Think many times before coming to Japan for studies!

來日本唸書的話,要想得清清楚楚後才來!(中文版在下)

I went for an interview for Waseda's non-degree program last Saturday and it went on like this:

Professor A: We understand that you'd already passed the entrance for our MBA program, which will start in September. So why are you applying for this non-degree program, which starts in April?

Me: I'll be graduating from my Japanese school this month (Mar) and the new MBA will only start in September, so I would like to take some classes during this 5 months period. Moreover, as you know, I come from Art and Design background, so I would like to take some classes first as warm up into the business area.

Professor A: (sarcastic laugh) warm up...? ...

Professor B: Well, that's your own personal problem, our program is not for people like you.

Me: (shocked and disgusted) But I would like to take as many classes as possible... ...

Professor C, a seemingly friendlier professor, tried to talk but he was swiftly shut up by Professor B.

Professor B: We understand your situation, anyway see you in September.

Me: (in disbelief)... does it mean that I'd failed this application?

Professor B: Oh, no no! We still have to hold a discussion first.

Me: (very annoyed) Oh...

Professor B: Anyway, we know that you'd passed the MBA program, so we know where you stand. See you in September.

Me: ...okay... ...

It was fruitless to convince them as I could sense that they'd rejected my application and didn't like me. I didn't like them either. I'd paid 30,000 yen (SG$450) for an interview that only lasted for 10mins to hear "That's your own problem, our program is not for people like you. See you in September"!?  So was I wrong to study in their school for 5 months? What do they expect me to do in 5 months? Work part-time? Study in other schools? Return home? What about my Visa? Oh wait, that's my own problem, they don't care!

I learned 3 things:
  1. Half of all professors that I'd met, who were middle-aged men, were male chauvinist, conservative and narrow-minded Japanese. They expect god-like treatment from students. If you disobey, you shall be condemned. Luckily the other half were more global and open-minded.
  2. If you're an Asian woman, your status is lower, serve tea and photocopy documents. What entrepreneur?
  3. These professors do not know how to do business, doesn't care about their business but are teaching business in a business school. Such an irony. Neither do they care about students and foreigners.
Before I came to Japan, I thought that Japanese professors were kind, helpful and polite. Wow, was I proved wrong! Will I promote Japanese education to my students and other fellow Singaporeans? Of course not. You can try if you're a man, but forget it if you're a woman.

There's a saying that arrogant people are those with the least knowledge and the humble ones, who are always learning, are the knowledgeable people. If there's no reason to come to Japan to do your thesis, Singapore is still a better place for your education with a more global environment and without gender discrimination.

Related topic: Why you shouldn't get your art design degree in Japan
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上個禮拜六去了早稻田的履修生面試,內容如下:

教授A: 我們了解妳已經在9月的MBA入學考試中合格了,但是為什麼還要申請4月的履修生課程?

我: 這是因為我這個月(3月)就從日語學校畢業,但是新的MBA課程卻只在9月份開始。而且你們也知道,我的背景是美術和設計,所以我想暖身一下,先修一些商業課程。

教授A: (冷笑) 暖身...? ...

教授B: 這個嘛, 這是妳自己的問題,我們的課程不是給像妳這種人進入的。

我: (又驚又噁心) 但是我想要拿很多課... ...

第3位似乎比較友善的教授想說幾句話,但是很快地被教授B打斷。

教授B: 我們了解你的狀況,不過還是9月再見。

我: (無法相信)... 所以這表示我不合格了嗎?

教授B: 喔,不是不是! 我們還得先進行討論。

我: (懊惱) 喔...

教授B: 反正我們知道妳已經從MBA課程合格了,所以知道你的程度在哪裡。9月份再見吧。

我: ...okay... ...

想花更多時間說服他們錄取我是沒用的。可以感覺得出他們已經拒絕了我的申請也不喜歡我。我也不喜歡他們。付了30,000yen,換來的是不到10分鐘的面試和“這是妳的問題,我們的課程不是給像妳這種人的。9月再見!”!?  難道去他們的學校上5個月的課程有錯嗎?他們覺得我5個月空檔能做什麼啊?做兼職工?去別的學校唸書?回國?簽證怎麼辦?喔,慢著,這是我自己的問題,他們不管!

我學到了3件事:
  1. 從我遇到的男教授中,有一半是大男人主義,保守又思想狹窄的中年日本男性。他們覺得學生應該把他們當成像神一樣,不許抗議。還好另外一半的日本男教授比較開放,國際化。
  2. 假如你是亞洲女性,你的輩分自然比較低,應該倒茶複印文件。什麼創業家?
  3. 這些教授不懂得怎麼做生意,不關心他們的生意,但是卻在商科學校教其他人如何做生意。真諷刺!他們對外國人和學生簡直是漠不關心。
來日之前,我以為日本教授都非常親切友善。唉唷!結果大錯特錯!那我會推薦日本教育給學生和其他人嗎?當然不會!男生的話可以試試,女生的話就算了吧。

有一句名言說得很貼切。那些高傲的人是最沒有知識的。反而是那些謙虛的人才會一直學習,有智慧。假如沒有特別理由來日本唸書的話,還是在比較國際化和沒有性別歧視的新加坡唸比較好!

