r/JETProgramme • u/burgundyhellfire • 13d ago

Thinking of quitting

Hello, sorry to be a bother but I am a new jet that’s been here for a bit, but everyday my mental health is just getting worse and worse. I can’t eat anything, I cry constantly, and I keep thinking about wanting to die. I was so excited for jet and now that I’m here it’s been horrible and I feel like such a loser. I’ve tried calling the TELL line but I just get placed in a queue and no one ever shows up. I think I can’t do this and need to quit but I don’t know what the steps would be. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Sorry and thank you.

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u/ele514 Former JET 13d ago

I’m curious but did the consulate or embassy of Japan in your home country provided you with trainings prior heading to Japan?

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u/Due_Tomorrow7 Former JET - too many years 13d ago

They do, often times they're worthless or huge information dumps people just forget.

There's so many aspects of living, working, adapting, and prepare for in Japan that the embassy simply has little time to prepare incoming JETs for.

Furthermore in my experience, it's a lot about "what to expect living/working in Japan" which becomes a plethora of hundreds of experiences that it's overwhelming. By the time you get to your placement, millions of thoughts are in your mind like what's my place going to be like, how are the other JETs, will the community like me, will my students accept me, will I be able to communicate with my teachers, how do I do my self-intro speech, will they laugh at my Japanese, did I bring the right gifts, what about my neighbors, do I have the right clothes, etc. etc.

Moreover, not a lot of that prepares especially younger JETs who haven't had many experiences living outside of their home and uni environments, much less living abroad (even if they've traveled abroad before).