During the first week you can go to check out the classes before making your decision, then you do the initial registration, after which comes the adjustment period during which you can still change your mind. Also, some courses have limited enrollment, and for those you need to obtain the lecturer's permission to take part on the first lesson. There are also some cases where those who get to take the course are decided by a lottery.
But anyway, my courses. First Japanese. There are two options for the normal Japanese course: either 4 or then 8 hours per week. In addition to that, you can have one kanji class, and choose from composition, reading, listening and conversation classes. As I'm here only for one term, I have to try to squeeze extra much Japanese into these five months... which means the 8 hour class to begin with, of course. Because I'm in the KUINEP program (which isn't really a language program, the language courses are just "extra") I have to take also other courses, which limits the number of Japanese classes I can have. I don't mind it much, as I really do want to study these other courses as well.
Japanese, Intermediate I
This course takes place on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, with two 90 min classes on both days. The timing is good, I think, and the classes themselves are fine though somewhat... heavy. There are three different teachers, one on Monday, when we go through the grammar and do some exercises, and two on Tuesday. The first of Tuesday's classes is for the listening exercises, the latter one for.... mainly reading, I guess. The classes are relaxed enough, the teachers nice, and overall the level is just right for me. Sometimes, though, the usual method of going through the exercises one by one, each student answering to one question, feels kind of frustratingly slow.
Kanji
In this class we go through about 15 kanji/week. At every class there is a short test of the previous kanji. Just for the record: this is also intermediate I level course, and apparently this is the highest level kanji course offered in Kyodai. So, if it's kanji you're after, maybe this is not your place... Actually, I've decided to do some kanji self-study at the side... how long that decision stands remains to be seen. ^^ Anyway, we also have at each class also one more difficult text, one you are not even supposed to be able to read, but where you should try make educated guesses, so to say, about some vocabulary. It's fun in its own way, as there is no pressure to actually be able to do anything... and it also gives those who are better some challenge.
Listening
I'd planned to take either conversation or composition as an extra course, but as it is... those collided with two of the KUINEP courses I really wanted, so I ended up with listening instead. (I confess, I'm not heartbroken about this.) And this class, too, is good for me, I think. We go through two exercises during each class. The first one is normally not too hard, though definitely not too easy either, and the second one is, at least for me, considerably more difficult. The books used are 毎日の聞きとり50日 、毎日の聞きとり plus40 and いつかどこかで, though luckily we didn't have to buy them ourselves.
That's it for Japanese. 12 hours altogether... and then there's another 12 hours of the KUINEP courses, as you have to take at least 6 of them.
Introduction to Classical Japanese Literature
This and the next course were the ones that
Introduction to Japanese linguistics
So far this has mainly been introduction to phonetics, and the differences between sounds of English and Japanese - which has been quite helpful, really, with regards to Japanese pronunciation. The classes are lectures, at least so far with no discussion (but quite a lot of attempts to produce different sounds). Despite the the potentially dry subject matter and the early hour (8:45-10:15), on this course my thoughts do not wander (!) and it's in fact fighting of the position of my favorite course here. There'll be an exam at the end of the course, and there are some little homework questions for each time (though the lecturer stressed that he is not expecting "correct" answers from us, just some insights.)
Japanese Politics
I am not interested in politics. Period. This is the main reason I took this course... I figured I should try to widen my horizons a bit. For this course we read each week a chapter or two of Japan Transformed: Political Change and Economic Restructuring, and then the lecturer goes through basically the same things in class. Discussion and questions are encouraged, but so far I've yet to open my mouth. I think, so far, that it seems like a good course, and a good lecturer, and so on, but the thing is that I... am not interested in politics. Period. This is also a morning class, and it definitely doesn't help.
Religion in Contemporary Society
At the moment this is my favorite course. It's the most relaxed of them all, in its way. At first the lecturer will talk of the subject (on the first class it was the changing demography of Islam and the effect it has on the practice, and on the next the relationship of religion and science), and after that we're divided into groups to discuss a given problem. In the first class we were supposed to be the government of Saudi Arabia, and we had to solve the problem of Hajj with the ever growing number of Muslims and the danger of 2015 stampede happening again. The classes are, as I said, relaxed, thought-provoking, and I truly like the lecturer and his style to do this course.
Culture and Traditions in Japan
When I first went through the courses offered here I was already planning to take this course, but it was at the same time with a Japanese history class I also wanted, so I tried to get in there. Tried and failed; there was a lottery, and I wasn't lucky. So here I am instead, in the end. And it's not bad; I've not yet had any great new insights into Japanese culture, but there have been some interesting snippets of new information, and the course is just beginning. We have to do a group presentation in this course, which is not my favorite thing to do, but I guess I'll survive.
Current Issues in Japan
It's yet hard to say much of this course, as we've had only one class. The lecturer had a work trip or something, and so two next classes were cancelled. The first class was, maybe because of this, quite rushed and full of info, as if giving a peek into all matters that will be discussed during this course, or at least it feels like that. I'm not yet sure how much I'll really get out of this course, but at least it doens't seem that hard, or time-consuming. There will be some short tests and... a group presentation. Oh well. (I considered taking "Art, Culture, and Technology" instead of this one, but I think it's a bit too artistic for me. In many ways. This was the safe - and boring - choice.)
There. I guess that'll keep me busy next five months or so. ^^ My schedule's pretty nice, though, I think, with late classes on Mon and Tue and early the rest of the week. Actually, it looks like this:
I'm also glad that Tuesday's the only day when I have only the lunch break for lunch. One hour sounds like a lot, but there's such an awful rush to the cafeterias then it's no fun. Well, I guess you apparently can do it, but I'm happy to skip the rush hour. On Tuesdays I usually buy a bento box - after the greatest rush in the shop is over, that is.
The food in the university cafeterias is excellent, by the way. You can select your own menu from various items, and the price is quite affordable. Usually I keep it under 500 yen, though today it went a bit over as I took a little, uh, dessert thing.
My lunch: mapo tofu, rice, miso soup, egg and spinach,
stuff with beans, and dessert thingy. Plus water and tea.
stuff with beans, and dessert thingy. Plus water and tea.
Other than that... I was really looking forward to this weekend, as Sunday was the time for Jidai Matsuri... and then typhoon Lan appeared to ruin it all. First time after 29 years the matsuri is cancelled. :/ Talk about bad luck. Instead of a festival, I can now look forward to my first typhoon...
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