[Quiche]

(Original post by Rei_Rei)
Congrats on sending your application! Do you know when your interview period is? Mine is the two weeks following 5th December. I haven't actually read The Tale of Genji yet. My main obsession is early 20th century literature, particularly Souseki (how can anybody not love Souseki!) Have you started filling out the SAQ yet? It is far more hassle than I expected it to be, it actually seems to be more detailed than the UCAS application itself.

Sorry for the late reply!

I'm actually about to send my SAQ now; I know it's horrendously close to it, but at the very least I've sent it before the deadline! I found it quite scrutinising, and I wasn't sure whether to add anything to my personal statement...
I am currently reading Haruki Murakami's 'Norwegian Wood' and my boyfriend recommended me 'In the Miso Soup' by Ryu Murakami as well, which is another interesting read. But those being modern literature I haven't really looked at earlier works, though I do know of Souseki's Kokoro.

As for the interview dates, my subject interview with Selwyn is between the 5th and the 8th of December.

Just to make sure, is Japanese taken ab initio right away or is it necessary to notify them that you would like to take it as such?

And congrats on getting an offer!!!

[Rei_Rei]

(Original post by Quiche)
Sorry for the late reply!


I'm actually about to send my SAQ now; I know it's horrendously close to it, but at the very least I've sent it before the deadline! I found it quite scrutinising, and I wasn't sure whether to add anything to my personal statement...
I am currently reading Haruki Murakami's 'Norwegian Wood' and my boyfriend recommended me 'In the Miso Soup' by Ryu Murakami as well, which is another interesting read. But those being modern literature I haven't really looked at earlier works, though I do know of Souseki's Kokoro.

As for the interview dates, my subject interview with Selwyn is between the 5th and the 8th of December.

Just to make sure, is Japanese taken ab initio right away or is it necessary to notify them that you would like to take it as such?

And congrats on getting an offer!!!

Thank you!!

The SAQ was without a doubt far more stressful than the UCAS application! I put some nonsense into the additional statement box, which I'm starting to regret but at least it's out of the way for both of us now! Now we just have the nerve-racking wait to see whether we are offered an interview or not. Since AMES has less applicants than the Cam average I expect that most of us will get interviews, unless our applications were absolutely horrendous (like mine /panic).

I tried to read Murakami's Dance Dance Dance but I found it a bit tedious and gave up, though I'm making a point of finishing it over half term. I have a friend who constantly raves about Norwegian Wood so perhaps someday I'll give that a read as well. At this point I'm trying to read less and instead go back over the novels I've already read. You also shouldn't worry too much about reading all of Souseki's work, I doubt they'll expect us to be experts on Japanese literature! Reading 2-3 books in depth will be far more advantageous than reading 10 in less detail

Japanese is only offered as an ab initio course so you don't have to notify them at all In fact they have even suggested that having a lot of knowledge of the language can be a disadvantage.

[Rei_Rei]

(Original post by myka551)
congrats!!! 8d

:d

Thank you dear!

[MyNeighbourTotoro]

(Original post by taylorg292)
Coincidence, I applied for Japanese Studies at Manchester and Sheffield and I got into Manchester on deferred for 2012! Anyway in my personal statement I related my Psychology A level to Haruki Murakami's novels (I applied for English and Japanese at some unis but didn't get any offers), and I also wrote about how I became interested in Japan (by being lent a volume of manga), that I found the differences between Western culture and Japanese culture and I referenced some books I had read about how Japan bounced back after the 2nd world war.

Basically I tried to convey how interested I am in Japan and it worked! Also I got ABB but my offer for Japanese Studies at Manc. was AAB but they let me in anyway as I was only 3 marks off an A in Ancient History. So just to let you know they do give leeway, I suppose also Jap. Studies isn't a particularly popular subject.

Thanks for the advice i think probably 2/3 of my personal statement is about how i became interested and what areas i am particularly interested in. The other 1/3 i wrote about academics but mainly i've made links to skills that i think would be useful for Japanese.
I agree about the popularity, my senior tutor said in all the time she'd been working at my college no one had ever applied for it! However, sheffield did say that there was 900 applicants for 89 places (the whole department) on the open day which seems quite a lot.
The leniency in grades is good though, i thought they almost never gave people who had missed their offers, even if just by a bit, a place.
I think i'll be sending my application off in the next 2 weeks so hopefully i'll get some offers.

[Not a Zergling]

Applied to Oxford Brookes, now terrified of hearing back due to my shoddy grades.

ぼくはこわいです
オクスフォード よろしく おねがいします

[Mani Katti]

Manchester made me an offer last night, AAB

[Shuu]

Hi everyone,

I was in the exact same position as all of you last year applying for Japanese studies! I applied to Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, SOAS, and Sheffield.

I eventually chose Manchester and I am here now and absolutely loving it. Manchester is (obviously) a fantastic city and the course is going well. The lecturers are all fairly lovely (and some are super lovely).

If anyone is interested in applying to Manchester, has an offer, or has applied, I am writing a blog on my experiences which you can check out here:

http://nadinenihongo.blogspot.com/

Hope to see some of you next year!! (which I likely will, since the 2nd years are often involved a lot with mentoring etc.)

