Advice on Getting to Japan?

I would like to hear the advice/opinions of those more experienced/knowledgeable than myself.

First of all, I am 19 years old and about to start my first semester of college. I am beginning college at this age due to having recently resolved a long-standing health issue.

Due to this health issue, I had to drop out of high school and get my GED at 16. My exit-level test scores from my last year in school were good enough to exempt me from entry exams at my college and I have retained this level of "mastery" in relevant subjects by helping my friends with their own coursework. Until around 6 months ago, I have been doing absolutely nothing.

I have always felt a deep longing for Japan. It is different from my interest in other countries. Japan has been a nearly all-consuming interest for a very long time.

As such, I would like advice on how to get there.

I think the most practical route would be to attend a Japanese university. However, in order to do that I need to decide on a relevant major.

International Studies seems to be a boring major. I'm open to it, though.

International Business sounds like something I would enjoy, but it does not include higher maths in the required courses. That being said, I could just take them anyway.

I don't want to be any sort of Science major as I have always found science courses to be tedious. While I would gladly take required/interesting courses, I can't see myself in a science related career.

I would prefer a busy/hectic/almost chaotic career choice, as I despise being bored/inactive/sedentary.

I don't like being in leadership positions.

I am passionate about:

Math
Languages
History
Repairing Items of Physical Natures

Careers that sound interesting:

Accountant
Translator/Interpreter/Similar Titles
Assistant/Secretary


The last list is incomplete as there is no way to know all existing career titles. Any suggestions regarding careers that you think may suit me are welcome.

I have not yet taken the SAT/ACT tests. I am aiming to study for them through tutoring and completing practice/released tests. My goal is to take each test only once and score as high as possible.

I would also appreciate advice/opinions on which universities you think are worth looking into.

My current credentials are very limited. As far as employment, I have only had one job. I work at a boarding facility that houses dogs, cats, and exotics. On the side, they pay me to fix/build things for them and assist the groomer. I also help a local breeder care for and show Boer goats and chickens.

I would like to join the Humanitarian Club at my college to add some substance. I decided on this club for three reasons, the first being that people need help; the second reason is that I like being helpful and the third is that such activities usually produce a positive perception of involved persons.

I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on improving my resume.

If you have any other advice on attending a university in Japan, I would be glad to hear it.


Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Japanese universities require applicants to have completed 12 years of education prior to enrollment. Given that you dropped out of high school, I think it would be extremely difficult for you to be accepted. It would be better to get a degree in the US, then you could either get a job directly in Japan, or attend graduate school here.

I agree with the above poster. Just make sure you choose a major that you could see yourself having a career in, and one that will be useful in a foreign country - most suggestions usually include business, finance, engineering, etc. You need to make yourself look useful enough to warrant a Japanese company sponsoring you for a work visa.

Also learn Japanese, whether as part of your college studies or in private classes. Take the JLPTs as well, so that when you apply for jobs in Japan you can show them you already have some language ability. If you don't get up to a good language ability by the time you finish college (you should focus on your studies, and language classes may get in the way), you could spend some time at a language school in Japan. This would also allow you to apply for jobs in person.

Thank you for the advice.

My current "plan" is to get my associate's degree before applying to a Japanese university.

I am currently enrolled in Beginner's Japanese I, Composition and Rhetoric I, College Algebra (they don't let you place in any higher math than that through exemption here), Introduction to Computers, and a mandatory "College 101" type class.

Another question:

Do you think that the universities would look past the dropping out considering that prior to that I always received high marks? The reason I withdrew was that I couldn't attend class. When we went to court (not going to school is illegal), it was decided that despite my grades I would not receive credit and would fail the year. I had struggled with this health issue for years when it suddenly became crippling, and it is very well documented. I have no doubt that my college record will be exceptional.

If I do have to get my degree and then get a job in Japan, what courses do you think would be valuable?

I might go that way, actually. Just thinking of all the classes I could take in that amount of time makes me giddy.

Anyhow, I'm still open to advice and opinions!

The specific courses don't matter; they'll change from college to college so it's too hard to give advice on that. The degree you actually graduate with is the important thing.

(continued)

You'll also want to start saving as much money as possible, because to get a student visa in Japan you need to show you can pay tuition costs upfront and also pay for your living expenses (rent, utilities, food) without working. You are able to work part-time on a student visa, but you need to show Immigration that you are financially stable enough to not HAVE to rely on a job to support yourself in Japan. Basically, they just need to know that you won't be a drain on the system.

Do you think that the universities would look past the dropping out considering that prior to that I always received high marks?

It's not a matter of your grades - it's a matter of legality. The 12 years of education is essentially mandatory.

With an AA and a high school equivalency exam, some university may decide to look kindly on you and let you apply for 1st year. Then again, they may decide to strictly enforce the rules, in which case your application gets directly rejected.

With a BA/BSc degree (or equivalent), it's much easier to accept you for a Master level qualification.

Thank you all for the advice!

So, what I decided to do is get a bachelor's degree here in the US. That being said, my 1st and 2nd choice universities both have great study abroad programs for Japan, so I'll make it over there "soon enough".