the Zodiac shrine near the bottom on the way down, that one was brilliant, so I recommend giving that a look, too.
So those are the basic warnings. If you have any other questions about the Inari shrine, or Japan in general, just let me know. You can find more photos either on my facebook, or there will be a link to my pictures on the right hand side of my blog!
Thursday 11 September 2014
Sim cards, mobile phones, and other important Japanese gadgets.
One frequently asked question that always seemed to pop up back in England was about Japanese phones and sim cards, and we could never find any solid information about them online. This question remained unanswered, and all of the other students I met at Ryukoku had no idea either, so I thought I'd write about how we acquired sim cards/mobile phones in Japan!
One of the best things about being in Ryukoku accommodation is the tutors. They're here to help us and be generally lovely, and they were really helpful in finding sim cards. Essentially, they took us into kyoto, listened to all of the Japanese that was being said very quickly at us about phones and sim cards, and put it into slower, simpler Japanese. Because unfortunately (sometimes), English isn't a thing. After walking to Inari train station and catching the train to Kyoto (yes, I know I'm in Kyoto, but I mean Kyoto Kyoto. The middle of Kyoto. Y'know), we left the station and went to the Yodobashi Camera, which was like a massive department store! When we got there, we went to the back of the shop (on the same floor we came in - there were several) where there seemed to be different mobile networks represented. We were helped by a handsome Japanese man, and separated into two groups - those that wanted a new mobile phone for in Japan, which could be taken back to our home countries and used, and those who just wanted a Japanese sim card. Since I only recently spent a fair amount of money on a new Nexus 5, I knew I just wanted a new sim card for it, rather than a new phone. Out of the people who chose to sort their sim stuff that day, four people chose to get a new sim card, and five chose to get a new phone.
The four that chose getting a new sim card were given a few options - but realistically, only two:
1. For those without credit cards, you could pay 3580 yen per month (around £21) and receive 1GB of data. No calls, nor texts.
2. For those with credit cards, you could pay 2480 yen per month (around £15) and recieve 5GB of data, and SMS (though we still dont know how many SMSes we get, but everyone uses LINE - which is a bit like whatsapp - anyway so that doesn't matter)
It is obvious which one was the better deal, and nobody really wanted to settle for a higher price with much, MUCH less, however, two of us didn't have credit cards, so in the end we had to pair up, and arrange to pay those with credit cards for our contracts, which will last for just the year, which is perfect. It is a Docomo sim. When we went to pay for the sim we had to pay 3640 yen, so everyone has assumed that that is for the first month of the contract, and an additional cost for the actual sim.
Those who wanted phones were given a Huawei, and pay just over what we do, but I am unsure of the exact tariff. They only get 1GB of data, though, but they get SMS just like us. But like I said, everyone uses LINE anyway. Also, it's all LTE, 4G internet, which is fab because I have never had 4G before because I'm on Vodafone at home and vodafone are pants.
(Once we got home, we had to register our sim cards on the website, and put in APN details into our phone, and enter credit card details online,
After sorting the sim cards out, we went to find ethernet cables in order to be able to get internet access in our rooms. I chose the turquoise one because I love turquoise :). There were a few different colours, lengths and sizes. I got a thin, turquoise 5m long cable (so that it could definitely stretch to my bed). I love it, but I will leave it behind for next year's UEA student so they don't have to worry about buying one :) You're welcome!
After that, we were given some free time to look around the store (I have since gone back and realised we barely covered any, and that I missed the best sections - Games, and anime figures/collectibles etc.). and we bought a kettle (for pot ramen!! - and tea, but I dont drink tea) and a rice cooker! My first rice cooker! Me, Jiji and Saara (a girl from Finland) are sharing the kettle and rice cooker because it is cheaper that way and we all live on the third floor. I'm pretty sure we will be passing both of these down to next years UEA students too. Lucky you! So now I know how to make the rice cooker function. It's pretty good. It's so much easier than standing around a pan. I think I want one in England. Haha!
So that was my first trip to Kyoto and to Yodobashi Camera!
