Cornell Student with Degree Issues

[24yroldjunior]

Hi,

I am currently a new transfer Junior at Cornell University. I have been thinking of moving to Japan for about a year now. I have taken some intro Japanese courses and am looking at taking the intensive summer course offered here.

I was originally considering getting an education in agriculture as I feel it has potential for domestic growth in the future in Japan. Possibly organic agriculture. I am very skeptical about choosing agriculture for my career field. I was wondering if anyone can offer any opinions about this.

If not what other fields would people recommed I consider if I want to live in Japan. I have strong interests in business. Specifically marketing or advertising, but my skills are kind of American culture specific, I don't know Japanese Culture and would think that is a serious disadvantage in this field.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[halfnip]

Hi,

I am currently a new transfer Junior at Cornell University. I have been thinking of moving to Japan for about a year now. I have taken some intro Japanese courses and am looking at taking the intensive summer course offered here.

I was originally considering getting an education in agriculture as I feel it has potential for domestic growth in the future in Japan. Possibly organic agriculture. I am very skeptical about choosing agriculture for my career field. I was wondering if anyone can offer any opinions about this.

If not what other fields would people recommed I consider if I want to live in Japan. I have strong interests in business. Specifically marketing or advertising, but my skills are kind of American culture specific, I don't know Japanese Culture and would think that is a serious disadvantage in this field.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

Think long and hard about what you_want_to do. You have to ask yourself this simple question, "Why would this company hire me, when they could hire a local resource at a much cheaper salary, etc.?". So, simply being able to speak Japanese is not going to be the big differentiator here (as if they wanted someone who spoke Japanese, they'd hire a local). I am agreeing with you in the sense that you need to find a specific field in addition to speaking Japanese--it's good that you realize this as some FG's think they can just jump off the boat and get a job fairly easily..

Finance here is always big because it's Tokyo, and since most financial firms are global, simply being able to speak Japanese won't cut it. You HAVE to be bi-lingual. I know absolutely nothing about "agriculture" (something funny pops in to my head when I say that word), but what specifically?

If you want to get in to marketing or advertising here in Japan, you'd better be close to native in Japanese (including reading/writing) as that's what these fields are all about.

I know I am being of no help here, but finding a rare field that you have skills in plus being bi-lingual will be the key here and quite frankly, I do not know what that is...

Being straight out of college will be even tougher to break in because you'd have basically no experience. I highly suggest you shoot out to the Boston Career Forum (wasn't that in October?) to check things out. It's HUGE and will give you an idea of what companies are looking for bi-lingual's and what skills they are seeking.

[24yroldjunior]

I was thinking of managing a greenhouse or farm with the goal of starting my own small farm and retail outlet. However I feel I could possibly do this without staking my entire education on it.

What I want to do is have a job that is fun and interesting to me. The agriculture idea sounds good to me but I don't know about the obstacles to gaijins starting a new business in Japan or several other factors.

I have heard that in Japan there is some demand for people in human resources that are bilingual. Advertising is probably not a real possiblity at this point but Human Resources would be something that matches my skills and interests. I had been looking at some organizational behavior courses previously.

I know being straight out of college will be a disadvantage, I am hoping to use some of Cornell's resources, alumni network, etc, to help secure a non-teaching job.

Does anyone know how to edit my personal profile so I can remove the picture of the large penis? I had no idea that is what the question was about, WTF kind of a question is that?

[Taro Toporific]

Does anyone know how to edit my personal profile so I can remove the picture of the large penis? I had no idea that is what the question was about, WTF kind of a question is that?

Sorry, but you're a gaijin so you have to learn to live with that handicap.

(Click on the "[color="Navy"]User CP[/color]" button bar at the top of the page, and then from "Settings & Options" click on "[color="Navy"]Edit Profile[/color]". From the [color="Navy"]Edit Profile[/color] page, go ALL the way to the bottom and in the final section labeled "Additional Information", select [color="Silver"][empty] [/color]value in the "[color="Blue"]Size[/color]" option.)

That penis "[color="Blue"]Size[/color]" option looks like this:
----------------------

[24yroldjunior]

Thanks.

[kamome]

Does anyone know how to edit my personal profile so I can remove the picture of the large penis? I had no idea that is what the question was about, WTF kind of a question is that?

