ICS info

This post is created for future In-Country Studies students, with relevant info and questions.

KIT is an engineering universty - as a past KIT ICS student put it "it's a sausage fest". Yes the guys outnumber the girl by more than a lot.

The dorm is located in the north-west corner of the university grounds, your room has a kitchenette, bathroom with toilet and shower, a large cabinet set thing, a desk with drawers, a bed, air conditioning (warm and cool) and a balcony for your laundry.
There are four floors of rooms.
The bottom floor has your mail box, laundry room with washing machine and dryers (100 yen for 30 minutes), and a common room with a tv and an english and japanese newspaper delivered everyday.

Rent is 5900 yen a month. The bond is 40 000 yen.

There is a small supermarket and food within easy walking distance, as well as a post office. The dorms are unfortunately situated right next to the high school gym and grounds - so it can get a bit noisy with their ...exercising.

Inside the uni are two cafeterias were food is cheap and good. There's also a "university coop" where you can buy book, mags, stationary and food.

The closest railway station is called kyukoudaimae eki. About 10/15 minutes walk. It's 200 yen to get to Kokura, the 'city' if you like - more like a hub like Chatswood or Bondi if you know what i mean.
In the other direction is Spaceworld eki. Where there's a western style shopping centre with Jusco (a massive supermarket). Again 200 yen.

Tobata is a bike ride away (don't know how long yet, haven't got my bike yet).

We were picked up from the airport by our assigned tutors and taken to our rooms. They helped us get a couple of essentials like futon for the first night. The following days is full of paperwork - getting a hanko (personal seal), applying for alien registration etc.

So far we haven't found much to do at night. Fukuoka is where the nightlife is apparently. It's approximately 30 mins and 1200 yen one way.

Clubs - Apparently there's no orientation to clubs, so you have to find them yourself. I joined the Judo club by getting the club captains contact details off the front poster and emailing him. He told me to go to one of their training sessions, and what do you know? I'm training at the Judo club (or more correctly "Judo circle") now. Difference between clubs and circles? Clubs apparently want you to attend their meetings religiously whereas circles are more laid back and if you can't make it to training one day they're cool with it.

One more thing, we were assigned to a lab and we go there whenever we need guidance of have questions to ask. Me and becs were assigned to the civil engineering lab. Luke from ICS 07 was assigned to the same lab, so chance are if you come here next year you'll be put into the same lab as us. The head teachers name is Kimura-sensei. Very chill dude and his English is good so no problems here so far.