One of the best things about being in Ryukoku accommodation is the tutors. They're here to help us and be generally lovely, and they were really helpful in finding sim cards. Essentially, they took us into kyoto, listened to all of the Japanese that was being said very quickly at us about phones and sim cards, and put it into slower, simpler Japanese. Because unfortunately (sometimes), English isn't a thing. After walking to Inari train station and catching the train to Kyoto (yes, I know I'm in Kyoto, but I mean Kyoto Kyoto. The middle of Kyoto. Y'know), we left the station and went to the Yodobashi Camera, which was like a massive department store! When we got there, we went to the back of the shop (on the same floor we came in - there were several) where there seemed to be different mobile networks represented. We were helped by a handsome Japanese man, and separated into two groups - those that wanted a new mobile phone for in Japan, which could be taken back to our home countries and used, and those who just wanted a Japanese sim card. Since I only recently spent a fair amount of money on a new Nexus 5, I knew I just wanted a new sim card for it, rather than a new phone. Out of the people who chose to sort their sim stuff that day, four people chose to get a new sim card, and five chose to get a new phone.
The four that chose getting a new sim card were given a few options - but realistically, only two:
1. For those without credit cards, you could pay 3580 yen per month (around £21) and receive 1GB of data. No calls, nor texts.
2. For those with credit cards, you could pay 2480 yen per month (around £15) and recieve 5GB of data, and SMS (though we still dont know how many SMSes we get, but everyone uses LINE - which is a bit like whatsapp - anyway so that doesn't matter)
It is obvious which one was the better deal, and nobody really wanted to settle for a higher price with much, MUCH less, however, two of us didn't have credit cards, so in the end we had to pair up, and arrange to pay those with credit cards for our contracts, which will last for just the year, which is perfect. It is a Docomo sim. When we went to pay for the sim we had to pay 3640 yen, so everyone has assumed that that is for the first month of the contract, and an additional cost for the actual sim.
Those who wanted phones were given a Huawei, and pay just over what we do, but I am unsure of the exact tariff. They only get 1GB of data, though, but they get SMS just like us. But like I said, everyone uses LINE anyway. Also, it's all LTE, 4G internet, which is fab because I have never had 4G before because I'm on Vodafone at home and vodafone are pants.
(Once we got home, we had to register our sim cards on the website, and put in APN details into our phone, and enter credit card details online,
After sorting the sim cards out, we went to find ethernet cables in order to be able to get internet access in our rooms. I chose the turquoise one because I love turquoise :). There were a few different colours, lengths and sizes. I got a thin, turquoise 5m long cable (so that it could definitely stretch to my bed). I love it, but I will leave it behind for next year's UEA student so they don't have to worry about buying one :) You're welcome!
After that, we were given some free time to look around the store (I have since gone back and realised we barely covered any, and that I missed the best sections - Games, and anime figures/collectibles etc.). and we bought a kettle (for pot ramen!! - and tea, but I dont drink tea) and a rice cooker! My first rice cooker! Me, Jiji and Saara (a girl from Finland) are sharing the kettle and rice cooker because it is cheaper that way and we all live on the third floor. I'm pretty sure we will be passing both of these down to next years UEA students too. Lucky you! So now I know how to make the rice cooker function. It's pretty good. It's so much easier than standing around a pan. I think I want one in England. Haha!
So that was my first trip to Kyoto and to Yodobashi Camera!
Tuesday 9 September 2014
Ryukoku University International House Halls of Residence.
I thought I'd show you guys around my room. I videoed this the day after I got here, so I'm sorry it's taken so long to edit it and put it up, but I'm a busy person - being sociable and doing stuff and existing in Japan and all that. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy.
If you have any questions about the halls, leave a comment below. Don't forget to follow my blog because I'm awesome, subscribe to my YouTube too! Because even if I'm not all that interesting, Japan is!
If you have any questions about the halls, leave a comment below. Don't forget to follow my blog because I'm awesome, subscribe to my YouTube too! Because even if I'm not all that interesting, Japan is!
Friday 5 September 2014
Arriving in Japan!
I did a vlog! It's about getting to Japan. I have another one to follow, too.
If you have any questions, fire away in the comments below!
Thanks for watching!
If you have any questions, fire away in the comments below!
Thanks for watching!
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