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Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/19 20:04
I was born in US and currently live in Florida. I'm 21 I don't have a college degree just a high school diploma. I just started doing real estate here, and basically I want to live in Japan. I stayed for a month not to long ago and fell in love with the country. I love the location and culture and the really made it genuine for me, I was extremely bummed out leaving the country. Now that i'm back I feel like there's a void within me, and I just don't want to stay where i'm at anymore. I never thought what will I do in the future or what will I become, but after this experience I've change, it opened my eyes! I want to live in Japan.

I was looking into teaching English since it's something I can realistically do and I barely know Japanese. But I know you need a degree to get a job in the country and for your visa. The other option is to marry someone Japanese, but I wouldn't want to do that. And the other option is to become a student, which interested me the most. At the moment I enrolled in TEFL to teach English online to other country's that do not speak it. With I can gain experience in teaching English and better my chances to get hired. But I want to know if I enter the country with a student visa can I work as an English teacher and go to college for four years at the same time? Or will my English teaching position be at a lower level than that of a degree? Is it possible to get my bachelors while in Japan? And will it be at the same value as a bachelors in America? Like in terms of getting hired to work.
by DiscoDandyDNA  

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/20 11:16
Getting admitted to a Japanese university for a full four-year program is no small feat.

Assuming you manage that, yes you could work (part time) while studying, and upon completion you would fulfill the university degree requirement for a "work visa".
by Firas rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/20 11:23
You will need a degree to get a work visa. It doesn't matter whether it is from a Japanese or a US university.

Nowadays, an increasing number of universities offer degree programs in English - http://www.uni.international.mext.go.jp/
Although there are also others - Okayama University is opening their new "Discovery" English program, Hokkaido University offers MJSP, etc. Google is your friend.

If you avoid the large cities, the cost of living will be much lower, but the opportunities for part time work also less. You can work while you study, but you should think of this primarily as a way to supplement your finances - it wouldn't be enough to put yourself through a university - especially private universities, which are more expensive.

In terms of employability, I would suggest that you get your degree in the country you plan to get your first job after graduation. Many employers will care more about your experience and employment record than where you got your degree, unless it is particularly notable (e.g. an Ivy league university). I teach in a Japanese university, and my students have been accepted to Yale, UCLA, Berkeley, Oxford, etc for postgraduate programs, so Japanese universities needn't necessarily put you at a disadvantage if you return to the US. That said, more US employers know Temple than Tohoku.
by Dainichi Heater rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/20 22:13
But will it be possible to work as an English teacher or something like that while at the same time attending college in Japan? I know you need a bachelors to get that work visa but since I'll have the student visa and experience teaching English online with a TEFL certification will it be possible to do that?

Also if I do my AA degree here in Florida will it be possible to transfer that to Japan so instead of being in college 4 years I will just have the two remaining years I need left? And can it be from any community college? Any specific major?
by DiscoDandyDNA rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/20 23:39
You can work part-time on a student visa - up to 28 hours a week during semester (although that's way too much). 8 hours a day outside semester. Of course, this could include English teaching.

US and Japanese systems are completely different. You can't do a 2+2 with half in the US, half in Japan (other than at Temple U Japan Campus, perhaps). Not all your credits would transfer for certain.

You may be able to transfer some credits and complete in 3 years for many universities (which have English programs), or even 2.5, for Tsukuba's Life and Environmental Science program, which is the only transfer system I am aware of in Japan.



by Dainichi Heater rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/21 02:47
So the schools that you mentioned are the only ones that might accept any credits transferred from out of the country?

And yes as soon as I graduate I will want to stay and work in Japan, So I don't want to stay here in Florida for 4 years in a college just to move to a different country to do something completely different.
by DiscoDandyDNA rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/21 07:39
No.
I said "many universities". In principle, any university could accept at least some of your credits. However, for basically all Japanese universities you would be required to enroll as a first year student, which would mean a minimum 3 year graduation time.

Temple is an American university, so they could presumably do a 2+2. Tsukuba has transfer entry (at least for some programs), which would allow 2.5 years (less in principle, but practically 2.5).
by Dainichi Heater rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/24 01:24
Thank you I will try to contact these schools if it's possible and what are the requirements.

But what do you think I should do? What would you do if you were me? If you need more info please let me know! Thank you
by DiscoDandyDNA rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/24 05:35
But what do you think I should do? What would you do if you were me?

The first thing I'd look at is what programs are available and what am I interested in studying.

The second thing I'd look at is finances. What are the costs of attending university at home vs Japan? What financial aid is available?

Also, long term goals. Is your long term goal to teach English in Japan for the rest of your life?
by .. (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Planning to move to Japan 2017/2/24 14:36
If you want to live in Japan permanently try and get your degree in Japan. Look around for intensive language schools in Japan whose aim is to get their students into universities here. Also, start saving money and studying Japanese now.

If you want to live in Japan for a while and then spend the rest of your life in America, then get your degree in America and come work as an English teacher for a few years until you've had your fill and go home.

Obviously, it is not possible to know all of your future desires, but it is best to get your degree in the country that you want to live in. So, you just have to make your best guess for where you think you'll be wanting to live and bet on that.
by Harimogura rate this post as useful

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