You have a problem with the penis? It's an FG mainstay.

[omae mona]

Being straight out of college will be even tougher to break in because you'd have basically no experience. I highly suggest you shoot out to the Boston Career Forum (wasn't that in October?) to check things out. It's HUGE and will give you an idea of what companies are looking for bi-lingual's and what skills they are seeking.

I think halfnip's right, except you're not too late.

Boston Career Forum, November 9-11, 2007

[24yroldjunior]

Woah, intro japanese courses people. Cornell has good, very intensive courses I can take but I don't feel I'm ready to go to this event and sell myself yet. I am thinking about checking it out, my brother lives in Boston.

Thanks.

[24yroldjunior]

Does anyone know a person involved in agriculture who speaks english? I know it's a long shot. Know a person who maybe knows a person?

[Greji]

You have a problem with the penis? It's an FG mainstay.

You called? Have johnson, will travel!

[Mulboyne]

Does anyone know a person involved in agriculture who speaks english? I know it's a long shot. Know a person who maybe knows a person?

You ought to be able to find someone like that through WWOOF Japan even if you don't want to volunteer yourself. Google cache still has an old handbook online. You can study Japanese while farming if you like.

[omae mona]

You ought to be able to find someone like that through WWOOF Japan even if you don't want to volunteer yourself. Google cache still has an old handbook online. You can study Japanese while farming if you like.

In case anybody was worried, that site is very precise in its language. It is clearly *not* a program where you are working, illegally without a work visa, in exchange for room and board. No, no, no, no, nothing of the sort!

To the contrary! It's a program where you just get to "participate" in farm life, with no financial remuneration whatsoever. By amazing coincidence, you also just happen to have access to Japan's cheapest room and board at 120,000 yen for six months, including a two week language course.

Actually that's a pretty cool find, Mulboyne. I would have referred some friends to this in the past if I had known about it!

[Taro Toporific]

Does anyone know a person involved in agriculture who speaks english? I know it's a long shot. Know a person who maybe knows a person?

Hey, you can become my man-servant down on my Rice Ranch in Shikoku, hee, hee.
(Farming in Japan is soooo much fun and many Japanese farms + houses can be bought for less than $50,000USD. See farming FG member, homesweethome's website.)

However, have you ever been to Japan? Have you ever farmed? Are you ready live on less than one million yen a year (the average income from a Japanese farm)?

[24yroldjunior]

Mulboyne, Sugoi, that is really a cool site. I wish I had found that sooner. I'll consider how I can take advantage of it during my two years at Cornell. I'm just worried that if I go after I finish it would give me good experience but not lead to a job. It sounds like a great way to get first hand experience of agriculture in Japan so I'm not so blindly committing to the path.

Taro thanks for the questions.

I grew up in a one stop light farming town in upstate NY. My family didn't farm but I have worked on an organic farm and volunteer now at Cornell's student-run organic farm and am considering trying to run it next year. Right now I live on a lot less than one million yen a year. $10,000 right?


I have never been to Japan and I don't know if I'm ready to live on that forever. I guess finding that out should be my number one priority.


Taro do you have another job? I'm maybe hoping to work for someone/some company in farming or greenhouse work and have my own small farm. Do you know about orchard management or any specific field in agriculture with a demand for young people? Shikoku is famous for rice right? What is your farm/ranch like?

The thing am most worried about when it comes to farming in Japan is how isolating it is. If the people and community are nice, not much else matters.

I just feel like the clock is ticking. But the most important thing is finding out what I really want to do. I can think of taking next semester off to go with the WWOOF program. I'm also trying to make contacts through Cornell faculty.

Thanks everyone for the help. This really means a lot to me.

[Taro Toporific]

Taro do you have another job? I'm maybe hoping to work for someone/some company in farming or greenhouse work and have my own small farm. Do you know about orchard management or any specific field in agriculture with a demand for young people? Shikoku is famous for rice right? What is your farm/ranch like?
The thing am most worried about when it comes to farming in Japan is how isolating it is. If the people and community are nice, not much else matters.

I live in the Land-of-Concrete(tm), Tokyo. Most Japanese male farmers have to to jobs in the cities. The Japanese always say that only the "San baka"* live on Japanese farms nowadays.