相關文章:為何不該來日本修美術設計

Comments

  1. OMG. It sounds like a big let-down!! >:( GRRRRR!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not surprised... honestly. My friend, who is also studying in Japan... linguistic... is being given the stupidest tasks ever.
    Unfortunately this kind of behavior, to me, is prone to self destruction and is no wonder that most of their business are going down.
    They still think that to save their market they have to invade our markets (which by the way are in worse condition than their own).
    They'll eventually implode.

    ReplyDelete
  3. moon: I was so sad, disappointed, infuriated and worried over the weekend. I didn't understand why I had fought so hard over scholarships to Japan and receive this kind of treatment. Was this part of a test to prove my determination?

    Deda: Yes, I suspect that the inability to recover from 10 years of recession is largely due to the typical old-generation Japanese mentality. The world is changing, but I don't see Japan change at all. Hmm... except for their ministers and prime ministers... ...

    I'm still trying to think of good memories with Japanese people to make me feel better.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 日本男人這種個性實在很討厭
    也難怪日本蓹宅族文化會越來越龐大
    不是說他們不好
    而是這樣的未來會很可怕....
    有時會搞不好其實早就內定好了.....

    ReplyDelete
  5. 小卓 : 蓹宅族文化還好吧?只是喜歡女僕而已?
    我覺得大男人主義和封閉思想比較嚴重。
    怪不得生活壓力大,那麼多自殺案件...過勞死...
    日本的未來實在令人擔心
    (雖然那些應徵我的教授不管我的個人問題)

    ReplyDelete
  6. EVA姊 我不是說蓹宅族文化不好啦
    只是覺得這應該是跟日本傳統的文化衝突後產生的影響
    討厭跟人接觸 或許也就是因為天天要碰到像那教授一樣長官或上司
    我覺得我如果身長在日本 大概也會是個蓹宅族吧...

    ReplyDelete
  7. $450 for a 10 min interview that doesn't even look like an interview. I guess that's how they are able to earn money.

    ReplyDelete
  8. 小卓: 喔!原來是這樣啊!
    我也那麼覺得,因為他們的尊卑分得太清楚了
    最近也常有那些在學校被欺負之後自殺的小學生,中學生等
    總而言之就是很容易自殺的一個國家就對了
    你啊...肯定是蓹宅族! XD

    Parka: Yes, that's how they earn lots of money for doing nothing. I wonder how long this kind of business model can be sustained because they hire these kind of professors, who doesn't care about anything except to get their monthly paycheck, bonus and pension. Costly for the university and not providing the quality education they're supposed to. No wonder they have to keep on increasing the fees although their reputation is declining.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 30K for an interview?
    That's really money sucking.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Goh: Exactly! It used to be 25,000yen. They'd increased the application fees and tuition fees! I wouldn't pay a single yen for "Professor A" and "Professor B"'s classes, they ignore students and couldn't care less about education. Boycott!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi
    我是在你後面的03, 遇到的情況大概跟你一樣, 覺得有點悲壯, 那天沒時間跟你多聊點,有點可惜,你知道合格要去哪看嗎? 還是只能在家等郵差呢?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Eva, 我是03, 剛去學校看了榜單, 恭喜妳了!

    ReplyDelete
  13. HEY 03 的Chris! 沒記錯吧?
    對啊,可恨的教授!
    我已經知道那前2位是誰了,名字不發在這裡。
    今天我直接找事務所算帳,沒去看榜單
    你也過關了嗎?
    我的電郵是kraystone@gmail.com
    有空聊聊復仇大計!(開玩笑)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yah, its really a let-down. Unfortunately, this kind of pple exist all around, perhaps U havent meet those nice pple yet. Dun give up yah! Maybe U could work part-time teaching English over there while waiting for sch to start. And prove we ladies can also do it BIG there. Hahaha!

    ReplyDelete
  15. hui: Haha, I got the pass, but the "express" letter hasn't come yet. Kind of worried...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey,
    Just saw you on "Good Morning, Singapore" and spotted your blog address on the comic you drawn, so I decided to visit your blog :)

    I'm currently a poly student and have decided to study in a Japanese university, most probably Waseda. So, this post of yours is very helpful to me.

    However, I will still like to ask your opinion on the possibility of entering a Japanese university with low GPA. I know that for the local students, it is hard but will they be a lot more lenient to foreign students?

    Hope to hear from you soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Anonymous, thanks for visiting my blog! :D

    Waseda is well-known to have a preference for foreigners with good English so I believe Singaporeans have a better chance than other foreigners. You'll have to find out from their website about their courses and application procedures because each school is different. I'm not sure about the low GPA, but I think that it can be compensated by a good entrance exam score and/or well-written essays for their application.

    However like I said, unless there is a real good solid reason to go to Japan for your education, Singapore, Aussie, Europe, USA, Canada or even China is a good place for Singaporeans.

    If you have more questions my email is kraystone at gmail. All the best!

    ReplyDelete

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