Student Blog

I presented on the first day. While the opportunity to present came through my seminar, I was honestly quite nervous about presenting because I still felt so inexperienced. It took courage to stand on the podium, fully aware that I still had so much more to learn and work on. However, it was precisely because I rose to this challenge that I gained something invaluable.

What I gained was the experience of putting my research into a concrete form and struggling to articulate my ideas under pressure, all within less than a year after starting my seminar. As an undergraduate, I truly realized my lack of experience, but at the same time, I believe it was a remarkable achievement.

Furthermore, as a third-year student, attending the presentations by fourth-year students, graduate students, and supervising professors was highly motivating. It gave me a clear sense of the level I need to strive for in the future. The most significant benefit, however, was receiving direct feedback from people I usually wouldn't interact with. For instance, a senior student from the same seminar who has since advanced to graduate school provided excellent insights into what I should revise and the progress I need to make to prepare for graduate school entrance exams.

Of course, there were moments where I felt overwhelmed, but this was outweighed by the strong realization that the preparation process itself holds immense value. I also learned that it's only when you put your research out into the world that you truly see its hidden potential and the issues that need to be addressed.

The feedback I received at the AP Conference helped to sharpen my focus and renew my commitment to my research, which was evident in my presentation at the subsequent Seminar Conference.