*The San baka are Ojiisan=Grandfather,
Obaasan=Grandmother, and Yome-san=Daughter-in-law.

.

The thing am most worried about when it comes to farming in Japan is how isolating it is. If the people and community are nice, not much else matters.

On the RIce Ranch, the neighbors are nice to me, but after 18 years I'm still considered to be an alien.

I can think of taking next semester off to go with the WWOOF program...

The WWOOF program would be the best way to learn what you are up against.

[Molokidan]

Wow, I have never heard of this WWOOF thing, I have to say I am surprised and intrigued. You pay a little less than $1200 for six months of Japanese countryside life, and work on a farm? It sounds...fun. But the whole thing just seems shady, I mean how do they screen applicants/hosts to make sure there aren't any psychos importing "WWOOFers" for their cannibalistic interests? It just seems so random.

[GomiGirl]

WWOOFing is great. It has been around for a while and well established in Australia and other places.

Mostly it is family run farms that do permaculture, organic farming etc and there is a handbook and you can give feedback on the farms and see other people's feedback. The WWOOF organisation will remove people from their list who have had negative feedback.

Have a little more faith in people - not everybody is out there to be a cannibal, rapist etc.

[24yroldjunior]

Taro
you sound like you like the farming lifestyle though.

Being generally considered an alien I think I could live with. But do neighbors regularly help each other with farming work, if your neighbors farm? Do you have people work with you on the ranch?

The wwooffing sounds great, but the way they schedule the language sessions means I would have to take a semester off, I couldn't even go over the summer. I still have class in april. I could if I took Japanese in the spring semester but then I couldn't take Cornell's intensive course over the summer. I guess spending 3 or 4 months in Japan would be an intensive language course too. If knowing very basic Japanese is ok I could go over winter break in January, we have a few weeks off I think. Conversationally I'm not that strong. I can get what people are saying but don't know much about grammar.

I'm also talking to a Professor at Tsukuba University about an exchange program(and scholarship) but because I'm a transfer student and exchange credit counts as transfer credit it wouldn't count for me towards my degree. It might be a better opportunity than the wwooff, not as fun, but I don't have any idea how feasible it is or what level of Japanese language you need.

Molokidan yeah it sounds cool, I guess if you are volunteering to do farmwork for an extended period of time you are pretty committed to the culture/lifestyle.

[Charles]

..The wwooffing sounds great, but the way they schedule the language sessions means I would have to take a semester off, I couldn't even go over the summer. I still have class in april. I could if I took Japanese in the spring semester but then I couldn't take Cornell's intensive course over the summer. I guess spending 3 or 4 months in Japan would be an intensive language course too. If knowing very basic Japanese is ok I could go over winter break in January, we have a few weeks off I think. Conversationally I'm not that strong. I can get what people are saying but don't know much about grammar.

I'm also talking to a Professor at Tsukuba University about an exchange program(and scholarship) but because I'm a transfer student and exchange credit counts as transfer credit it wouldn't count for me towards my degree. It might be a better opportunity than the wwooff, not as fun, but I don't have any idea how feasible it is or what level of Japanese language you need.

You'd get more out of a stay in Japan than an intensive course, the intensive is designed to give you an immersive experience in Japanese, you can get a much more immersive experience IN Japan.
My teachers always tried to get the students to do 2 years of classes before they studied overseas. They said the entirety of the grammar could be taught in 2 years, after that it's just expanding your vocabulary. They wanted students to have enough foundation to make sense out of the language they encounter in the native environment. And they might be right.
BTW, I know a lot of exchange students who took a year longer to graduate by doing an overseas study for a year, for little or no credit. They all attained really high fluency levels, even if it seemed to be the slow track to graduation.

[24yroldjunior]

First of all I never thanked omae mona for the link to the Boston career fest. I am planning on attending just to see what kind of careers are available. Just from checking out the site and reading about the positions the companies have open is extremely valuable.

Charles, yeah I really don't think I'm ready for studying overseas but we'll see what the Professor says.

Also I can't take another Japanese language course in the spring because you need the prerequisite course offered only in the fall.