[Rei_Rei]

(Original post by Shuu)
x

I just had a look at your blog, thank you for sharing it's really interesting to hear from a current student how course actually is! Do you know if students who have an A level are able to skip the beginners language course?

[Kishin Kingdom]

(Original post by Shuu)
Hi everyone,

I was in the exact same position as all of you last year applying for Japanese studies! I applied to Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, SOAS, and Sheffield.

I eventually chose Manchester and I am here now and absolutely loving it. Manchester is (obviously) a fantastic city and the course is going well. The lecturers are all fairly lovely (and some are super lovely).

If anyone is interested in applying to Manchester, has an offer, or has applied, I am writing a blog on my experiences which you can check out here:

http://nadinenihongo.blogspot.com/

Hope to see some of you next year!! (which I likely will, since the 2nd years are often involved a lot with mentoring etc.)

This blog is really good, very useful info for us prospective uni goers, keep up the good work =)

[Shuu]

(Original post by Rei_Rei)
I just had a look at your blog, thank you for sharing it's really interesting to hear from a current student how course actually is! Do you know if students who have an A level are able to skip the beginners language course?

Thank you Students who have done an A level (NOT GCSE) will do an advanced-level test (at Manchester anyway) on your first lesson.

I'm not sure what's on it because I didn't take the test but as far as I know it's a lot better to revise for it!

If you pass then you will be put into the advanced class.

Most people on the course are in beginners.

[casmn]

Offer from Manchester, AAB
They seem really organised this year, still haven't heard from Leeds or SOAS at all :P

[VickyDoodle]

(Original post by casmn)
Offer from Manchester, AAB
They seem really organised this year, still haven't heard from Leeds or SOAS at all :P

Congrats!
I only applied yesterday.. already checking Track, just hoping x3

[casmn]

(Original post by VickyDoodle)
Congrats!
I only applied yesterday.. already checking Track, just hoping x3

Thanks
Good luck!

[RichardJapanese]

Oioi fellow Jap applicants! I'm the only person to ever apply for Japanese from my college, so I'd love some friends! ( As desperate as that sounds).

Applied to Oxford, Sheffield, Leeds and SOAS ( Straight Japanese) and Japanese and Politics at SOAS.

I've only heard back from Oxford, SOAS and Sheffield, and i'm about to send off my written work for Oxford, has anyone got any examples of what they're sending off as written work? I was going to send off two English essays...

I'm not into J-pop but I love Japanese film and literature. I probably don't know what I've got myself in for with the language but I love it, and it's my dream to learn it.

The only language qualification I have is a German GCSE ( C ), but there were staffing issues which have been noted.

Any Ghibli fans? I own every single one

[Mani Katti]

*opens email inbox*

New email from SOAS



"We have recieved your application."



Unecessarily scary D:.

[shnibbles]

Hey there, I'm applying for Japanese too:
Japanese at Oxford, English and Japanese at Oxford Brookes, International business and Japanese at Birmingham and Japanese at SOAS.

Not heard from Brookes yet Heard from SOAS today though (at long last), they even decided to send me the same email twice

Same as someone mentioned above, don't really know what to send for written work, I'm doing R.S, English Literature and I.T A levels and have two really good R.S essays, but don't know whether I should be sending one English and one R.S (this is for Oxford).

So, any ideas?

[Rei_Rei]

(Original post by RichardJapanese)
Oioi fellow Jap applicants! I'm the only person to ever apply for Japanese from my college, so I'd love some friends! ( As desperate as that sounds).

Applied to Oxford, Sheffield, Leeds and SOAS ( Straight Japanese) and Japanese and Politics at SOAS.

I've only heard back from Oxford, SOAS and Sheffield, and i'm about to send off my written work for Oxford, has anyone got any examples of what they're sending off as written work? I was going to send off two English essays...

I'm not into J-pop but I love Japanese film and literature. I probably don't know what I've got myself in for with the language but I love it, and it's my dream to learn it.

The only language qualification I have is a German GCSE ( C ), but there were staffing issues which have been noted.

Any Ghibli fans? I own every single one

I'm also my school's first Japanese applicant, most teachers run away screaming if I attempt to ask them for help with my application so I understand your pain! I am going to send a History and English Lit essay (both A2 homework) for Cambridge tomorrow. I'm a bit irritated that they ask for school essays I would have loved to send one about Japanese History or literature!

Howl's Moving Castle is my favourite Ghibli

[Rei_Rei]

(Original post by casmn)
Offer from Manchester, AAB
They seem really organised this year, still haven't heard from Leeds or SOAS at all :P

Congrats!

[Not a Zergling]

Does anybody here write on Lang-8? These are my entries so far: http://lang-8.com/299498/journals

SOAS and Oxford Brookes are considering me now, I think I'll hear from Oxford Brookes by the end of the week. Nervous... 私はなかなかこわいだ

[shnibbles]

When did you hear from Brookes? They haven't even acknowledged my application :/