With the Working Holiday Visa an unlikely option and my prospects in London not too rosy, I confused what to do for the best now. Maybe it is for the best? I dont know what my reply from the embassy will be like, but, maybe the Working Holiday Visa was only going to be a short-term answer for my problems.
Degree?
Can it help me? In the UK and/or Japan? Sure, it can provide me with a way into Japan, but what then?! I dont want to live in Japan for the rest of my life, just a while.
Thing is, a degree takes 3 years out of my life. Completely going back to school. Quitting work, as evil as it can be, is hard. And wont look good on my CV. Also, I cant decide what I'd like to study if I was to go back to education full time.
A few option are on my list: Graphic Design, being an obvious one, as then I can still continue the work I am in at the moment after graduation. This will help if everything goes wrong. At least I wont be turning my back on the proffession I've made for myself, as unhelpful to me as it may be. The thing is, due to my experiences in this field, I no longer have the passion to be a Graphic Designer. I like to see nice Design, but I dont really want to be the creator of Design anymore. Whats the point in studying 3 years in a course that will lead you to a job that.. you dont really want to do? (Confused? Im an Artworker at the moment, not a Graphic Designer)
Another obvious option would be Japanese. SOAS in London do a Japanese Degree course that takes 4 years to complete, one year study abroad. Its nice, but I dont think I could get in anyway, you need to at least have a GCSE grade A in any language... I got B's in both French and English >_< There are other BA Japanese degrees at other Universities, but... I'm not sure what help a Japanese degree would be?! People are not hired in Japan based on their level of Japanese - there are 120 million (?) native speakers to choose from. Sure, if I have a chosen field, such as Graphic Design and wish to work in a Japanese company, language skills are a must, but... I'm not going to be employed on my Japanese ability alone. (unless I be a translator I guess...)
An off topic would be English. Since teaching in Japan, I have become interested in the English language - how it works etc. I'm definately going to do a TEFL course one day. But a degree in English? ...Thats very 'Japan' orientated isnt it? How will an English degree help me in London?
I dont want to shut Design out. Taking a degree course in something other than Design will look bad on my CV if I wish to return to Design. But a degree in Design? I dont think I want that... do I? I guess it depends how much I want to go to Japan again.
I think Ill be doing a degree for all the wrong reasons - doing a degree should be about wanting to learn more about the subject you do it in, which I would be kind of interested, but with one eye on Japan, I think I have my priorities totally wrong.
(Private note to Nick -- You are doing a degree in Asia Pacific Studies arent you? Ive noticed I can do that degree in London too, but Im unsure of what it is about. What kind of jobs are available to you once you graduate, and ... sorry for being nosy! ... why did you chose to do this course? Thanks^^)
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Hi Karen,
Hehe, i didnt know you were 22, i'm 22 aswell. I can understand your frustration, at the moment i kinda feel like i'm a late starter in trying to get a career or my life's ambitions going ;)anyway.....
Yeah, i'm doing Asia Pacific Studies at University of Central Lancashire (Preston)
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/ug/ba_aps.htm
Theres a link there to the course fact sheet and overview. It explains some career options.
Why this university? because its one of the few which i have enough UCAS points for. (you need grade c gcse language) Also the course description fits everything i want.
Primarily i want to learn japanese, which is the main focus of the course. But then it backs it up with international business & politics. Which i think would be particularly useful for finding a job in the UK which needs japanese (im not really aiming for that, but its a backup plan)
To do something like that in Japan would be great, (business stuff, maybe even diplomacy?) but at first im more realistically aiming to try and do some sort of translating job in japan, until i know more and see how it goes. (will try to avoid teaching english if i can)
I knew i needed a degree to move to japan for a while, and this is one i know i am 100% interested in. I didnt want to do just any degree which i know i would not be interested in. It had to be learning japanese!
The university also offers japanese as a joint course (with a year abroad) (you can combine it with another subject) but i have not looked to see if design is an option. Also when i went to the open day at the uni they said when you are studying in japan, you can almost study any subject you want at the university, even if its something such as geography and maybe even design? i'm not sure!
the uni also offers small optional courses such as teaching english as a second language, so that would come in handy if i am forced to try english teaching :)
i start my course on september 16th
better get your skates on if you want to start uni this year ! :D
hope this helps, the .pdf file on that website explains it better than me :)
Nick
Thanks for your reply. It sounds a good course, but I dont think its for me... business and politics? I know there are opportunities in those fields, but its just not something that interests me, unfortunately!! Good luck for the course :-) Its a brave thing to go back to education, dont know if Ive got the guts to do it!!!
Graphic Design is looking like the safest option to go for. I wish my heart as more in it tho... >_<
I wont be going to Uni this year, I think the deadlines to do a degree course in Sept is the Jan before??? Im not sure where I read that but I read it somewhere. Anyway, my minds not made up enough yet!! Need to make up my mind by Jan to start Sept 2007.
Thing is, with a working visa, do you still need a company to sponsor you? If so, Graphic Design isnt a good choice. No Japanese Design company will sponsor me as a Designer or Artworker with zero experience in Design/formatting with Japanese characters! Its a completely different business. Studying Design in Japan... that would be good.... (i guess you need a degree to do that, or at least JLPT 1 >_<) ARGH! Im going round in circles!!!
Why didnt someone tell me the benefits of a degree when I was 18 and leaving college!??! (I was greedy back then tho - whats the point in doing a degree in Design when you can get a job without it? Might as well get the money and the job!)
Hi Karen,
I'm pretty sure you can enter university this year through 'clearing' (if your course is available on that) Bit of a rush though :)
graphic design does sound like your best choice, because it will be useful if you want a job in the UK aswell.
pretty sure you do need a company to sponsor you. a guy i was talking to basically said to get a language school to sponsor you and work as an english teacher for a while, and then start searching for the job you want to do in japan then. Its the easiest way, so thats why i want to try and get some experience with Teaching english (even though i dont want to do it hehe)
Although i thought some language schools accept people without a degree, not sure if they will sponsor a visa though.
I wish i knew what i wanted to do when i was 18 :(, but at least i have had some working experience and managed to save some money
Nick
Thanks for your comments Nick. Got a lot of thinking to do!! :/
I think my internet has become bored with the japan/degree/teaching related sites I make it look at day in day out, so, its decided to go on a strike... (its not working... argh!)
be back when its fixed...
if you are serious, then a degree certainly opens up doors for you.
3 years might seem an age if you do study Graphic Design - after all, all you really will be doing is 'playing Graphic Designers' in a childish like game, teachers set you tasks and you have to complete those tasks etc, its really just practising and smoothing out what you'd already know - and you might have learnt better through work already.
It might seem pointless, but it could be worth it. Depends how serious you are about Japan - cos if you live there, you know that the most likely job youd be doing is English teaching. And i didnt hink you liked that before? You might get training, but the fact that you have to entertain kids who go to your class determined to be bored and do whatever they please... is still the same. Probably one jhell of a lot more strssful than design!
oo, and i forgot..
hows this grab you?
http://www.gaijinpot.com/job_view.php?jid=11858
doesnt mention anything about degrees for the day school. (doesnt say they;ll sponsor you either, but...)
before you look a warning: its pre-school kids... >_<
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