A Semester in Review

As my first semester in Japan comes to a close, I have a lot to reflect upon. This experience has felt very long, yet very short at the same time. As I cry goodbye to everyone leaving after one semester, I can’t help but think about all the lost time we have, how recently I felt that our friendship has grown and how much of a waste it feels to cut our time together so short. At the same time, I think back to specific moments over my time here, from orientation to festivals, trips to Universal Studios, my birthday, Thanksgiving, nights out, and so many more memories. These all feel like a lifetime away, so how did it all end so fast?

Either way, I am so incredibly grateful for my time here. The most noticeable change that I have felt in myself has been, of course, my language skill level. Having a previous connection with Japan through family, I came to Japan comfortable enough with Japanese on a conversational level. I never thought, however, that I’d ever be able to give a presentation with data on social issues in front of a class full of people. Needless to say, the 16-hour-per-week Japanese language instruction at Nanzan University has done its job. I feel a whole textbook full of vocabulary and grammar more articulate than at the beginning of this semester. I am so incredibly grateful for my amazing professor Kondo (who wrote the Tobira textbooks!) who so patiently and kindly helped me and my classmates learn the language. I felt how much care she put into her curriculum and also how much she cared about us. If you ever come to Nanzan University and have Kondo Sensei as your professor, you’ll realize quickly how lucky you are!

Another very notable change as a result of this semester has been my outlook on other cultures. Having grown up in the United States, I of course grew up around Western ideology and with a sense of nationalism that was instilled in me subconsciously. I have studied abroad in Spain before, but since Spanish society is also a Western society and therefore relatively similar to my own, the culture shock there did not affect me as much as it had done in Japan. Therefore, I shocked myself with how quickly I judged certain differences in Japan. It took time and extensive critical thinking about why I felt so negatively about certain aspects of Japanese society for me to come to a personal conclusion to, rather than judge and criticize these differences, understand, accept, and respect them instead. There is no way to put this thought process into words, but it was critical to my personal development and I feel proud of the changes it has made in my way of thinking.

Finally, and what has made this semester the most memorable, are the friendships. I cannot believe how lucky I was to have such an amazing group to go through this experience with— and from all over the world! One of my closest friends I made this year is a dorm neighbor, no less, from Berlin. It is safe to say that she was my comfort person throughout this semester, and we were able to learn with each other as well as from each other throughout the months. Along with her were other students from various countries throughout Europe, as well as many students from the United States. Connecting with these students has been such a blessing, and I am grateful for each one of them. Then of course are friendships I made with Japanese students. Given language and cultural barriers, I was nervous upon arrival about how close I could become with any one of them. This was a worry I did not need to have since I now have become close with many, and especially close with one. It felt like befriending anyone from my home country. There are certain qualities to being a person that surpasses any kind of barrier. Sometimes, energies just match. Without thinking, friendships develop. I am sad to have to say goodbye to so many friends that I made this semester, but equally as excited to continue my journey with those who are staying on, like me, until May.

There are no words to describe how much these past few months have impacted me, but I hope that this reflection will give you a bit of an insight into what you may experience on your journey abroad. There is a lot more to look forward to than you’ll ever believe!