Comments from Alumni | HIF Japanese Language and Japanese Culture Program

2017 Participants

Matthew Donley

University of Michigan

HIF is an outstanding program that offers not just instruction in the Japanese language, but it also serves as a gateway into Japanese culture through its cultural events and homestay. Through its countless opportunities to engage other people in Japanese through experiential learning, I highly recommend this program for anyone seeking to improve their Japanese abilities.

Clarissa Krisnawan

University of Washington

There are various activities, you can enjoy at HIF. You can also discover the beauty of Hakodate City along with friends as well as your host family. I love HIF program because it gave me the chance to travel to Japan for the first time. Be ready to have a lot of fun, make a lot of awesome friends, and face the challenges.

Alexander La Forest

University of Notre Dame

The HIF Japanese Language and Japanese Culture Program is worth every penny. Not only do you learn a lot in class, but also outside of it doing homestay and through interaction with local people, whether it be at a cultural activity or just around them at stores and restaurats. There are countless things to be done in Hakodate alone. Advice: DO NOT worry only about studying. You will improve. Take time to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Matthew Li

Ursinus College

I honestly can’t believe that it’s only been two months. Within this time, my Japanese isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Despite having plenty of experience in international study, I’ve still found myself in difficult or surprising situations, and that’s helped me grow as a person and as a member of an international society. But most importantly, my thoughts, hopes, and heart have also changed drastically, and that’s good. This program will help you blossom, and discover things that you never knew about yourself. And yeah, it’s a bit scary, but don’t worry. Everything will be fine.

Alex Prosi

University of Michigan

HIF truly excels in providing opportunities for its students wherever they need or want them. Through the program, I found myself busy almost every day with fun and engaging activities that helped me both improve my Japanese skills and grow as a person. The staff were always available and engaging, encouraging each student to always do more which really helped me push myself to where I wanted to be.

Griffin Roth

University of Chicago

HIF was a lot of fun and very educational, from both a language and a cultural standpoint. If you’re interested in homestay, it’s a very good program!

More Comments

Name:

John Geitner

University:

University of
Notre Dame

The HIF program was super fun and a great learning opportunity! Getting to meet so many new people who all share the same goal of ...
Name:

Marcella Houston

University:

University of
Michigan

There are lots of different ways to enjoy your study abroad and they're all valid! Lots of students choose to travel lots or visit lots of attractions ...
Name:

Helen Liu

University:

University of
Pennsylvania

HIF is extremely rewarding and truly a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I think it's easier to be integrated into a host family as a younger college student ...
Name:

Nicole Lu

University:

Emory University

I loved the HIF program! I was able to learn so much - not only the Japanese language but also the culture and background of people ...
Name:

Kaitlyn Milleret

University:

University of
Notre Dame

I'm very grateful I got the opportunity to stay in Hakodate since it's such an underrated part of Japan. My favorite part was visiting landmarks like ...
Name:

Sofia Pan Xian

University:

University of
Michigan

If you feel you are struggling to speak, this program will make sure you go back feeling confident. You'll be only speaking Japanese - during class ...
Name:

Julian Schempf

University:

University of
Kansas

It might be difficult, but you will have the experience of a lifetime, something you will cherish for years to come.