JJET Programme

Not sure if I should commit to a second year

  • October 24, 2025

As the title says I am not sure if I should recontract for a second year. I have a list of pros and cons compiled but I am too indecisive to commit to a solid choice!

I originally set about doing a year but now I am leaning towards a second year because time is moving too fast here. One year is not enough but two years seem too long.

My goals for the JET program was to experience life abroad and to practice Japanese (I did a Japanese minor in undergrad), all the while traveling around Japan.

Pros for staying a second year:

  1. I will never get the chance to live in Japan. For context, I'm placed in rural Japan so it is kind of boring but so vastly different from America that I find it interesting.
  2. I really like the other ALTs in my prefecture and the locals in my town, and one year really isn't enough to fully get to know everyone.
  3. TRAVEL. One year really isn't enough time for me to travel around Japan.
  4. Leveling up my Japanese. One year really is not enough for me to get better at Japanese.
  5. Saving money for my eventual return back home. Since I live in Rural Japan, its easy to save a lot of my money.

Cons for staying a second year:

  1. I desk warm a lot because I only have one school with like 45 kids (been proactive about more work so they are letting me join the nursery but its still not enough work for someone like me) It's kind of draining and I hate having so much free time on my hands at work, even when I am proactive about making more work for myself with english boards and projects.
  2. Career prospects. I enjoy ALTing but I really want to go to Law School. I think ALTing is kind of a waste of time for me when I could be getting work experience more related to what I want to do. Don't get me wrong though, I like being in the classrooms and being with the kids, but it is not something I see myself doing in the future.
  3. Related to the above statement but I am 24 years old right now, and if I do a second year I'll be 26 years by then. That kind of scares me since I am not where i want to be in my late 20s.
  4. I miss home a lot, and my parents are getting older.
  5. A second years means getting my drivers license which I am not too keen on.

Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated!

by lilyxmoonx