Interview information and hints
Candidates who successfully pass the exam are notified by the Embassy of Japan of the date and time of the interview. The interview is usually given in English, although variations might apply according to the country you live in.
Tips & Hints:
- It is advisable that you dress formally for the interview. A suit usually does the trick.
- This is basic as far as any interview goes, but I’ll wite it anyway: keep your cool. When I took the interview, there were about six or seven interviewers. All except one were Japanese; don’t let that intimidate you.
- Although the interview is supposed to be testing your English language skill, it’s advisable to keep your vocabulary simple. You’ll figure out the reason for that as soon as you enter the interview room.
- When you enter the interview room, remember to bow and greet [“Konnichiwa” is OK]. Take a seat and wait for the first question; oh, and don’t be too surprised at their English 
- The questions will mostly refer to the answers to the three questions I mentioned before, in the application form: ‘Why do you want to study in Japan’, ‘Why have you chosen your field of study?’, and ‘What do you intend to do upon returning to your country?’.
- [This one’s important – I found it the hard way >_>]: Never interrupt your examiners. Most of them speek slowly (it seems like they’re searching for words every few sentences), so you may be under the fake impression that they’re done, even though they’re not. Make absolutely sure they’re finished before replying.
- General interview hints again: keep your focus, don’t let your eyes stray (to the other objects in the room, out the window, etc.); look at each examiner in turn, speak loudly and clearly, and try to at least act confident (even if on the inside you’re shaking like a leaf). That usually makes a good impression.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
After you’ve taken the interview, gather your wits and prepare for a looooong wait. You’ll be notified whether or not you’ve been granted the scholarship sometime around February or March in the next year, so in the meantime it’s OK to turn your attention to other things. However, remember that it is advisable to study as much Japanese as you can, as most foreign students here at Oosaka Gaidai (and probably everywhere else) are already skilled in the language. I’ll try to compile a list of Internet resources for Japanese language studies later on; in the meantime, check to see if there are any courses around your area and try to make Japanese friends [or penfriends, there’s loads of websites for that]. All these help a lot.
Examination curriculum and subjects
Number of scholarships for the year 2007 (Any contribution will be greatly appreciated!)
Romania: 3 Undergraduate, 3 Research, 3 Cultural Studies
Spain: 0 Undergraduate, 10 Research, ? Cultural Studies
Examination curriculum for undergraduate students [because this is the only information I can contribute with at the moment ^_^’]
There are three categories for the Monbukagakusho Undergraduate scholarship, depending on the field that you wish to major on, namely:
- Humanism / Social Studies
- Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- Human or Animal Medicine
For each of these categories, you must take a written examination consisting on several tests, depending on your field of study*:
- For Humanism and Social studies: World history, Mathematics
- For Mathematics and Natural Sciences: Mathematics, Physics
- For Human or Animal Medicine: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
* Note that this information may be subjected to changes; please consult the website of the Embassy of Japan in your country for up-to-date information on the exams you must take.
Apart from the subjects mentioned above, regardless of your field of study, you must take an English language test. Optionally, you can also take a Japanese language test.
In most countries, all tests are given in English and generally consist of multiple-choice sheets which you must fill in using a soft-tip pencil, so be sure to bring two pencils, a pencil sharpner and an eraser with you to the exam. You must also have an identification document, like an ID card.
TEST CURRICULUM AND SUBJECTS FOR HUMANISM AND SOCIAL SCIENCES*
* Sadly, this is the only detailed information I can provide, because that’s the field I’m majoring in; if anyone else wants to contribute with details, hints or advice about other majors, please contact me at odeena.skywalker@gmail.com or odeena_rockstar@yahoo.com. Thank you!
1. WORLD HISTORY
- For the World History test, it is advisable to study from high-school textbooks covering the time span between Antiquity and Modernism [late 1990s].
- Remember to focus on the history of the Far East [Japan, China, Korea etc.]. It is not necessary to have extensive knowledge, but at least try to learn significant names [dynasty names, places of historical battles, Japan periodicization (Tokugawa / Edo period, Heiwa period etc.)] and dates.
- Don’t focus only on politics, but do some research about science, arts and culture as well.
