Small Thing Number One: Google Search and YouTube!

If you are reading this, then you have already started this small thing. Basically all you need to do is look up some stuff on the interwebs. Look up blogs about going to Japan (like this one), videos about going to Japan, videos about Japan in general, and flights. Why flights, you ask? This gives you an idea of what you are looking at for length of flight, from where to where, and cost. For me, there happens to be a direct flight from my local airport to Narita International Airport for a round trip cost of $800-1400. Prices will change around of course but this at least gives me a ballpark for how much the flights are going to cost.

So I'm nerdy and like math so here goes some thinking for the cost of flights and how to pay for them. If you are young like me you probably have a job similar to mine and flights pretty similar to these so these calculations should be approximately what you have to work with. Therefore, you don't need to do this math and can just ballpark it off mine :D

I work 11 hours a week and after taxes I get to keep about $8.50 an hour, so that's $93.50 per week. Given this it would take me 2-3 months to make enough to pay for the flights. To help take this time down I can always pick up extra shifts, which often become available around midterms and finals. However, I'm a student too so if I want those extra shifts I have to make sure I have studied enough that I can spend those extra hours not studying. You can also pick up odd jobs like pet sitting, house sitting, farm sitting (requires some skill but it pays well), baby sitting (so much sitting), yard work, or any other odd job that works with your schedule.Make a spreadsheet to keep track of these extra earnings and you will be amazed at how much you can get.

Anyway, enough of me rambling! Here are a collection of things I found helpful that don't require you to move!

FLIGHTS
https://www.google.com/flights/

WEBSITES
This blog :D
http://thegoldendiamonds.com/things-to-know-before-you-travel-to-japan/
https://www.tofugu.com/japan/fat-in-japan/ (I'm chubby so I wanted to look into this and this guy has a really nice perspective and story)
http://ojiyashi.wixsite.com/ojiyastudyabroad/about (this is an exchange program and it also has a lot of information on the website)

VIDEOS
https://youtu.be/HYMBkrxeVvY - 10 Things You Shouldn't Do In Japan
https://youtu.be/piBJcLjGCmw - 15 Facts About Japan That Will Blow Your Mind
https://youtu.be/jI3i0Q-jgo4 - A day in the life of an exchange student in Japan
https://youtu.be/TkEo7obD5lc - Top 5 Exchange Student Problems
https://youtu.be/g_RM8To5mjU - How to speak fluent Japanese without saying a word PART 2 (this is silly but possibly useful to some extent)
Japanese YouTubers are also pretty fun to watch. Just gets you kinda familiar.

I like YouTube. Can you tell? XD