Student Blog

Firstly, let’s have a look through how she has tried to fulfill her 4 years in APU.

AUA, Tennis Club, Event MC, RA (Resident Assistant). Homestay program, part-time job, Japanese beauty contest, community exchange program (around left).
It really is a wide variety.

The following is a Q and A with Hemshi.
What did you gain from those experiences?

I learned a lot, and improved a lot as well. New knowledge, new friends, new skills, new confidence. Most of all, I found my goals.

For example, engaging myself in the tennis club and AUA (event circle) gave me the opportunities to make Japanese friends and communicate more. Sometimes, I also had to speak in front of everyone to present my ideas, and as time passed, my confidence went up. I even challenged myself to become an MC and now I’m totally comfortable being a host on stage.

Moreover, being an RA also helped me learn about working manners in Japan while working with experienced friends and office staff. They also showed me how to conduct events from scratch, including planning, budget managing, and so on.

Most importantly, after all, I finally found out what I want to do, which is to revitalize rural areas. I’m thinking of conducting events between local people and international people to generate more interaction so that those areas will be more widely known. Doing this, eventually, the population of rural areas can increase.

What was the most intersting experience of all?

Among all the opportunites I had, having taken part in the homestay program when I was in my first year was what I appreciated most. I was able to have a second family in Japan living in Oita, who always supported me, took me to interesting local places that are not reachable by public transport, and got me delicious food!

Where did you find the information about such activities?

I usually pay attention to the campus terminal because announcements are there regarding local exchange programs and on-campus part-time jobs. Or you can directly find them through the Student Office website. Besides, I also find interesting events and activites through friends and senpais sharing on SNS. Please don’t be shy to ask them directly. And don’t hesitate to share if you find something as well!

To sum up, here are Hemshi’s rules for making the most of your university life:

1. Get out of your comfort zone and experience different things until you find your purpose. After that, get on the journey to achieve your goals. Only then you can enjoy your time and “shape your world.”
2. Keep reaching out to people and deepen your knowledge. Having a wide range of relationships will benefit you a lot in the future. It’s how you can find information and opportunities unexpectedly.
3. Give 100% in everything you do and chances will come to you if you make yourself stand out in a crowd.
4. I personally suggest participating in local exchange events, or taking courses and seminars that offer field trips in APU. It’s free or only costs a low amount of fees, but it’s a good chance to know more about Japanese culture and involve yourself into a community.

I hope you all will be able to discover your passion soon and enjoy it to the fullest. Let’s make our 4 years at university turn out as meaningful as possible!!!

Special thanks to Hemshi for your interesting story!