25 Tips for University Students in Japan

Choosing to study abroad can be a great experience for anyone! What better place is there to study, learn a language, and earn your degree than Japan itself?! While Japan (especially Tokyo) can seem overwhelming and like a dream come true it is very easy to forget why you're really here in the first place. It is very important that you take good care of your physical and mental health by surrounding yourself with good people, socializing, studying, enjoying good food, and taking out some time for some relaxation alone too. 
You really want to make the most out of your trip to Japan whether it be 3 months or 4 years your time here as a student will fly by really fast! While it is important to study, work on your papers, complete projects, and finish your homework you also need to find things that you thoroughly enjoy and make you happy here. 
Remember that if your grades or behavior becomes really bad you can be expelled and forced to return to your home country.

Not having a car to drive anywhere you please, relying on your phone for directions to and from everywhere, having to learn about the cultural differences, not being fluent in Japanese, and simply not being a native Japanese person will make it VERY difficult for you to adjust and assimilate right away as you'll have to balance your studies, work, and social life while also trying to learn "how to be an adult" in a foreign country. 

Hopefully after reading this list you will be better prepared for success at your new school!

Ah yes, my super awkward first day of school selfie

25 Tips for University Students in Japan

1.) Try to take your most difficult classes first thing in the morning and your more fun classes in the evening. You’ll end your day with something fun and have something to look forward to and you’ll be in a smaller class in the morning which will make it easier to ask for help and you’ll get to know your classmates faster and better too.

2.) Take early morning classes so that you can do your homework and study in the afternoon and work and party in the evening. 

3.) Try to have Friday’s off or at least no classes after 1:00pm that day so that you’ll always have a 3 day weekend. 

4.) Join your school’s work study program. You’ll make friends instantly and you'll cover some of your tuition if you get a job working in the school’s library or cafe. These jobs pay about 900-1200 yen an hour.

5.) After you’ve finished a semester or so you can tutor other students through your school. All you have a B or higher in the class or you can tutor those who want to improve their English. You get paid for this work through the school and it is a free service for your classmates.

Computer Making Club at Lakeland University Japan

6.) Join at least 2 different clubs at your school. You’ll make more friends, learn a new hobby or practice your own, and you'll have some great pictures and videos to take during your time in Japan as they’ll often times have parties and go on exclusive trips. 

7.) Always carry these items with you

• backpack
• student ID
• passport
• residence card
• Written or printed address in romanji and kanji to your home and school
• water bottle
• small snack
• laptop
• cellphone
• spare IC Card
• deodorant wipes
• a pen and pencil
• a folder
• a 5 subject notebook
• 5-10 pieces of lose leaf paper
• chargers
• spare battery 
• tissue
• handsanitizer
• hand towel
• house key
• 2000 yen cash

My Japanese dad helping me with my Japanese homework while also having fun eating and drinking at an izakaya. Who says you can't study and finish your homework while at the bar xD?!

8.) Study Japanese on your own everyday before and after school. You can sign up for free tutoring lessons at your school and take basic classes at your city hall or community center.

9.)Take these classes

• Japanese
• US Japan History
• Understanding Race Ethnicity & Gender
• English Composition
• CPS (Computers) 

Who doesn't like fried or grilled food?!  

10.) Participate in every school event!

Attend events for special guest speakers, speech day, Thanks giving, Halloween and Christmas parties, summer barbecue,graduation ceremony, miscellaneous volunteer opportunities. 

11.) Take good notes in every class! You will remember things better if you write them down. Don’t be afraid to take a picture of the board or use your smart notebook, iPad, phone or laptop to record the audio of a good lecture.

12.) Don’t be afraid to ask for help during class! If you're too shy consider sitting near the teacher’s desk or ask as soon s class is over. You can also ask your Japanese friends and classmates to help you as well.

13.) Get to know the professors of your least favorite or most difficult classes. Schedule an appointment for them to tutor you before or after class. They will see that you're serious and they will do everything that they can to ensure that you pass them. Work with them and they will work with you. 

14.) Talk to everyone that you see at school. Always greet them and find something to compliment them on or ask them a question. Be sure to introduce yourself and get their name too. Ask them where they're from and how long they've both been at your school and lived in Japan as a whole.

15.) Use your student discount! A lot of tourist destination, clothing stores, and public transportation often times have discounted rates for students. Be sure to bring your ID so that you can take advantage of the sales and special pricing. 

16.) Try to find free or cheap ebooks online or see if anyone else is selling the books that you need for your class BEFORE you purchase them brand new online or from you school.

Dinner date with my ex boyfriend.

