UNC chapell hill or Tokyo, Japan?? help.

College Search & Selection
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<p>So. I'm close to recieving a scholarship wth room board and tuition. I just have to make a choise. I've narrowed my selection down to 2 universities from the list of universities I can go to. The one in the US, is UNC chapel hill, and the other is in Tokyo, Japan.
I alrady have a graduate degree, and this is for a MA-degree in international relations.
I just have no idea what do choose. this is 2 years of my life. in another country. thousands of miles away from home.
What would you choose? There is no doubt that UNC offers the absolute best education.
But Tokyo is Tokyo, and I really really love Tokyo.
So. what does one choose. 2 years in wild Tokyo, Japan, which I already know (have been for 3 months). Or UNC Chapel HIll.
My concern with UNC is that it'll be too boring in the long run. I mean, it is absolutely beautiful, but I fear that it's going to be all study, no life.
Also, I do not have a drivers license. I suppose I can take one in North Carolina though.
I'd love visiting the South. It is definitely a dream of mine.
However I've also wanted to go back to Tokyo again. And since Tokyo is so expensive, it's a good deal to be able to go to Tokyo with room and board. The University, ICU, is not great though. </p>

<p>Please help me take a decision about 2 years of my life. What would you do?.
I have one week to decide, and please do not recommend other universities. These are the ones. I'll really appreciate your help. :)</p>

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<p>:)</p>

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<p>I’d go to UNC and because you’re pursuing an IR degree intern at Tokyo. :D</p>

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<p>This would be a wonderful opportunity to get away from what is familiar and explore the world. Turn your ‘international relations’ degree truly ‘international’ by going abroad. </p>

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<p>I assume you want to work in IR with your degree - and for graduate school, especially IR, the prestige of your degree’s university is crucial. Your best bet is UNC-CH, but with an eye on spending a semester or year in Japan, rather than a “fun” year in Japan from a less prestigious university. Another option is to ask UNC-CH whether you may defer for a year and spend that year at ICU, perfecting your Japanese.</p>

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<p>International Christian University (ICU)</p>

<p><a href=“International Christian University - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Christian_University&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I think it will be wonderful to study in ICU. There are few concerns from me:</p>

<ol>
<li>Are you planning to work in Japan upon graduation? While it is entirely possible to work elsewhere upon graduation, the most likely employment will be within Japan.</li>
<li>Are you fluent in Japanese, both in conversation and writing? You may not require to use Japanese in the school, it will be best if you are fluent in Japanese while there for social and employment.</li>
</ol>

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<p>oh thank you so much for your replies! I totally agree with everything. I too think that the University matters a lot when thinking of job opportunities afterwards, and this is also what I am considering, which makes UNC, the best choice when looking at that. No doubt the UNC is the best university. It seems quite fantastic. </p>

<p>How would you think a degree from ICU would be? Would the outcome of it be low? and the outcome of a degree at UNC?
I’ve been told that the professors at ICU within the area that I’d like to specialize in (human security), are good at ICU, but that the university lacks a good level, in areas like sociology etc. In other words, the university is far from the same as the UNC. The degree is taught in English in Japan, but they give a 1 month intensive Japanese course before start, just for the convenience of living in Japan etc. But the degree is taught in English.
would ICU be a terrible place to have a degree from? Something one would not be able to use, other in Japan - due to the fact that the ICU is not prestigious or known.</p>

<p>Oh, there is one thing. If taking the degree at ICU, one can take 1/3 of the degree on the University of the United Nations, in Tokyo, which I have the impression is a good university. I would of course have preferred to take the whole degree on that one, if choosing Japan, but the scholarship is only for ICU or UNC. </p>

<p>How would life in Chapell Hill be, would you reckon? Is it a nice life outside of studying, or is it mainly study and life on campus, as Chapel Hill is quiet? I’d love to try that too though. As told, America, and studying in America, is a dream too. </p>

<p>Another good thought from your comments is about the IR, being pursued in Japan etc. making it very international. That’s a very good point. So perhaps Japan would be better in that matter. I’m in Europe, so for me both are very international.
However, I don’t think I plan on pursuing a job in Japan afterwards. It’s too far away from home. My mother is already really sad about the being on the other side of earth for two years aspect of it. And the working life in Japan would kill me I think, with 18 hours of work pr. day. I would be open to it though as I really like Japan as a place to live. But would definitely like a degree, that would be usable outside of Japan, meaning internationally. </p>

<p>What do you think? </p>

<p>again thank you for your superb comments. </p>

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<p>Monolithen,</p>

<p>I did my undergrad at UNC and spent four years in Chapel hill, so I can answer a few questions for you. Chapel Hill is not nearly as big as Tokyo, but there is still plenty to do there to keep you occupied. Most people really enjoy going to football and basketball games on campus. There are plenty of shops and restaurants, and there are literally hundreds of student organizations that you can join-you can pretty much find something that fits whatever interests you have. There is a decent party scene at Chapel Hill…if that is something you are interested in, that crowd is not hard to find.</p>

<p>I have not been to Tokyo, so I can’t really compare the two places, but I will say that I was rarely bored during my four years in Chapel Hill.</p>

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<p>^I can’t imagine anyone being bored in Chapel Hill, and I wouldn’t consider the campus “quiet” (understatement) :smiley:
UNC-Ch will open more doors (including in Japan). If your goal is to work in Europe, you should try to see where UNC can take you - I assume you can spend a semester in Japan through them.
I’m a big proponent of study abroad but for your field I really believe UNC is the best choice.</p>

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<p>If you were an American, I’d have said go to school in Tokyo. Since you’re not, I’d say go to North Carolina.</p>

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<p>This depends to an extent on where you want to work after graduation and what roles you are targeting.</p>

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<p>UNC is one of America’s finest universities. ICU isn’t even among TOKYO’s finest universities. You can always visit Tokyo, dude.</p>

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<p>@marvin100:</p>

<p>Depends on how you define “finest”. Is UNC in the top 50 in the US? Sure. Maybe even top 30.</p>

<p>And yes, ICU would not be in the top 3 or 4 in Tokyo.</p>

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<p>true very true. Alright I’ll take it from there. I can only choose, but nothing is certain. There are only limited scholarship seats on UNC-Chapel Hill. So I’ll see where I end. However I cannot study abroad while there, as it is a fixed degree program, with the courses already places on each semester for the 2 years. I can intern though abroad for 2 month during the summer holiday, and that’s it. </p>

<p>I’m not much of a party person, or sports person. However I like martial arts. Other than that I’m more of a chilling person, who gets nervous if I’m going to events with many people, who enjoys drifting around observing fun scenarios in the city, and cool places. Is UNC conservative? I make electronic/ industrial music etc. I fear stages, and only performed live once here, when I was sort of forced to do so. And was a scared bird on stage. Not that it would matter if there is a scene for that or not. I go for the education. But ofcourse if I would fit in creatively it would be fantastic and UNC seems like a place of many kinds of people. However I don’t have to fit in creatively or anything. Being fellow students in the same area will be enough.
But you see, Tokyo is very weird-cool and creative etc. lots of weird stuff, and I love that sort of “off” art and “off” stuff.
But you are very right about the uni. It does matter, so I think I will go for UNC. :)</p>

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<p>It’s far less about who you are than about who you might become. There is no “be”–there is only becoming.</p>

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<p>Good point Marvin :)</p>

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<p>Tokyo!!! I graduated from UNC last year. I would have rather been in Tokyo! </p>