Degree at Japanese Uni or American Uni?

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long post/question, but I want to give as much info as is needed to help you help me.

I'm a Junior (11th grade) in High School and if things work out I might be taking my Senior year of High School in Japan (I've been accepted into the Foreign exchange program, but they haven't assigned me to a specific country yet. The other 4 countries I picked were South Korea, Taiwan, France, and Belgium).

In the process of applying for that exchange program I had to have a teacher evaluate my Japanese progress as I study on my own time at home. The teacher as well as many other people have said I'm progressing at an amazing rate... so by the time I get to going to college in Japan I hopefully will be pretty well rehearsed in Japanese.

If I go to Japan for my Senior year of High School, I will obviously find out if I like the Japanese way of life or if I don't like it.

If I find I like the Japanese lifestyle I'd consider going to College in Japan and then possibly living in Japan. (I know this sounds so much like an ƒIƒ^ƒN however, quite honestly I love so much about Japan from my research that Anime has very little to do with why I'd potentially like to live there. For starters the fact that for the most part in Japan you can really get to where you want to be without a car relatively quickly intrigues me...I'm not much of a fan of cars.)

So assuming that I like Japan and its lifestyle, and that I'd end up living in Japan with a Job (Other than teaching English, that'd be a good back-up as I don't mind doing it however I want to aim for something more honestly.) and etc. Which would make it easier for me to live a life in Japan, getting a Degree at a Japanese Uni or getting a Degree at an American Uni?

If your wondering what field(s) I'm potentially considering, that'd either be IT or possibly engineering.

Thanks for any and all help!

Derek

I just graduated from university a few years ago in the states and have gone through looking for a job in both Japan and domestically.

If I were you, I'd get my degree in America for sure. I'm of the belief that it'd give you more options down the road. For example, if you were to take your American BA degree to Japan, it would probably be openly accepted by most large corporations and furthermore, they'd be interested in the fact that you've gone through an English education. (In my opinion, many Japanese workplaces STILL don't have enough fluent Japanese / English-proficient personnel to conduct international business).

On the other hand, if you were to bring back your Japanese degree to the states to look for a job, many if not most companies would have little clue as to the level of your education or what it brings to the table.

I've always been of the opinion (and have suggested to numerous friends and acquaintances) that if you want to spend time in Japan at the university level, doing an exchange program is the way to go. Then you'd get the best of both worlds.

I hadn't known that, thank you very much for your insight. Do you know if there are any American Colleges that stand out more in the eyes of the Japanese than others?

the most common and popular schools in the US are usually known in Japan.

They seem fond of:
Ivy Leagues
UCLA
UC Berkeley
MIT
NYU
Columbia

Just so you know, being able to get everywhere without a car only applies to the large cities in Japan. People in smaller cities and rural areas do need cars to get around.

Hello Sira,

Thanks for your input, however what your said isn't exactly correct it isn't wrong either. In some of the very rural areas like in the middle of rice farms or out far in the mountains you would need a car to get to where you want to go.

My resources tell me that most smaller towns have atleast one train station that's within reasonable walking or biking distance... although I could have misread something,

Regardless, their advancements in technology is another cool thing as well... like their super toilets for example xD... Coolest thing I like about Japan though really is the way people treat each other. I mean people don't treat each other like they're giant pools of infectious liquid waiting to kill you with the common cold...

They're are a lot of things that I find intriguing about Japan, I really don't have the time to list them now as I really need to get a physics presentation done... me and my procastion *hits self on head*.

Hello Derek,

Why not wait another two to three years to be a exchange student,.. you can always participate in the exchange program as a college student,..then you can choose the country, not have them choose,.. have you been accepted to the American university yet - you shouldn't miss the opportunity to apply. Also, I want you to understand that American university are partnered with university in Japan, so your chance to be a exchange student will be there later.

Regard to the university in Japan versus American - first you WILL NOT PASS the Japan university entrance exams given in Japanese only - your alternative is to apply for university in Japan that instruct all courses in English (see the link) - your degree choices are limited...,

Now regarding which university is well recognized in Japan - (1) Stanford for computer/software/internet/high technology since these U.S. companies were started by Stanford people - HP, Adobe, Intel, Google, National Semiconductor, etc., (2) Harvard for Microsoft, (3) for general recognition in engineering - M.I.T., Cal Tech, Harvard, Stanford, U.C. Irvine, (4) for name itself - Harvard, U.S. Berkeley, & Stanford.

http://jguide.stanford.edu/

http://jguide.stanford.edu/site/education_academia_14.html

DemonicDerek, Sira doesn't need my help, but I must point out to you that she LIVES in Japan. After reading her posts for several years now, I can assure you that she got her facts right 99.99% of the time.

Sira is correct. You do need a car to get around rural areas in Japan. Sure, they have small rural train stations with trains that come by every hour but when it comes to daily tasks (eg shopping, going to work, etc.) almost everybody drives or takes the bus. Also, rural stations are not always in reasonable walking distance. In my relatives' hometown in Toyama prefecture for example, it takes a good 30 minutes biking to get to the train station, everybody else drives.