Playing darts for Valentine's Day with my now ex boyfriend in Tokyo.

We had the whole place to ourselves because we arrived so early and we also got to enjoy Happy Hour too!

17.) Make sure your life has balance. You NEED to have fun! You NEED to have friends! You NEED to make time to study and complete your homework assignments! You need GOOD sleep! AND hey we’re all social creatures that want to be loved too so yes you also NEED to make time fro dating and relationships!

Always try to finish your homework and studying by 7:30pm, Eat dinner by 8:30pm, shower by 10:30pm, Go to bed by 11:00pm at the latest. Your friends and your boyfriend or girlfriend can wait until the weekend or you can meet up during lunch or after classes.

18.) Don’t be afraid to ask for financial assistance! If you need a bigger loan contact the financial aid department and simply send them proof of your living expenses and they will give you an increase. You can also arrange a payment plan with your school if you're struggling to pay your tuition. Be sure to limit how much you're spending when you go out with your friends. Consider signing or applying for a part-time job or teaching your own private English lessons.

A blurry polaroid picture from St. Patricks Day at the British Hub with my friends and classmates.FYI I never celebrate this day mainly because it's a stupid excuse to be an alcoholic and umm yeah I'm not white sooo... But see I had fun and I still went because they begged me to go haha.

The Hub

19.) If you're invited to go out on the town with your classmates say YES! Even if the venue or event is not your cup of tea its a great way to make new friends, meet and see some new people and take some great pictures and videos for your social media accounts and scrap book. Make some memories and loosen up! Don’t be so shy!

20.) Do your homework NOW! Don’t put off writing your papers or reading the 5 chapters assigned for homework. That 1-2 week deadline will come up very fast. Your partying, gaming, and sex life can wait. Whenever possible look over your syllabus and complete any major projects that you can do at the beginning of the year this way you can make adjustments later and even schedule a meeting with your professors to see if its an “A” worthy project or paper.

Just sitting and snacking while enjoying the ambience and eavesdropping on my classmates in the student lounge area.

I was given a free cup of joe on two separate occasions and made 3 new friends just because I was sitting quietly and looked lonely (which I was haha).

I purchased a small yet delicious meat lovers stuffed crust pizza from Domino's Japan to share with everyone in the student lounge (about 5 people) area i made 2 REAL new friends and I got to know some cool people and enjoyed a great conversation and learned about the gaming club.

21.) Arrive to your classes 10-15 minutes early and stick around afterwards for   1-3 hours. You can socialize study and just enjoy the ambience. Its an easy way to get to know people, make friends, get invited to parties, or even get a free meal. If you always rush in at the last minute and leave right away you’ll be seen as a bad student and you’ll never really get a chance to make friends as you’ll seem rude, weird, and too busy to socialize.  Also it feels great to not be in a rush all the time. Japan is a very fast placed country especially if you live in Tokyo you’ll always feel like you have to rush and run everywhere. If you leave out early you can walk and take your time. Its okay to wait for the next train that's less crowded, you have time to stop for breakfast at a konbini and sit elbow to elbow with the cool salarymen.

22.) Purchase a pocket wifi device to connect your phone and computer to the Internet no matter where you go. You'll heavily rely on Google or Apple Maps to navigate you pretty much everywhere here. There are no street names and numbers and the addresses aren't usually visibly written on the fronts of buildings.

My not so healthy but delicious breakfast with a cup of vegetable juice

23.) Eat & use the restroom before you go to class! Don't go to school hungry! You don't want to feel embarrassed because your tummy is growling on a crowded and quiet train or in the middle of a lecture. It will be hard for you to focus and you'll be tempted to snack or waste money at the convenience store if you didn't already eat a satisfying meal before you left. You also don't want to have an accident by holding it in or leave in the middle of an important lecture.

24.) If you are sick, sleepy or running late then still GO TO CLASS ANYWAY! You don't want to miss out on very important information. If you stay at home you'll have to rely on your peers who might not have taken the best notes and if you don't have any good friends or your professor and classmates don't take notes or are just jerks, then you'll be at their mercy or out of luck.

Staying at home won't make you feel any better. Buy some over the counter medicine, bring some hot tea (or buy it at the vending machine or konbini near your school), cough drops, tissue, handsanitizer, mints and a surgical mask. Dress warmly (hat, gloves, sweater, jacket, boots) and eat some hot soup and tea before you leave out the door. I know you feel bad right now, but you'll make it and you'll live. Be a big boy/girl! You do want to pass those finals right? Besides you're going to be in debt for these classes  or you paid thousands of dollars for them already! Why would you want to waste that kind of cash?

