This might sound a bit mystical, but seiki is just the Japanese word for normal or regular (正規), which in this case means that I can take regular classes at Ritsumeikan with the Japanese students.
Personally I took
-3 obligatory seiki-classes
-1 Seiki-class for exchange students (Japanese Economy)
-3 classes with the regular Japanese students.
As a seiki-student you do have quite a lot more options than a regular student, or even a regular Japanese student, cause you can take almost any class you want. Unfortunately there are some courses you can't take though; I'm specially talking about other language classes besides Japanese. Personally I wanted to study other languages beside Japanese, but it seems Ristumeikan doesn't allow that.
But in general, like I said, it is pretty much up to you which classes you want to take. There are 3 obligatory seiki classes, which is grammar, listening and reading. In other words, the same as in the regular SKP program. And then there are some seiki-classes specifically designated for exchange-students. These are classes conducted in Japanese about various topics, the only difference between these classes and regular classes you take with the Japanese students is that.. There are no Japanese students..?
And the other thing I have noticed is that the seiki-classes for exchange students demands a lot more work than regular classes you take with the Japanese students (but since I only took one of these classes this semester I'm not sure if this is applicable for all classes).
The regular classes I took this semester was: a class about International Relations (国際関係学), a class about ethnicity and racism (goes under 特殊講義) and Sustainable Development (持続可能な開発).
So far I haven't had any problems regarding my classes, and I've even got relative good grades on the tests I've had which is kind of nice when "all" the others are natives. In all these classes I am the only Western student, but I've heard some of the students speaking Korean so I guess I'm not the only foreigner at least. Not that it matters, really..
i have to say though that my classes are quite big, so the chances of making new friends aren't really that big I think, unless that is one of your goals. I've got so many nice friends at Ristumeikan already, so I must admit I don't take it that seriously.
Anyway, for those who wants advices considering choosing seiki-classes, I would recommend reading about as many different classes in the online syllabus as you can, and find some classes that is based not only on the final exam, but also on for example attendance, reports or small tests beside the final exam. The first couple of weeks you are free to try out as many classes as you want, so have fun! ;p
You can find Ristumeikan's online syllabus here (The class code is written at the end of the url in each of the pages for the different classes).
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| 授業: 持続可能な開発 |
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About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.
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