You're also not entirely correct when talking about the people either. Of course, I'm only generalizing and there are exceptions to the rule but there's a reason why many people look depressed taking the train everyday, how many people don't try to help when others drop their bag of groceries on the sidewalk, how you occasionally see men screaming and staring each other down simply for bumping into them on accident, people don't hold the door for each other when talking into a store, I could go on and on with this list too.

Either way, visit Japan once, see how it is and you'll get a better feel for how it really is. Obviously, I loved Japan enough to live for for a couple years but it's certainly not what you're making it out to be.

Thanks for your input, however what your said isn't exactly correct it isn't wrong either. In some of the very rural areas like in the middle of rice farms or out far in the mountains you would need a car to get to where you want to go.

My resources tell me that most smaller towns have atleast one train station that's within reasonable walking or biking distance... although I could have misread something,

Note that the majority of Japan is the rural areas. While Japan does have a very dense railway network compared to the US, really, once you get about an hour outside of the big cities the problem is that the stations are further and further apart and the trains are less and less frequent. So no, you won't NEED a car, but it can be very limiting. It really all depends on where you live.

Regardless, their advancements in technology is another cool thing as well... like their super toilets for example xD...

As a fellow techhead, I'd say that besides the toilets, there really isn't much compelling consumer tech coming out of Japan that can't be bought in the US. Its just more generally more expensive here.

Coolest thing I like about Japan though really is the way people treat each other. I mean people don't treat each other like they're giant pools of infectious liquid waiting to kill you with the common cold...

Not sure what you mean by this, but people here normally wear masks in the winter to protect themselves from each other during the cold season.

I'd like to echo other posters and recommend going to an American university, possibly studying abroad in Japan to experience the culture first hand before making any life changing decisions to move here. You've got some interesting conceptions about Japan that I too sometimes share. But there are a lot of other issues to think about if you plan to move to Japan long term, and it would be best to come see if the country really is what you're expecting.

Oh Lol I feel like a fool now xD... I hadn't realized she lives in Japan. However, I learned something today... that really the trains aren't as available as I originally thought.

Stanfordgal: After the first response (or whatever # it was) I probably will pursue an American college. Although as far as doing foreign exchange in Japan during College goes, I'd prefer to do it during High School as a Japanese teacher that evaluated my abilities said its the "perfect" time to do so.... Although if I don't get Japan as a country then I do have the option of declining my assignment and not going so I'm not forced to go anywhere I don't want to. As far as South Korea and Taiwan go, I've been told the cultures are very similar with some variations and different languages. Either way, if I go to one of those two, knowing a secondary asian language couldn't hurt me. I doubted I would pass those exams too xD, but still I wanted to atleast consider the option before throwing it in the trash.

Bean: Your right I'm probably over emphasizing some of the positive features, I have read up on some of the negative things of Japan... If I remember correctly a friend told me that their government tends to be corrupt sometimes and instead of "fix" to the problem its a "Sorry, *bow*" and that's the end of it. However, truly again I really can't say too much from just reading up on questionably accurate sources. As you said I do indeed have to go there which is what I'm aiming to do. Quite honestly I'm trying my hardest to learn on what I should expect but again not everything is the most accurate thing in the world on the Internet. Plus I'm forgetful xD.

yllwsmrf: 1st. What I meant by that is the way Americans treat each other, I mean yeah its all for the sake of "Sanitation" and Keeping yourself clean and etc. however, I was projecting my personal view of it all in a weird fashion... Again, yes I do want to experience Japan on a temporary basis before doing anything drastic. I really don't know too much in the technology aspect, I just hear from everyone "Japan is 2 to 3 years ahead of us" so what else am I suppose to assume... Everything I read says the same too xD.

yllwsmrf: 1st. What I meant by that is the way Americans treat each other, I mean yeah its all for the sake of "Sanitation" and Keeping yourself clean and etc. however, I was projecting my personal view of it all in a weird fashion... Again, yes I do want to experience Japan on a temporary basis before doing anything drastic. I really don't know too much in the technology aspect, I just hear from everyone "Japan is 2 to 3 years ahead of us" so what else am I suppose to assume... Everything I read says the same too xD.

Sound like you're getting a good plan in order. Anyway, concerning technology it really depends on what you're looking at. In terms of consumer tech, there really isn't much in Japan that isn't available in the US. Often I feel that there is actually less selection than is available back home. But then again, there are areas like cell phone networks that are a few years ahead, mostly due to increased competition and Japan's comparatively smaller size. But another thing is that I find that people in Japan use less tech in their daily lives then I thought and I think you'll be suprised how quaintly low tech the majority of the country can be.

My father allowed me to go to Japan in my senior year, 3rd time. His condition was, get accepted to Stanford.. Have you applied or been accepted Derek? That would be my concern about you going to Japan in your senior year.

Also, I like to advise you to get more than a simple Bachelor Degree, especially if your future is in high tech field. I have many friends and former class mates that work in the Silicon Valley,.. BS for new recruits - MS, MEE, or MBA for mid-level & above. You can always work for an American company and ask for a transfer to Japan,.. but lets not rush,.. you are only a junior in high school.

Hey guys, I just wanted to update this thread to state I'm going to Japan next year as a senior so this will be interesting...

Also will help me figure out if I like the country as much as I think I do.

Thanks for your time,

Derek

Thanks for the update and congratulations on the development. I'm sure you'll have a great time living in Japan and figuring out for yourself how it is!