Just found out that I passed the screening exam for Waseda's JLP. I applied with three other friends and I was the only one to get in. I'm excited to have the opportunity to go, but was wondering if y'all knew anything about the program or could help me form some expectations.
To be clear- I’ve done some digging and the only info I’ve seen related to the program is several years old for the most part. Would love to see if anyone has more current info. Most of the other threads are also written by people with a higher proficiency in Japanese, so I’m curious to see if anyone has input into how I will fare as I am very much a beginner. I studied via duolingo for around a year and built up my vocabulary, and then switched to WaniKani around a year ago. My reading is pretty good, but my speaking and grammatical skills are very poor. I know Waseda does a skill check test before you end up picking your classes, but I'm still curious if I'll be at a disadvantage even in the beginner level courses or if I need to up my studying. Also, any idea on if the program will feature a large amount of English speakers?
I've visited Japan each of the last two summers, for a total of around 5 months. I've been in and around Waseda plenty of times, and have already made several Japanese friends that I'm happy to reunite with. My main worries are about the difficulty of the coursework/time commitment and also whether or not other English speaking people will be in the program.
Also, my three other friends will be attending the shin okubo language school just down the road from Waseda. Any info on how that is compared to Waseda? Any advice or comments you could give would be great!
by Scared_Ad_5092