3/24/2016 0 Comments A tour of my Dorm!Sooo I moved into my dorm yesterday, got settled, and Mr. Kotani (our dorm manager) cooked us dinner. He's so nice!!! I feel like I had a really warm welcome. Even though I'm a little under the weather right now, I feel really comfortable in my living quarters.
Today I went to register my residence at Musahi-kosugi (two stations away from Hiyoshi, one station away from Motosumiyoshi). Prepare for a wait, it kind of reminded me of the DMV. I filled out an application (a really nice worker gave me an english translation for the app), turned it in and was given a number to wait. They said it would be about an hour until it was my turn so I had time to grab some lunch. When I got back, I waited for about 5 min then they called me up and then I went around to the other counter to get my health insurance. I waited a little more, then I was all set! I went with my friend and it helped a lot to be with someone who spoke more Japanese than me.
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Overall, I am happy with the location of my dorm. Although it does seem far at first, looking at its location relative to all of these other places puts things into perspective and I don't think it's bad at all!
The maps and train routes pictured above were taken from the app: City Rail Map. I did mention Tokyo Rail Map Lite on my page of Helpful Phone Apps; however, I guess that app is out of date? So you can get the same results with City Rail Map. it's the same company. 1/27/2016 19 Comments Dorm Update!!!!!!!!! I applied for my Keio Dormitory on December 17, 2015 and just received my acceptance today (January 27,2015). Keio said in an email that they would get back to us about our assigned dorms by January 28th but they are a day ahead so this was a pleasant surprise! The ball is finally rolling again and I can feel the anticipation growing! The dorm that I will be living at is Motosumiyoshi Residence, so I got my first choice!!!! I totally recommend anyone that's applying for a dorm to apply early since they operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. Motosumiyoshi Dorm Info:Below is some basic info about my dorm in case you are wondering or if you are interested in staying here. Of course, all this information along with info about the other dorms are available at Keio's website. But here's a quick overview of things I think are good to know:
Room Info
Motosumiyoshi is located in Kawasaki, so it is a bit far from Keio's Mita campus. The commute will be about 40min by train and foot. Although it seems really far, Keio University has multiple campuses so the dorms are actually close to Keio's Hiyoshi and Yagami campuses (within a 5-8 min walk). My classes will mostly be at Mita so I will have to make the commute, but I don't really mind...(now at least lol). I'm telling myself that experiencing that commute on Japan's train system is just a part of the culture and "everyday life". I don't really commute much back home in Hawai'i so it will be a humbling and good learning experience for me. Here's a recap of what's happened so far: I submitted my MIX application in July 2015, I was nominated to Keio University back in late September, and then three months after that I finally got word from the MIX office that my official acceptance letter from Keio University and information packet was available for pick up! It was actually during finals week that I got the email. This info packet contained the following documents:
Below is the orientation schedule that I received in the packet. Applying to the Dorm One of the most important things to me when I first started researching my study abroad trip, was where I would be living. In the end I decided to go with the school's dormitories. The application for the dorms opened on December 18, 2015 @ 10 AM (Japan Time). At the time that the app opened, I was in Los Angeles so I wasn't exactly sure about what time difference it would be. Luckily I put it into my phone calendar to remind me to apply when the app opened Japan time, and I got an alert around 5 PM on December 17, 2015 to apply (since Japan is a day ahead). In order to apply, you must create an account online at Keio University's dorm system. Detailed information and a link will be provided to you before the dorm application opens. Below is what the log in looks like. You are going to have to register before you can apply. I was actually really anxious about applying to the dorm because I really want to get my first choice. So I made sure I applied as soon as the application opened. I know, I'm a little crazy sometimes haha. I applied for: 1) Motosumiyoshi and 2) Hiyoshi International House. These two dorms are on opposite ends of the spectrum being the most newly renovated and the oldest. What I liked was the studio-style of Motosumiyoshi, including its nice amenities and the apartment-style coziness of HIH.
Important Dates Dorm application period: December 18, 2015 (10 AM) - January 14, 2016 (10 AM) Japan Time. Dorm applications will be approved by: January 28, 2016. Move-in: March 23-24 between 9 AM and 6PM. Move-out: August 3, 2016. For more information on Keio's dorms or on housing options that I researched click the links below: Keio's Housing Webpage for International Students Other options besides the dorms |
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