25.) Sign up for a Facebook & Meet Up account so that you can be in the know or even attend international parties, join clubs with the locals, expats and other students, attend cultural festivals, and concerts in Japan year around.

Don't worry too much! You'll find your own rhythm and you'll make friend and get to try new food and explore lots of cool places here in Japan. You will never be alone even if you feel as though you are.

It's okay to make mistakes. We've all been there! If you fail a class, do something embarrassing, feel awkward, lose a friend, or a bit of face then just pick yourself back up laugh about it ad carry on. It is all just a learning experience. You will succeed and you will be given the opportunity to enjoy bigger and better things in the near future. 

Make the most of your study abroad by trying your best to be happy and optimistic.

I hope you found these tips useful. If you have any ideas that you'd like to add to this list to help other students then please leave a comment or send me an email.

I wish you the best of luck during your stay in Japan and I hope that you get settled in fast so that you can begin to enjoy your college and adult life here in Japan!

Thank you for reading!

Stay Tuned!

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A Secret Layer of Discrimination Against Foreign Students In Japan

I love Japan but this article will not be me kissing Tokyo's ass at least not today. Instead I want to talk to you about an issue that nobody really talks about much. You may think that you can just browse Gaijin Pot Apartments or go to Sakura House and yeah you're right but it's wrong and there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Sakura House is by far the easiest company to deal with here in Japan. They are easily the number one housing company for foreigners regardless of what country you came from (as long as it wasn't Japan) they have multi-lingual staff from all over the world who can help you find "the perfect place".  They don't ask any questions about how or where you are getting random amounts of money to pay for your housing and living expenses they don't monitor where you are working or studying no matter how long you plan to be a tenant. You could be an axe murder and drug lord for all they care or know.

This is fine if you only plan to live in Japan short-term but if you will be here for years or plan to move to Japan permanently you may have decided that you want something more affordable, spacious, and well just your own space period a.k.a an apartment and boy are you in for a mother-fucking ride! 

Despite the fact that Gaijin Pot has thousands of apartment listings they nor the real estate agents and companies listed on their site lists arguably the most important disclaimer ( at least not to my knowledge anyway).

1.) You are basically wasting your time filling out the contact form because you are going to have to answer 100 more generic questions than they have listed there before they will even begin to work with you. 

Okay no big deal. That's understandable they have to know who they're working with and want to make sure that you are not a psycho and that you are legitimately interested in moving blah blah blah.

 I can't help but wonder that as the agent, don't you get tired of having to ask the same questions to every "dumb" foreigner who was looking at one of your listings? Then again I believe the replies are often copy and pasted.

2.) After telling them all of this you will soon find out that in Japan, American laws have no place in this country. Again that's understandable, but what's ironic is that they would be devastated if they were treated this way in the United States which makes me angry (I'm sure there's housing discrimination in the U.S against Japanese people too Captain Obvious but not on this level).

Anyway most housing companies are ALMOST like housing in the 40's or 60's in America for African-Americans and by that I mean landlords can discriminate against you solely based upon the fact that you are a foreigner and then even if you aren't being rejected because of your foreignness then you will be rejected for being a student. The difference between Japan 2017 and 1960's America is that it's totally legal and not some separate but equal under the table hushed bullshit this is a well known completely open fact in the housing market here (buying is another story but as far as renting goes this is your reality).
It's the landlords home they have a right to decide who lives there its as simple as that.

Now once again I'm going to play devils advocate here. I understand from personal experience that most foreigners here stereotypically and seemingly factually don't have a clue as to how to assimilate and "act Japanese" and are even criticized by their non-japanese peers for trying to (go figure), but it's unfair to judge an applicant without having even met them. 

Also why am I being punished for being a student?  Again from their perspective maybe it's because I am seen as young and irresponsible, they are afraid that I will have wild orgies, smash plates and guitars on the tatami floors while screaming My Chemical romance and Nirvana songs at the top of my longs while chugging Strong Zero through my Statue of Liberty drinking hat in my panties on the 9th floor balcony while loudly arguing with my Japanese boyfriend. 

3.) You need to have a list of things already put together BEFORE anyone besides Sakura House or some other Gaijin Circus companies will even consider taking you in. That is you will need to ALREADY have...

Five Things You May Not Have Thought of Like stupid me....

