u/Horror_Sweet_3428

I recently got accepted into a fully-funded PhD program in Japan and consented to take it earlier this year. However recently i have realized that my mental capacity and overall state are affecting me a lot and i might not be able to pursue my studies in Japan. The problem is that my future phd supervisor was also one of my professors at my masters course. I still want to pursue PhD in the future but not in Japan so I am afraid that my decline might lead to them not wanting to give me any recommendations in the future. Is it possible? Is there a way to decline the offer correctly so it does not lead to any negative consequences? Or maybe I can use their previously written recommendation letters? Please share your thoughts, opinions and experience

hey! I was thinking of applying for Eiffel Excellence scholarship so I wanted to share my profile so that the students who were awarded with the scholarship could tell me what are my chances of getting it

i have a 3 years work experience as a business analyst in healthcare digitalization so I worked with many international organizations. my bachelors is psychology and my masters is in public health. I did my graduate studies in Tokyo medical and dental university. my masters gpa is 3.9, bachelors is around 3.4. Can only speak Russian and English. What are the chances I can be awarded this scholarship? also how realistic is it to be able to find a job after graduation?

how realistic is it to find a job after graduating from erasmus considering you study in different country every semester and the programs are in english

Hi! I am 27F from Central Asia. I have a bachelors degree in Psychology in my home country as well as Masters degree in Public Health from a japanese university in Tokyo and a 3-years experience of working as a business analyst. I can speak fluent Russian and English.

I have been thinking a lot about moving to another country but still cannot decide what place would be optimal for me considering my weak passport and background. I got accepted into a fully-funded phd in Public Health in Japan but i find this country very hard to integrate into because of difficult language, toxic work culture, shallow connections, low salaries and I also want to build my future in a country I am gonna move to but i was never attracted to japanese men.

Since i have no extra funds or budget I was thinking of moving through studies, preferrably second masters with a fully-funded scholarship. I have been thinking about Europe a lot because it has a decent work-life balance, good quality food and social support and it is close to my home country and makes international travel easy and accessible. But I have also heard many negatives such as high unemployment rates in some EU countries etc. etc. so i am really contemplating. USA seems impossible with their high costs and competiitve environment, Australia seems like a nice place but very isolated from everything.

There are many people here with various backgrounds who have been living all around the world so I wanted to hear ypur experience and perspective.

I was recently accepted into a PhD program in Japan, but I'm feeling very conflicted about whether I should accept the offer.

To be completely honest, my original reason for coming to Japan wasn't because I was passionate about academia or dreamed of pursuing research. It was mainly a way to avoid an involuntary marriage back home and gain more control over my own life.

Now I'm facing the possibility of spending another four years in Japan, and I'm not sure if that's the right decision. I've never really enjoyed studying, and I'm worried that my mental health isn't in a place where I can successfully complete a demanding PhD program.

Another thing that makes me hesitate is uncertainty about the long-term benefits. I'm not sure whether spending four more years on a PhD in Japan will actually improve my career prospects. I also find Japan a very difficult country to integrate into, and I don't know if I can realistically see myself living here for another four years.

Because of all this, I'm wondering if declining the offer and applying for a master's or PhD program in Europe might be a better choice instead.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Or has anyone studied both in Japan and in Europe? I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and what you would do in my position.

I recently graduated from a Japanese university with a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. I returned home after graduation because I was studying on a JICA scholarship and, more importantly, because I didn’t speak Japanese well enough to realistically find a job in Japan.

Before leaving Japan, I decided to apply for a PhD program just to see what would happen. Honestly, I didn’t expect to get accepted, but surprisingly I did. I was awarded a MEXT scholarship for a PhD in Public Health at the Tokyo Institute of Science, and the program is scheduled to start this October.

However, after returning home and starting my first full-time job, I began to reconsider my decision.

The truth is that pursuing a PhD was never my dream. At the time, I mainly saw it as a way to remain in Japan. In reality, I don’t enjoy academia, and I don’t particularly enjoy studying. Because of my diagnosed depression and mental health struggles, I found both my undergraduate and master’s studies extremely challenging. Knowing that a PhD would require four years of intensive research, publishing papers, and constant academic pressure, I worry that it would be emotionally exhausting and unsustainable for me.

