Hi everyone! I apologize if this question has been asked, but I didn't see anything quite related to what I'm looking for, so hopefully I can get all of your thoughts and opinions. I'll post more about myself and my situation below my questions for further clarification, but I'll be finishing up my Bachelor's degree in IT hopefully within the next 6ish months. Afterwards, I'm looking to attend a language school that is more on the intensive side for 2 years, so I can aim for at least N2, if not N1, so I can apply to jobs afterwards.
I'm looking for a school around Tokyo that at least has a 2 year program with student visa, supports part-time work, has a student dorm with internet access, and supports employment/interviewing. I've done some preliminary research and found 2 schools that seem to be what I'm looking for: Akamonkai and Japan International Institute of Cybernetics.
My questions are:
- Do any of you have experience with these schools, or have any information about them to help my decision, and what's your opinion of them?
- Are there any other schools that would meet what I'm looking for that you'd recommend?
Thank you very much for your time, information, and reading this!
More information about me in case it'll help:
I'm a 41 years old male in Colorado, and have been in IT as a system administrator and network engineer for over 20 years. I'm finally finishing my degree so I have it for opening more doors, plus I need my degree if I want to work in Japan. I have my CompTIA A+, Net+, and Sec+ certs, plus other basic ones like Linux and ITIL. I'll be getting my CompTIA Cloud+ and Project Management+ certs with my few upcoming classes as well.
I have some experience with programming, but not much, so I'm learning it at a deeper level to possibly pivot into software development/web development, and to add more skills and opportunities to my resume. I've been studying Japanese for quite some time, but only within the last year put some real effort into it, and would self-assess myself around lower N4. I also took a test through Akamonkai and they put me around that level as well.
I've wanted to live in Japan since I was a kid, and trying to avoid the English teaching route if at all possible, so I'm hoping this path will set me up for success. I have a high school friend that lives in Abiko as well, so I'll have someone close by that can help me as well if necessary.
If there's anything else I need to mention, please definitely let me know, thank you!
by Shidiira