1.) Current Japanese Address

2.) Name seal/stamp (hanko)

3.) Japanese bank savings account

4.) Japanese Cell phone number

5.) Japanese (native preferably) Emergency contact

While some of this is kind of common sense as a foreigner (and specifically myself) this was not clear until after doing more research and contacting agents myself. I have these things, well most of them in America and I took them over to Japan. I still use my T-Mobile phone in Tokyo. I have my American credit and debit cards with me and yes of course I did plan to get these in Japan but I never thought about the fact that I had to have these things in order to rent an apartment but I admit that was somewhat stupid thinking on my end so I will give you a pass to judge me here, but hey I'm young! I will gladly use my Gaijin Card this time.
There are exceptions though. The 5 things listed above are not ALWAYS required but usually are.

The Big Picture

My issue isn't that I don't understand why Japanese people feel the way that they do. I can agree with probably just about every stereotype that they have for foreigners because sadly MOST people do those things (it's no different than America's views on minorities in my opinion, go ahead fight me) BUT the problem and thing that makes this so unfair to me is that most of the rude un-Japanese dishonorable, shameful, bad foreigners that have clouded the minds of these Japanese tenants and landlords who wouldn't want to live within a 100 mile radius of a foreigner yet alone invite one to nest in their sacred apartment building are just mother-fucking TOURISTS! I have now learned to hate that word because in Japanese eyes there is no difference between foreign resident and tourist and that is something that people never talk about anywhere on the internets. Yes long-term Japanese residents on multi-year working and student visa etc. can be rude, typical foreigners (there's an exception to every rule) but I believe that most people that have been in Japan and that are working with Japanese people and studying with them have learned enough of the culture to see that things work differently here and thus have taken off their American flag cape and traded it in for a Japanese uniform. Yes I am aware that most tourists are not American and from other countries thus still making them foreigners but you know what I mean!

The bigger problem that this posses for me and other foreigners alike is how do we and can we even "get out" (I promise I never saw that movie)? Your options are very limited if you want to get your own apartment here, especially if you are in my shoes. A foreign university student, who is not married to a Japanese man and that doesn't have a "real" salaried Japanese job.

Not to throw any shade or hate on those of my readers who have Japanese spouses, specifically if you are a woman, I imagine that having a Japanese husband is way more beneficial than a Japanese wife since.... well I'm not about to get into that but you know what I mean.... Basically being a Japanese man in Japan is like being a king. Men are expected to handle all of the gritty work here. I imagine that you would look a bit dumb and bitchy if you are a foreign man with a Japanese wife even if your Japanese is good when it comes to business it'll never be good enough.
On a side note when I was looking at an apartment (all the staff was bi-lingual with very good near perfect English) yet they were more interested in my "boyfriend" (not really) who was Japanese and they were still speaking to him in English but forgot that I AM THE ONE who's name will be on the lease not his (LOL)!

Anyway now that I've triggered and isolated the remainder of my readers, even with a Japanese native as your spouse, I am aware that landlords can and sometimes will still discriminate against you since they assume that you are probably crazy, rude and loud just like your gaijin spouse or the shallow but reasonable excuse that there will be a language barrier fear with the landlord.

Anyway back to throwing shade! I hate that it seems like everything in Japan is made for couples. Maybe that is why there are so many sham and shallow marriages here. I feel as though I am getting a  triple-shit punishment (yes that was inspired by Dashie) for being the big bad three...

#1 FOREIGN

#2 SUDENT

#3 NO JAPANESE HUSBAND

It's like Japan doesn't want you to live here at least not a decent life here unless you are married to a native Japanese. If you have spent any length of time wanting to go to Japan you probably heard about the main two options that people take to get here. They either use their already acquired bachelors degree or find a Japanese person to marry and thus be granted a visa that puts you a solid 100 platinum steps ahead of us peasantry foreigners who have not found our soul or sham-mates yet. 

Now back to Sakura House I don't hate that company but they are ridiculously overpriced. I am paying almost $500 to live in a small Chi-town-hood dorm room with loud and noisy inconsiderate roommates (mostly from China and South Asian countries). Yes it is convenient and I don't have any other bills than my rent but for about less than $100 more I can have a whole 1 bedroom apartment in Mitaka. If you want an apartment from Sakura House you are looking at spending about $850- $3,500 and up for a small shit room that they call an "apartment" (its even smaller than a real Tokyo apartment) that is probably plastered in their embarrassing gaijin signs and have thousands of rules as though you are in a boarding school for pre-teen boys.

