Student Blog

5 min read

As a student who was admitted through APU's comprehensive admissions process, I am often asked questions such as, "What GPA do I need?" or "What kinds of activities are valued in the admissions process?"

Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with high school students, which made me reflect on my own admissions experience and what may have been evaluated during my application process.

What I'm Glad I Did: Reflecting on My Experiences

When I was in high school, I did not attend a cram school and often worried about my relatively low grades. I remember repeatedly questioning whether I was really capable of going to university. Even so, I challenged myself through studying abroad and various extracurricular activities, believing that these experiences were what helped me gain admission.

However, after several years of university study, I have come to realize that what mattered most was not what experiences I had, but what I learned from them.

Why did I choose to take on a particular challenge? What did I gain from experiences that did not go as planned? How have those experiences influenced who I am today?

At the time, I was not consciously asking myself these questions. Looking back now, I think the fact that I continuously reflected on my experiences may have been one of the most valuable aspects of my application.

Learning from Challenges and Setbacks

As a child, I devoted myself to swimming and piano. After entering high school, however, I found it increasingly difficult to keep up academically. The study habits that had previously worked for me were no longer effective, and my performance began to decline. At the same time, I was no longer achieving the results I had hoped for in my extracurricular activities, and I went through a period of feeling unmotivated.

Concerned about my situation, I decided to join a study abroad program and spent time in Canada during my second year of high school. While things were not going well academically or in my extracurricular pursuits, I continued doing what I could at a sustainable pace.

In the end, my grades did not dramatically improve, nor did I achieve the results I had envisioned in swimming or piano. Yet looking back, those experiences were incredibly meaningful. Because I experienced situations where hard work did not necessarily lead to success, I gained valuable insights that continue to shape me today.
During the admissions process, I focused on explaining the strengths and lessons I had developed through these experiences and articulating why I wanted to study at APU.

Lunch with my Japanese language class classmates and instructor before returning to Japan

Learning Continues Through Reflection

After entering APU, I had countless opportunities to meet students and professors from diverse backgrounds. Through discussions, classroom learning, study abroad experiences, and my work as a student staff member, I regularly found myself expressing my thoughts, listening to others, and reconsidering my perspectives.

Through these experiences, I learned an important lesson: experiences alone do not automatically become learning.
Only when we reflect on our experiences and give meaning to them do they become lessons that guide our future actions. This realization has supported me throughout my university life and continues to shape my personal growth today.
That is why reflection is valuable not only for university admissions, but also for life beyond admission.

What I Wish I Had Done

On the other hand, there is something I wish I had done more of during high school. Rather than focusing on accumulating achievements that look impressive on paper, I wish I had spent more time asking myself:
Why do I find certain topics interesting?
What values are truly important to me?
What kind of questions do I want to keep exploring?

One of the greatest lessons I have gained through university is the importance of finding a field of study that genuinely excites me. When you discover something that you truly enjoy learning about, studying becomes much more meaningful and motivating.

Today, I hope to pursue graduate studies. My desire to continue my education stems from a question that emerged through my experiences at APU: How can educational environments help people develop the ability to accept others and view their own perspectives more objectively?

Through my exchange program in the United Kingdom, my experience as a Teaching Assistant, and many interactions with people from different backgrounds, I came to appreciate the importance of understanding others.

As debates surrounding multicultural coexistence continue around the world, I find myself asking why we need educational approaches that foster mutual understanding, and why we should strive to build societies that respect differences rather than expecting everyone to conform. Exploring these questions may become a lifelong journey for me.

Final Thoughts

The frustration I sometimes felt at APU when confronting my own limitations and lack of confidence ultimately became the motivation to keep moving forward. Asking myself, "What should I do next?" and "How can I improve?" pushed me toward new challenges and personal growth.

Looking back now as a fourth-year student, I realize that what mattered most was not the size of my achievements, but my ability to reflect on what I learned from each experience.

If you are currently preparing for university admissions, you may feel pressure to build an impressive list of accomplishments. However, what I want to tell you is that the value of an experience lies not only in what you did, but in what you learned from it.

I hope this article encourages you to take a moment to reflect on your own experiences and discover the lessons that have shaped who you are today.

Mayumi Nakamura

Hello! My name is Mayumi, and I am a fourth-year student in the College of Asia Pacific Studies. I would like to share the unique features of APU, as well as my experience studying abroad in the UK for a year. I hope my posts can inspire readers who are considering studying at APU or taking on new challenges. Looking forward to connecting with you!