At this stage of my life, I feel more motivated to develop practical professional skills, gain work experience, and earn an income so that I can eventually support my parents. I’m also concerned about spending four years on a PhD that doesn’t necessarily lead to strong career opportunities afterward, especially given my lack of Japanese language proficiency.

I might feel differently if this opportunity were in Europe or the United States, where PhD students often receive a salary, have broader networking opportunities, and may have better prospects for finding employment after graduation.

I’ve also already experienced what life in Japan is like. While there are many positive aspects, I often found it lonely, isolating, and emotionally difficult. I struggled to form deep connections, and I’ve become increasingly concerned about growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Japan. Long-term, I’m not sure Japan is where I want to build my future.

I also have concerns about the work culture, relatively low salaries, limited social support, and pension system. In addition, I’m thinking about my future family plans. Realistically, I don’t see myself finding a compatible long-term partner in Japan, as I’m not interested in dating Japanese men or members of the U.S. military community.

Looking back, one of the main reasons I wanted to stay in Japan was to escape the pressure to get married in my home country. Because of that, I don’t think I gave myself enough time to think objectively about what I actually wanted for my future.

Considering everything I’ve mentioned, do you think pursuing a PhD in Japan would still be a good decision, or would it make more sense to explore other options? Has anyone been in a similar situation, or completed a PhD in Japan in a public health-related field?

This is a very important decision for me because I’ve also been viewing it as a potential immigration pathway. I would really appreciate hearing different perspectives and experiences. Thank you in advance for any advice.

I recently graduated from a Japanese university with a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. I returned home after graduation because I was studying on a JICA scholarship and, more importantly, because I didn’t speak Japanese well enough to realistically find a job in Japan.

Before leaving Japan, I decided to apply for a PhD program just to see what would happen. Honestly, I didn’t expect to get accepted, but surprisingly I did. I was awarded a MEXT scholarship for a PhD in Public Health at the Tokyo Institute of Science, and the program is scheduled to start this October.

However, after returning home and starting my first full-time job, I began to reconsider my decision.

The truth is that pursuing a PhD was never my dream. At the time, I mainly saw it as a way to remain in Japan. In reality, I don’t enjoy academia, and I don’t particularly enjoy studying. Because of my diagnosed depression and mental health struggles, I found both my undergraduate and master’s studies extremely challenging. Knowing that a PhD would require four years of intensive research, publishing papers, and constant academic pressure, I worry that it would be emotionally exhausting and unsustainable for me.

At this stage of my life, I feel more motivated to develop practical professional skills, gain work experience, and earn an income so that I can eventually support my parents. I’m also concerned about spending four years on a PhD that doesn’t necessarily lead to strong career opportunities afterward, especially given my lack of Japanese language proficiency.

I might feel differently if this opportunity were in Europe or the United States, where PhD students often receive a salary, have broader networking opportunities, and may have better prospects for finding employment after graduation.

I’ve also already experienced what life in Japan is like. While there are many positive aspects, I often found it lonely, isolating, and emotionally difficult. I struggled to form deep connections, and I’ve become increasingly concerned about growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Japan. Long-term, I’m not sure Japan is where I want to build my future.

I also have concerns about the work culture, relatively low salaries, limited social support, and pension system. In addition, I’m thinking about my future family plans. Realistically, I don’t see myself finding a compatible long-term partner in Japan, as I’m not interested in dating Japanese men or members of the U.S. military community.

Looking back, one of the main reasons I wanted to stay in Japan was to escape the pressure to get married in my home country. Because of that, I don’t think I gave myself enough time to think objectively about what I actually wanted for my future.

Considering everything I’ve mentioned, do you think pursuing a PhD in Japan would still be a good decision, or would it make more sense to explore other options? Has anyone been in a similar situation, or completed a PhD in Japan in a public health-related field?

This is a very important decision for me because I’ve also been viewing it as a potential immigration pathway. I would really appreciate hearing different perspectives and experiences. Thank you in advance for any advice.

F26. I recently came back from my studies abroad back to Tashkent and never felt lonelier in my life. I have people I talk to from time to time but it’s nothing compared to a friend with whom you can chat 24/7 and make spontaneous plans and decisions and support each other. all the friends I had i’ve lost them for some reasons, some live abroad, others are married and busy with their own family, I feel so sad and lonely because I lack close relationships with people but I also don’t know how can I make new friends here. I feel like I’m a loser who’s left behind because all my life never had issues with friends and now I feel like I’m an outsider