However, you feel trapped because if you are truly desperate to have your own space you should be willing to settle for anything so why be picky about the company? Well I will put it this way. As someone who was a slave for all 3 of these companies below, it's like being told that you can only have your prescriptions filled at CVS even although both Walgreen's and Walmart is closer to your home and besides everyone goes to Walmart and Walgreen's. WTF is CVS?! How inconvenient none of the cool sick people you know get their medicine from that Walgreen's rip-off. Well that's what housing is like here. Japanese people don't rent from Sakura House (so why do I have to, because I'm not Japanese right?!). For starts they only rent to foreigners as they constantly remind you and any Japanese person with a brain and any living family member that loves or even hates them wouldn't allow a member of their family dare be seen living in the slums of Sakura House (I kid... well kind of... I actually went to a Japanese share house (not owned by Sakura House) and well it was the nastiest home I've seen both here and in America). Friends don't let friends live in Sakura House. Temporary living is fine but you couldn't possibly live here comfortably for the rest of your life or even 2-5 years without wanting to walk (or possibly run and  jump) onto the JR tracks (sorry for being graphic and insensitive.... you fucking pussy).

Nobody wants to feel as though they are caged-in, trapped and forced to live in a particular place or as though they HAVE to rent through one specific agency and not just any agency but one that specializes in the outcasts of society, commonly known on the streets as "gaijin" or "foreigner". I hate feeling as though I do not have control over where I live.

I just wish that companies would be more upfront about what you need to get a place here and that real estate agents would stop playing bait and switch. They list apartments on websites MADE for foreigners to get advice find work and home etc. but then after you contact them they tell you this place doesn't rent to your sub-human gaijin species. It's very misleading, demeaning, and offensive and it really makes me angry.

I was aware of the racist landlord problem here in Japan and all of the cover up excuses because Japan is so homogenous and all that shittery BUT I never heard of discrimination against certain types of foreigners like me for being a student!
As I was told housing in Japan either accepts dogs or foreigners NEVER both. Yes smart ass I know you can have a pet in Japan as a foreigner, but you get the point. It is not common, and if you are foreign with a pet good luck to you!
To be honest I haven't experienced any difficulties because I am black. I'm always thrown in the same boat with white people here in Japan unlike America which is one good thing. At least here I am an equal alien but still it sucks!

 I am sure that I am not alone in this but I wish it were talked about more because hey who knows, maybe something might change... Now if only we talked about them letting us take pictures and record video in stores and restaurants were we pay for the services.... Well that's another story for another ranty post.

I will also add that I am not one of those foreigners who complain about Japan needing to adopt the ways of the west. I don't think they should. I like Japan's uniqueness. I am glad that they are not like Europe or America.
I admire their culture. However I don't think that discrimination is a part of Japanese culture. For the most part 95% of discrimination here is out of fear of future difficulties and not a matter of feeling superior to you, but it still makes obtaining and doing certain things here seemingly impossible or very challenging.

Keep in mind that if you can't speak Japanese well, don't have a real visa (non-tourist) of any kind or if you are under 21 (yes that means you 18 & 19 year olds and sometimes even 20) good luck on finding a place to stay buddy!

Don't get me wrong!

Yes there's housing here for foreigners and even for foreign students. You can find an apartment, a dorm a share house etc. but if you happen to have more money to spend and say you want something somewhere between decent and livable or even luxurious you will become frustrated when you contact a nice apartment on the 9th floor of a fancy Shibuya apartment complex and discover that you've been rejected only because you are a foreign student and they don't care how much money you have so instead they show you slum buildings that are "cheap" but not even close to as nice as the place you had your heart and eyes set on. Not because they are being mean and believe that this is all that you deserve, but only these crap places are willing to rent to you with ease because no Japanese person wants to live there and that landlord needs some money-aye!.. Oh then they have the audacity to ask you to sign the same 2 year contract for the little slum-building as though it were the Polly Pocket Pent House you had your eyes on (I'm telling you it's bait and switch people)!

 In fact in my honest opinion I don't even think they would bother helping us gaijin if it wasn't for the fact that we are more desperate, yen is yen and the agents get commissions (sometimes outrageously high) etc. for closing the deal with you. Plus they get to use and practice their broken English with you which might help them seem more valuable to their agency. Kind of like the dog trainer or tamer for foreigners.  

I am glad that I made it to Japan and for that reason alone, I am willing to sacrifice not having a pimped-out pent house in Tokyo. So for now I will take what I can get and remain humble and satisfied that at least I am not being hosed down when I step out into the lobby. I have a tatami roof over my head, 7/11 Taco-Rice-Tuesday in my stomach, a fridge that beeps if it's not closed all the way and a toilet that can blast my ass and snatch with warm water simultaneously (free adult wipes?).

I don't have to live here until I die. I can always move. Maybe one day I will have a career and when I am ready a spouse so I can get my king-supreme-grandmaster-platinum-gaijin-card like the rest of you lucky bastards!

So please share with me your housing experiences and feel free to argue with me in the comments if I hurt your feelings (pussy)....

Stay Tuned!

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