I would really appreciate advice on studying environmental science at an international school.
Recently I have been looking into applying to international schools in Japan with environmental science programs such as Sophia University. I currently live in Hawaii. However, I’ve read that if you’re studying in Japan for four years, you should be prepared to stay in Japan afterwards, as it will be too difficult to go back to the US. I assume this statement varies upon major, but does environmental science apply to this?
I’m capable of having a conversation in Japanese, reading for the most part, etc. but I feel more comfortable studying in English classes. Currently I am not quite confident as to where I would want to live after college.
If I did choose to move back to the US, will I be a weak competitor to those who studied at a US university?
You can get a job in the US with an international degree, but what you’ll be missing out on is the career resources and networking available at a US based institution. In the US you’ll be able to network, go to career fairs, interview on campus, apply for internships, etc. Going to school overseas is a harder road to travel.
I think most would recommend going to school in the US and studying abroad for a year (in Japan).
I don’t think you’d be at a big disadvantage with having an environmental science degree from a Japanese university, though you’d have to move back to the US after you graduated to find a job. I live in the SF Bay Area, and it seems like half the people who work for the US Geological Survey here have foreign accents.
I was watching Japanese TV a few months ago, and they had a program on the following that looked interesting -