Student Blog

For the Day All Students Can Come to Campus

APU – our beloved university. Especially to the fourth-year undergraduates out there, you must be feeling melancholy when you realize you’re about to leave this place. Today’s article is going to be a checklist for, not only the last-year students, but for all students out there who are looking forward to graduating APU with no regrets. We hope this article helps members of the APU family unable to enter Japan keep their spirits up and make them excited about the day they will make it to campus.

Here are 8 things you should do at APU in addition to your required studies before you graduate:

1. Attend at least one AP language class

We all learn English and Japanese at APU, but those are not the only languages APU offers. Enjoy studying Chinese, Korean, Malay/Indonesian, Spanish, Thai, or Vietnamese at APU and grow to become an even more globalized citizen! Not only will it aid you during job-hunting season, you’ll see that it’s actually very easy and fun to study the basics of a language., Not to mention, all of the teachers are so lovely. If you haven’t already, sign yourself up for an AP language class next semester!

2.Participate in a Multicultural Week

Multicultural Weeks are an APU pastime indeed. Watching them is fun, but have you ever tried joining one? You don’t have to stand on stage as an actor or a dancer; you can join as a photographer, a copywriter, logistics manager, etc. Each Multicultural Week has its own list of recruitment where you can find something to suit your interests and talents. You’ll be able to feel a sense of teamwork as well as a shared pride of being part of something so big. Bonus points if you join a Week that is not of your own country! Hopefully, the COVID-19 pandemic will end soon so that we can enjoy Multicultural Weeks to the fullest!

3.Join a local exchange event

APU always tries to help students interact with the local residents of Beppu and Oita as much as possible. They have so many types of exchange events available; there is everything from cultural performances to teaching English to children, from local homestay programs to farming, and so on. Even during this COVID-19 pandemic, both communities are still reaching out to each other virtually. Check the Student Office website now to know about the latest local exchange opportunity!

4. Try everything in the APU Cafeteria

Okay, admittedly, this is not for everyone. But if you don’t have any dietary restrictions and you enjoy food as much as I do, this is definitely one to put on your bucket list. The APU Cafeteria offers such a wide variety of dishes at such a cheap price, it would be a shame if you didn’t try all of them. They are constantly updating their menu for the better, as well, so come visit the APU Cafeteria and check it out!

5. Pet a cat

You have seen them on campus. If we need to choose a mascot for APU, I think a cat is the most suitable animal. APU cats don’t do harm to anyone, but they aren’t always fond of people either. You are already lucky if you can spot them, but if you can pet a cat at APU, it’s a major achievement! (However, do not try to feed them. Only APU-approved volunteer members take care of the cats, including feeding them, according to a set of rules).

6. Climb up to Beppu-wan through the stairway behind APU

Did you know that there is a staircase near the B-II building that leads up to the rest-stop Beppu-wan? Just the climb in itself is an experience you need to have, but there are so many things to explore at Beppu-wan too. Try the highly recommended soft-serve ice cream, take a picture at the heart-shaped sculpture, or get a breathtaking view of Beppu as the sun sets.

7. Have a picnic or watch the night sky on the soccer field

When unused, the soccer field is just a beautiful field of grass where we can have fun with our friends. On sunny days, bring a picnic mat and enjoy your lunch with friends there. Or, if you are staying late or live at AP House, you can come at night to lay down and enjoy the view of the stars. Yes, APU can be just as romantic as any venue.

8. Take more pictures

You are not an avid APU student unless you have taken pictures of yourself at all of these iconic places: in front of the fountain, with the Wave or the clock towers as a background, at the road below Wave, the grass field next to the library, the staircase in the middle of F building, the bridge in-between APU and AP House, the basketball court behind AP House 2, and the most recent addition, the bus terminal Tokimachiba. Make a date with your friends now to take photos for your personal yearbook. You will surely miss it once you graduate.

And there we have it! Those were my 8 things to do at APU before you graduate. This was only a short list of things you can do only at APU based on my personal opinion. What about you? What do you want to do at APU before you graduate? Also, do you want to read more about what you should do at Beppu or Japan before you graduate? Let us know by sharing this article on your social media! Thank you for reading and see you in our next article!

PHAM Van Khanh

My favorite part of being a member of SPA is interacting with students and professors whom I normally wouldn't talk to and listening to their interesting life stories. If you have an interesting story at APU, you can always tell me.