It is a lot of fun to be a JET. You have the chance live in a country you might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit, the work is enjoyable, your transportation to Japan is paid, and people give you a lot of respect for being on the JET Program. The Program is well-known over here, and people regard it very highly. Also, your students will be a constant source of cheer in your daily life. It's just the greatest feeling to hear cheers and energetic shouts of "Harro!" as you walk into a school, and see kids leaning out the 2nd story windows to wave "bai bai" to you as you leave at the end of the day. I loved seeing my students on the streets around town... they were often surprised to the point of pure shock- the AET has a life outside the classroom?! And it's great when they would shout hello as they passed by. You end up feeling like a bit of a celebrity sometimes. (I got asked for my autograph fairly often- it was hilarious!) The job is challenging in many respects, yet not very demanding in terms of the hours you put in. A typical Assistant English Teacher probably only teaches two to three classes a day, and may spend the rest of the time in the teacher's room or city Board of Education office planning lessons or getting organized. It can take a while to get into the swing of things at first, but in general, being a JET is a really rewarding job.

Being a JET is educational because you aren't here just to teach English, but also to learn about Japan during your stay. I minored in Japanese Language and Literature in college, so I feel that I went with a solid background about the culture, but there is nothing like living in Japan and experiencing it for yourself to truly absorb the culture, language, and lifestyle. I learned so many things during my year in Japan that I couldn't have learned in the classroom. As far as language goes, if you come knowing nothing, you will learn a lot by the end of your time as a JET if you put your mind to it. Japanese isn't a language you can just pick up by osmosis, but if you are make an effort to learn, you will undoubtedly accomplish something. I already knew the basics, so in the span of one year, I learned many more kanji than I originally knew, gained confidence in conversing, increased my vocabulary, and picked up a lot of slang and casual speech- even some of the local dialect! Additionally, life as a JET is educational because Japan is so rich in history and culture... you won't have to travel far from wherever you are to find an old temple or shrine, and there are gardens, castles, museums, and other wonderful historic things within fairly easy reach of almost anywhere. It's a great opportunity to enrich your knowledge and appreciation of Japanese culture.

It's a character-building experience to participate in the JET program because you will inevitably come up against many challenges, both big and small. You may get frustrated at first, but soon you will learn from your various experiences, and be all the better for it. For example, aside from handling various work-related challenges, one way in which JET has improved my character is that I am now much more laid back about weather conditions. Of course, when it was practically freezing inside my apartment, I still whined about it... but after a few days of riding a bike daily during the rainy season, I didn't fuss about getting wet in the rain anymore. I had no choice but to show up to work soaking wet sometimes. And you know what happened? I smiled and dried off. Not such a big deal after all!

Of course, I have to admit that there are some challenges which won't really serve to build your character. Yes, life on the JET Program can be aggravating sometimes- just like anything else in life! You might encounter frustration in the classroom, when a teacher springs something new on you in the middle of the lesson plan, or when you're expected to act as a human tape recorder, simply repeating English phrases over and over, despite your best efforts at creativity and innovation. You might get frustrated with the language barrier, your transportation, the fact that you might have to hang your laundry out to dry, the lack of public trash cans, or anything number of things in your daily routine. Naturally, pet peeves will vary from person to person. Indeed, there are a few challenges in Japan that you'll just have to learn to live with. The JET Program tends to seek people who can go with the flow for this very reason- nothing is perfect, and you will encounter frustrations. How you cope with them is up to you!

Finally, the life of a JET is, again, fun. You'll meet all sorts of interesting people, pick up new skills, see amazing sights, and have some good laughs along the way. Although I only lived in Japan for a year, I know the memories of my experience will stay with me for a lifetime. My year had its ups and downs, but I can't express how glad I am to have had that experience. I highly recommend the JET Program to anyone who has a sense of adventure, a little courage, a lot of flexibility, and a big heart.