Study abroad for a year - Come back after graduation for work?

<p>I have been wanting to study abroad for an academic year in Japan, I am going to be taking Japanese 101 in the Fall, and plan to continue studying it in preparation for going abroad.</p>

<p>I was wondering; if I became fluent enough in the language to work, what opportunities would a Computer Science and/or History major open for me there? </p>

<p>I'm not totally sure if I'd want to relocate from America, but it's just a thought. Would it be more productive to finish a masters and/or ph.D before coming to Japan for work? </p>

<p>Thank you! </p>

<p>Sorry for he double post – what I meant was if I didn’t finish graduate studies in America, would it make sense to work and go to graduate school there if I was capable of handling course work in a foreign language?</p>

<p>I’ve known people who did graduate school in Japan, so if you want to do that you certainly could, but it requires a very high fluency in the language if you’re taking course work in Japanese (pass JLPT N2 exam…) because you’re expected to be as fluent as a native. That being said, I’ve heard of English graduate programs in Japan, you just have to search for them (though I can’t guarantee the topic of such).</p>

<p>Wow, thank you for the response!! </p>

<p>Anyhow, yes I should have realized I’d have to be fluent in the language. I looked into some all English programs but so far there are less options than the English schools here, but I’ve only really looked into Tokyo University and Sophia. </p>

<p>I guess I still have a couple years to decide…thanks again for the response! </p>

<p>It seems to me like it would be a huge change of pace to complete a degree in a foreign country, exactly what I’m looking for. I just hope it wouldn’t hurt chances of employment back in America if I wanted to return.</p>

<p>You would need an entire year of intensive immersion in Japanese to learn it fluently, so it is unlikely you will learn more than a few polite phrases. That was my experience. </p>

<p>I moved to Japan, took courses, and worked. After some time there, I realized that I genuinely despised the culture and did not want to put forth the effort to learn the language. </p>

<p>That being said, I would encourage you to go and experience it yourself, now. It will almost certainly be a formative experience and you will learn a lot about yourself - all the better to do before you invest in an advanced degree (which if Japan-related would fill you with preconceptions that may not be true).</p>

<p>Japan is the kind of place where you can find niches of work that you might not elsewhere. It can be very fruitful, though the experience may not be transferrable to another country. Lots of people go and get stuck there, not knowing when to cut and run, and coming to hate it. You may find that hard to believe, of course.</p>

<p>I worked in the US Embassy on an internship, got a job in a consulting firm, then quit and became a freelance journalist. It was a good experience, I made a lot of money, and I met my wife (a Brit, not Japanese), so my time there truly changed my life. It was full of discovery. If we had liked the culture, we might have stayed, but I am glad we left.</p>

<p>@alcibiade Thank you very much for your insight it was very helpful to me especially since you have first hand experience. It is very decent advice you gave and now I am more clear on what to do. I appreciate you being honest about what you did and didn’t like about the experience but also list the positive outcomes that might be suited to other people.</p>

<p>My easiest way of getting there right now would have to be a study abroad during my undergraduate studies; so I and planning to do so for an academic year to get a taste of the culture.</p>

<p>I’ll spend some time there before deciding if I want to make the commitment to learn the language…I know that there are many rose-tinted preconceptions about Japan and I don’t want to trap myself into a career there based on those stereotypes only to realize I don’t like it.</p>

<p>One big reason I considered Japan was the career options which, like you said, that could be fruitful.</p>

<p>(I also like that you found your life-partner there but she wasn’t Japanese, I find that interesting–I am open to all races but I wouldn’t go there expecting to marry a Japanese citizen. I feel that that is a reason people tend to go there for; to date Japanese girls/guys.)</p>

<p>Thanks again this was seriously helpful!!</p>

<p>Glad it helped. It is a great experience to live in a different country and learn the language. </p>