To all international students planning to come to Japan
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Hello, it’s me, Ikuko.
This article is for international students that are considering to study in Japan.
Things you should decide before studying abroad
Have you been thinking about why you want to study abroad?
It’s also important to think about what’s going to be after when choosing the school you want to study at.
If you want to work in Japan after having finished your studies the University you choose becomes a crucial point. Your faculty and major will be important when applying for a working visa. But before that, you will also have to find a company that is going to hire you.
No matter how much need for workers there is in Japan it is not that just anyone can find work here. Competition for major companies is very tough and even if you are a student of a famous University it will be very difficult. And, even though you may have graduated a high class University in your country, if you choose a “Senmongakko” (vocational college) in Japan, your last school to graduate will be just this school. To be honest, you will have a difficult path to walk.
Try to create a study abroad and job hunting plan by also inserting Universities in your list.
Most say that faculty and major do not matter in Japan, but…
There are the rumors that faculty and major do not matter when job hunting in Japan, but as shortly mentioned before, for international students the faculty as well as major are very crucial concerning the visa application. Even if studying something that’s not relevant at all, when entering a company, the companies and your home countries connection might become relevant as well.
Therefore, it’s important to take your life plan into account when choosing your major.
- Preferring the IT-industry → Scientific studies ・ information faculty
- Preferring the consulting sector → economics, management faculty
- Preferring manufacturing → engineering faculty, art university
Just to mention a few. Still, consider that even if you choose a faculty that is in connection to the industry you want to go to it doesn’t mean that you will be able to enter that industry for sure.
Thinking about your life plan before coming to Japan
Let’s study abroad and learn something that can help my home country. Such feelings are very important.
Feelings are very complicated but still, what will lead you most are a goal and a life plan that you can focus on every time that you start to feel a little unsure.
- Why do you want to study in Japan?
- What do you want to become after your studies?
- What do you want to do? What do you want to realize for sure?
Thinking “I want to go to Japan!” is a very good thing.
In order to make yourself stronger also thoroughly consider: “coming to Japan, what do I want to become?”.
Last but not least…
At this point I will introduce you some popular Japanese Universities.
University name | Location | HP |
---|---|---|
Tokyo University | Tokyo | http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_j.html |
Kyoto University | Kyoto | http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ja |
Osaka University | Osaka | http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja |
Hitotsubashi University | Tokyo | http://www.hit-u.ac.jp/ |
Tohoku University | Miyagi | http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese |
Chiba University | Chiba | http://www.chiba-u.ac.jp/ |
Kyushu University | Fukuoka | https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/ja/ |
Keio University | Tokyo | https://www.keio.ac.jp/ja/ |
Waseda University | Tokyo | http://www.waseda.jp/top/ |
Sophia University | Tokyo | http://www.sophia.ac.jp/ |
Chuo University | Tokyo | http://www.chuo-u.ac.jp/ |
Aoyama Gakuin University | Kyoto | http://www.aoyama.ac.jp/ |
Doshisha University | Kyoto | http://www.doshisha.ac.jp/ |
Meiji University | Tokyo | http://www.meiji.ac.jp/ |
Rikkyo University | Tokyo | http://www.rikkyo.ac.jp/ |
Gakushuin Universiry | Tokyo | http://www.univ.gakushuin.ac.jp/ |
Tokyo Institute of Technology | Tokyo | http://www.titech.ac.jp/ |
University of Tsukuba | Ibaraki | https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/ |
Meiji Gakuin University | Tokyo | http://www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/ |
Ritsumeikan University | Kyoto | http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/ |
There are even more splendid Universities than just the above mentioned ones.If you have any kind of questions about job hunting, please do not hesitate to contact our NextStageAsia staff anytime to get advice!