Student Blog

4min read

¡Hola!　Nice to meet you! I’m Miyabi, an APS 2nd year from Ibaraki who loves Spanish. This time, I want to explain to you my reason for entering APU as well as the many unique charms of APU I found through challenging myself and how to take advantage of them.

What do you need for fulfilling language practice?

As I had always had interest in the Spanish-speaking world, I wanted to go to a college where I knew I would be able to intensely study Spanish. By the way, do you know about APU’s AP languages? A rarity among universities in Japan, APU offers Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Malay/Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Thai as minor language courses 4 times a week in levels I through IV. Instruction is in English and APU also provides Overseas Exchange and AP language immersion, making it an environment in which you can fully study language as well as your area of study. Moreover, there are many students and professors who speak the AP languages as natives, allowing countless opportunities to hone your language skills. For this rich environment, I decided on APU.

Actually, this September I will be going on a 1-year overseas exchange to Spain. I am coming ever closer to the university life I had envisioned. Everyone, if there is a language you have even a little interest in, I recommend you challenge yourself to try it! Your world will open up!

Taking on challenges

Next, my various activities during my first year as well as my time living at on-campus international student housing, AP House, gave me more opportunities for my future. I spent my first year pledging, “I do not want to have any regrets, so anything and everything I am interested in I will give a go!” as one of my university goals. For example, I joined clubs and circles, joined student groups like ASA (APU Student Ambassador), participated in APU off-campus programs such as FIRST and GLAD, and joined in AP House events as both a volunteer and a participant. In particular, I was able to lead a fulfilling life as a resident on campus as I attended almost every event that the Resident Assistants planned for us.

In one house event, we learned dances from different countries！

Also, starting this spring, I will be involved in BEGIN, a program for high school students, and contribute to APU gram, an Instagram account for prospective students. I will also be a RA at AP House 4, where exchange students and graduate students live as well as a TA (Teaching Assistant) for 1st-year compulsory classes. I will also participate in Cultural Weeks, an activity unique to APU that showcases the culture of the students’ countries of origin.

This is a picture of the RA inauguration ceremony. We took a commemorative photo with the three of us who were on the same floor at AP House. (Left) Me, wearing a Chinese dress. (Middle) A Vietnamese friend in a Japanese yukata. (Right) A Japanese friend in Indonesian costume

The environment has everything you need ! What then?

All of APU’s various groups are very enticing, but if you can’t decide or make excuses why you can’t join, you’ll lose your chance before you know it. Therefore, I would like to write down the attitude to have. Of course, this is my story, so please feel free to ask other seniors as well! I would be happy if it is of any use to you.

1. As long as my capacity allows, have the spirit of "let's try it first"
   →It is up to you to make the best of this environment and its opportunities! I am aiming to broaden my horizons while I am a student!
2. Join interesting activities
   →House events, Multicultural Weeks, various seminars, anything is possible if you get involved. If you are proactive, friends, experiences, and learning will multiply!
3. Actively use office hours as well as office and student group consultation booths
   →When it comes to your career path or your time spent as a student, you should look for perspectives outside yourself. There are many kind and willing people to consult with you about the fields you are interested in after graduating from APU, what you can do while at APU, what you can learn in seminars, whether there are organizations or projects inside or outside the university that relate to what you want to do, and what is the latest information about that field. You can talk about anything! Also, I think it is a privilege of university students to have many opportunities to talk with teachers and people who have experienced various occupations. My goal this year is to go talk to the president!
4. Talk with highly motivated people
   →You will find motivation by listening to international students who decided to study in a foreign country, students who created groups, students who have a clear purpose at APU, students who are always challenging themselves, and even lecturers outside of APU.

At APU, where you can learn flexibly and have a supportive environment, when you start doing what you want to do, I believe the possibilities are endless. I still have a lot of things I want to improve, but I think it might be a good idea to stretch your imagination about what kind of student life you want to lead, or should lead, so that you don't pass up opportunities.

Miyabi Imase

!Hola¡ My name is Miyabi and my hobby is challening myself at anything! I am also interested in the Spanish-speaking world and the field of education! Through SPA, I would like to convey not only the charm of the unique life at APU, but also the study abroad program in Spain starting in the fall of 2023! !