YAMAMOTO Leo

College of International Management

Program

Overseas Student Exchange Program

Key Information

Program Location/Partner University	USA, The Georgia Institute of Technology
Year of Participation	August 2019
Program Length	1 year

Experiences Unique to the Host Country

In America, there is an event called Thanksgiving in November. It’s a day where people get together with their families and relatives, appreciate each other, and eat turkey. I really wanted to experience this event, so I asked my friend to invite me to their family’s Thanksgiving. I had the valuable experience of eating a big turkey with my friend’s family (there were a total of 20 relatives!). On that day, most of the students went back to their family’s homes, and I heard from my exchange student friends who stayed at the dormitory that most supermarkets and shops in the city were closed. So, I was glad that I acted on my own and thankful to my friend’s family for allowing me to share that valuable experience with them.

Experiences Unique to the Host University

I wanted to take advantage of the university’s engineering faculty, so I took classes both from the Faculty of Business Administration and from the Faculty of Computer Science. Through programming classes, I was able to acquire basic knowledge of Python and Java. I was also able to have the valuable experience of supporting the Georgia Institute of Technology’s basketball and American football team games from the student stands.

Words of advice/encouragement for students who want to go on exchange in the future.

During the first few months, you may have difficulty adapting to the new environment. However, even if you hit a number of walls, overcoming them will help you develop endurance and gain confidence in yourself. Then, gradually, you will be able to enjoy your student exchange life. Therefore, you shouldn’t give up half way and you should see it through until the end. Let’s take the initiative ourselves! Your time on the student exchange program is limited, and there may be some circumstances that force you to go back home mid-way. In fact, I had to return home early due to COVID-19. Therefore, please do the things you want to do, don’t leave behind any regrets, and enjoy your exchange!