2. MATHEMATICS
- The Mathematics examination for Humanism and Social Sciences is not a very hard one. Generally, you need to have middle-school (gymnasium) knowledge of mathematics, especially plain (Euclidian) geometry, first and second-degree equations and basic calculation formulas, but it is advisable to refer to the local Embassy of Japan for a more detailed curriculum, as it may vary from country to country and from year to year.
- The Mathematics examination is the only test where you have not only multiple-choice questions, but also problems and excercises where you must write a detailed answer. As always, you will write with a black pencil. You will not receive any draft papers.
3. ENGLISH LANGUAGE
- The English language test is around the same difficulty level as the Cambridge CAE [Certificate of Advanced English] exam. For practice, you can refer to CAE practice books.
4. JAPANESE LANGUAGE
- The Japanese language test is not mandatory, but it is highly advisable that you try to solve as much as you can, as this can turn into a certain advantage.
- The Japanese language test sheets are handed out last. The test consists of three parts and the difficulty of the exercises increases gradually.
- Note: Although it is stated that you don’t need any Japanese language knowledge when applying for the exam, it is highly advisable that you learn at least the basics: hiragana, katakana, particles and sentence patterns, for instance.
How to apply for a Monbukagakusho scholarship
In order to apply for a Monbukagakusho scholarship, the first step that you need to take is to obtain the necessary application forms at the Embassy of Japan in your country. The website of the Embassy should publish a calendar for the examination, including deadlines for submitting the forms, examination and interview dates and so on, so be sure to check it out.
HINTS
- When filling in the application forms, be sure to write in legible capital letters.
- The application form contains several questions along the lines of, ‘Why do you want to study in Japan’, ‘Why have you chosen your field of study?’, and ‘What do you intend to do upon returning to your country?’. Be sure to give as detailed answers as possible.
! Keep a xerox copy of these application forms for future reference, as you may need to remember the answers for the interview.
- Along with the application forms, you must also submit a medical sheet, also provided by the Embassy. In order to complete this sheet, you must undergo basic medical examinations [blood, urine, X-ray, visual accuracy etc.] Be sure to ask each doctor to place their seal and signature on the medical sheet next to the result of the respective medical examination they have conducted [for example, after having taken the X-ray test, have the doctor place their seal and signature on the medical sheet anywhere within the ‘Chest examination’ section].
If you have any further questions or uncertainties, do not hesitate to contact the Embassy of Japan.
Together with the application forms, you must also submit several other papers. These papers may vary from country to country, but generally they consist of the following:
- A proof of your high-school academic records
- A certificate of graduation from high-school [a graduation exam diploma or, if such a diploma is not available to you, a certificate issued by your high-school stating that you have graduated OR that you will be graduating in X days [or months].
- A letter of recommendation by one of your teachers.
! Depending on the country, you may be asked that all documents mentioned above be translated into English and then translations be legally certified.
! HINT FOR ROMANIAN STUDENTS: The procedure for obtaining a legally certified translation into English is as follows:
- Bring the original document to an authorized translator
- Be sure the translated version has the translator’s seal and signature
- Bring the original document and the English version to a public notary office and ask the notary to place their seal and signature on the document, in the designated place
- Be warned – Legally certified translations are expensive as hell [I found that the hard way >_>]
You can obtain any further information from the Embassy of Japan website in your country or by contacting the Embassy directly.
Hajimemashite!
Hajimemashite, Odeena desu!
Welcome to my little corner of the Web. Here, I will convey most of the information you need to know if you want to apply for a Monbukagakusho [or Monbusho for short] MEXT Scholarship – or, in other words, if you want to become a foreign student in Japan. Of course, you should always stay up-to-date with the latest news on the Embassy of Japan in your country’s website, or other orientation websites such as studyjapan.go.jp. At the same time, however, it’s best you try to find as much information and feedback from foreign students who are, or have been studying in Japan; I know from my own experience that this sort of information can be much more useful.
This blog offers a few basic guidelines about the procedures required to obtain a Monbukagakusho scholarship, the papers and formalities you require, as well as hints and tips about what you should oryou shouldn’t bring along, useful data about health, transportation and bureaucracy, details about campus life at Osaka University [where I currently study], and so on. You can browse information by category to easily find the sections you are most interested in. Should you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at odeena.skywalker@gmail.com or odeena_rockstar@yahoo.com.
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!
