Study Abroad ExperiencesSTUDY ABROAD

List of Partner Institutions Events with Partner Institutions Preparing for Study Abroad

Northern Arizona University / Mareyu Suekane(from August in 2021 to May in 2022)

Dining with international students

I studied Sociology, Ethnic Studies, Communication Studies and English Literature at Northern Arizona University. Each class was full of new discoveries for me, and I was able to deepen my thoughts and find connections between the contents of each class, and "having a multifaceted perspective" was clearly systematized in me. The most enlightening aspect was the idea of double-consciousness, define d by the American sociologist Du Bois about a hundred years ago. This refers to the fact that during the time when black people were enslaved, black people judged their values based on how white people viewed them. The word "slavery" evokes images of inhumane and brutal acts committed by those in power, but the focus of this idea is not on such acts, but on the oppressed black people and how they perceived themselves, and this gave me a new perspective I had never had before. If we apply this double-consciousness, or "seeing ourselves through the eyes of others," to today's society where SNS have become widely spread, I am sure that everyone, including myself, has experienced this at least once. I believe one of the reasons I was able to find the links between each class, as I mentioned earlier, was that I was conscious of the fact that what I learned in class did not end there and then, but deepened as I related them to various things. In addition, living on the campus during my study abroad period gave me more time than I had expected to allocate my time to assignments, think about classes, and interact with people, and the university community made up almost all my personal time. This was a valuable time for me, as I think being able to fully concentrate on my studies without being interrupted by anything is something I don't get to experience very often in Japan. Dear all high school students, it is very impressive to take action to realize who you want to be, whether it is studying abroad or taking an entrance exam, and it will give you confidence. However, in the process, there will be times when things do not go as you wish or when you find yourself comparing yourself with others. At those times, you need to respect the values that you have for yourself. It is okay to pause or waver along the way. But in the end, you should always look forward and start walking at your own pace. I believe that many good things are waiting for you. (Enrolled in 2019)

*as of the time of this interview

Moravian College／Makiko Meguro(from August in 2019 to April in 2020)

Trip to New York City with local students

The days I spent in Moravian College were meaningful to me as I could study what I wanted to study and I could improve myself. I’ve been interested in the food bank system since I was a teenager and I wanted to study it during my undergraduate years. I also wanted to do research to figure out why food banks are not popular in Japan and how to get them popular , so I decided to take humanities classes in GLAP and take science classes at Moravian. I majored in Environmental Studies at Moravian College and took lasses such as environmental economics and public health, that I was able to have chances to think about the fundamental problems of poverty and disparities around the world. I also learned how local governments or communities work to reduce these disparities or contribute to society in these classes. It was interesting that I could get a new insight into what I didn’t know . Living in a country that I didn't know well was harder than I had expected. There were some unexpected events when I traveled with my friends or traveled alone. For me, who lived with my family until I came to Moravian, it was the first time to do everything myself. I think I learned how to deal with what　happened to me or overcome the situations, and I realized that what I took for granted was not the norm. Also, I w as able t o experience the difficulty of sharing my opinions and thoughts with friends from different cultures, and the joy when I made myself understood. Through what I learned during my study abroad, I was able to set the goal of getting a job that can contribute to the administrations and the communities as well as improve my problem-solving skills. After graduating, I will start working at a consulting firm where I can do both.（Graduated March 2022）

*as of the time of this interview

Wittenberg University / Arisa Kayano (from August in 2018 to May in 2019)

During the past year, I studied abroad in Wittenberg University which is located in Springfield, Ohio. I would like to work in the field of International Relations with many foreign connections. Because of this, studying abroad in a foreign country has always been my dream as it allows me to broaden my knowledg e of the world and explore different cultures. My attitudes towards studying has drastically changed due to the different structures with classes. All of my classes were discussion-based with a small number of students in each class. Some of the courses that I took included war, politics, gender and cultural anthropology. There were many assignments throughout the year which comprised of readings and essays. It was difficult in the beginning to keep up with the contents of the course. However, I quickly became used to this method of learning as my understanding of the English language improved. By the second semester, I was able to write essays and speak like a native speaker.

In addition, I came to realize the importance of analyzing things from an objective perspective through various opinions. I was exposed to many societal and gender issues that people are facing daily at a much deeper level than I thought; my gender and poverty class opened my mind to many of these ideas.

If I want to work in the field of International Relations, I should better understand these issues. Outside of my academics, I participated in various clubs and activities that I’ve never done before; we produced a student directed dance concert, I ta ught Asian cultures and languages at a junior high school, and organized events to expand Japanese culture in the University.

My study abroad experience allowed me to find my future pathway as I gained more confidence in myself through curiosity and involvement in these activities. And at the same time, I met wonderful friends and made precious memories, and despite the distance we still feel the cross-cultural connection.

Jacksonville University / Study Abroad Experience, Yuna Takahashi (from August in 2018 to May in 2019)

I studied abroad at Jacksonville University . From the wide variety of study areas available, I chose classes on the theme of sustainability in order to pursue my interest in “food loss.” I gained knowledge connected with the natural environment at the same time as learning about familiar environmental problems through discussion in small class groups of around 15-20 students. The classes gave me an opportunity to think
about Japan from the outside. I particularly remember studying the huge impact that Japan's immense bluefin tuna catch has on the global environment. It made me aware for the first time that something I had always eaten unthinkingly in Japan was actually viewed as a major problem internationally. Through repeated class discussion of issues with no right answers, I encountered opinions different from my own, delved further into them, and found my anxiety about expressing myself diminishing.