So WWOOFing it up next semester seems like my best or only option. Cultural, language and work experience all tied in one. I hope I could get a sense of Japanese rural life and city life to see how both appeal to me. Maybe I could visit Tsukuba University while I'm there to see more what studying and working would be like.

Thanks.

[Charles]

Charles, yeah I really don't think I'm ready for studying overseas but we'll see what the Professor says.

Nobody is ever ready. Nothing you can do will truly prepare you for the experience of living and studying in Japan.

Don't let that stop you. Do it anyway.

[24yroldjunior]

Thanks for the encouragement Charles.

Does anyone have experience with obtaining scholarship money to study overseas?

Would it be possible to work in an eikaiwa part time while studying?

[Charles]

Thanks for the encouragement Charles.

Does anyone have experience with obtaining scholarship money to study overseas?

Would it be possible to work in an eikaiwa part time while studying?

Eikaiwa is about the only thing you're legally allowed to do on a student visa, and last I checked, there were official limits on how many hours you could work too. I don't think the rules ever stopped anyone from working at other jobs, but proceed at your own peril.

There are scholarships available for study in Japan, you would probably be best to approach this through your school's advisors. You're going to need letters of reference and recommendations from your teachers anyway, so it seems logical that's the place to start. Some of my friends got scholarships through Monbusho, of course just from the name you can tell that was a while ago, they're probably Monbugakusho scholarships now. But if your school can't help you, consult your nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate and see if they can connect you with the Japan Foundation, JF is one of the primary administrators of educational exchange programs.

[Iraira]

Thanks for the encouragement Charles.

Does anyone have experience with obtaining scholarship money to study overseas?

Would it be possible to work in an eikaiwa part time while studying?

I got mine, as stated "many many years ago" from Monbusho. Most of what they offer(ed) was for post-doc positions, but I know they had a section for people doing their MS/PhD research, particularly in the science fields. The nice thing was, at the time, the "research application was only 1.5 pages, which was great after having made 70-100 page applications for US grants. Actually, making that 1.5 "flyer" was kinda a bitch, as I hadda go for some microscopic type font.

[tidbits]

..........The thing am most worried about when it comes to farming in Japan is how isolating it is. If the people and community are nice, not much else matters..

I think the sign says 'do not do farming in the railway track. By Nagoya Railway. sorry I am of no help here, just cannot resist posting it here..and anyway, don't go to Nagoya when you are in Japan, there is really nothing there.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Eikaiwa is about the only thing you're legally allowed to do on a student visa, and last I checked, there were official limits on how many hours you could work too. I don't think the rules ever stopped anyone from working at other jobs, but proceed at your own peril.

Not true. You can do most jobs legally on a student visa. About the only things you can't do are jobs in the adult entertainment industry inlcuding dance clubs and bars that are too dark (I think it's under 10 lux), hand out fliers on the street, stuff mail boxes with fliers, or jobs like a hairdresser that require a license you probably don't have in Japan.

To work while a student you have to get a special permit after you arrive though. It can take a couple of months. People in lanuage schools are allowed to work up to 4 hours a day 7 days a week. People in colleges or universities can work up to 20 hours a week with no limit on how many hours you can work at any one time.

Doing eikaiwa will make you a lot more money. Working in an izakaya or convenience store will be much better for your Japanese.

[24yroldjunior]

Tinateoh,

I would try to choose somewhere that is relatively close to a city if I did a homestay. Thanks for the advice about Nagoya, and I'll avoid farming near railroad tracks and any town with a sign about it.

Samurai Jerk, I am leaning toward a homestay. The financials and delay in getting my degree just seem like really difficult obstacles for me.

I might not even get to Japan until after my degree if my girlfriend, ex-girlfriend right now, keeps jerking me around.

I really appreciate the advice, it makes the possibility seem a lot more feasible. I'm researching getting a scholarship as an undergrad. I will keep my progress posted.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I might not even get to Japan until after my degree if my girlfriend, ex-girlfriend right now, keeps jerking me around.

"Ex" means she should have absolutely no impact on your life now unless you've got a kid together or something. Move on.

[24yroldjunior]

I only wish it was that simple when you care about someone. I may be posting soon on the situation as it just got a lot more serious. I don't know if I can leave when she is in the relationship she is in right now.