When I was behind in class, my professor met with me every morning until I was able to catch up.
Which events or activities did you find the most satisfying and why?
The barbecue was the most fun because it gave me the chance to interact and get to know my classmates outside of the classroom.
What activities or materials did you find most helpful (e.g., pair work, drill practice, tests, small group sessions, textbooks, games)?
I think that drill work and pair work were the most helpful because they allowed for live practice of learned material without being drowned out by others.
Any further thoughts or tips for those considering the program or new KCP students?
To considering students: If you are looking to study Japanese in Japan, I highly recommend KCP International. For starters, it's in Tokyo! (And who doesn't want to be in Tokyo?) KCP is in an extremely convenient location, and using public transportation you can pretty much get around anywhere. Second, KCP has the most caring and dedicated staff. When I was behind in class, my professor met with me every morning until I was able to catch up. When I hurt my wrist, staff from KCP escorted me to the clinic and translated everything. These are just a few examples, but the staff is so supportive it is amazing. Finally, your Japanese will improve by leaps and bounds if you study at KCP. Before coming to KCP I studied Japanese for a year at the university level, but even still I felt like I hardly knew anything. While I still have a long way to go, I feel like I learned twice as much material from 3 months at KCP than I did in the entire year that I studied at the university level. The classes are really fast paced and sometimes it gets tough, but if you are really serious about learning Japanese then KCP is the school for you. To new students: It's easy to get so distracted by the fact that you are in Japan that you forget all about your studies, or to spend so much time on your studies that you forget about the fact that you are in Japan. Find that happy medium. Also, if you catch yourself struggling, get help immediately. Don't wait until the last second to seek out help.
