The 3-year limit is not a hard limit. It is common to have an extension. It may also depend on the department. Most foreign students drop after 3 years due to a lack of funding.
Compared to the research culture in the UK/US, I think Japan is much better. Yes, you may be forced to overwork and sleep at the lab, but the guidance and supervision are good.
The only thing I hated was that COVID hit right before the graduation ceremony. All we had was an online ceremony.
Yeah, it is definitely a harder limit for international students for the reason you stated (but this article is geared towards foreigners after all).
What field were you in? I am surprised to hear that you think Japan's lab culture is much better than the US. I do think it varies a lot by lab, but overall the internal collaboration and guidance (if not from the PI, from senior members) was much better in American labs than in Japanese labs in my experience.
kimurakaera · · focus · HN ↗
The 3-year limit is not a hard limit. It is common to have an extension. It may also depend on the department. Most foreign students drop after 3 years due to a lack of funding.
Compared to the research culture in the UK/US, I think Japan is much better. Yes, you may be forced to overwork and sleep at the lab, but the guidance and supervision are good.
The only thing I hated was that COVID hit right before the graduation ceremony. All we had was an online ceremony.
mcyc · · focus · HN ↗
What field were you in? I am surprised to hear that you think Japan's lab culture is much better than the US. I do think it varies a lot by lab, but overall the internal collaboration and guidance (if not from the PI, from senior members) was much better in American labs than in Japanese labs in my experience.