国際交流センター

留学先　　　　：College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University　　　　
学部・学科　　：外国語学部　英語コミュニケーション学科　国際ビジネスコミュニケーション専攻　　　　　
留学期間　　　：2021年8月31日～2022年5月10日　　　　　　　　　　　
氏名・学年　　：N・Dさん（留学時：3年生）　　　　

My First Month at CSB/SJU

1. Motivation for participation
I have grown up in an English-speaking environment since I was a child, and there have been many times when people around me have told me that I don’t need to study English anymore. However, there are times when I cannot communicate smoothly or convey what I want to say well, and although people around me think I can do it, I think I lack in many areas of my ability. For this reason, I decided to participate in the program because I wanted to improve my English and communication skills by studying abroad. Additionally, I also wanted to broaden my horizons by experiencing various cultures and values and grow into a person who can play an active role in a globalized society.

2. Goals
– Actively participate in classes and events
Speak out in classes and join event/activities as long as I can
– Do not rely on others
Try not to rely on people who speaks Japanese. If possible, make friends that are not studying Japanese or who are not from Japan.
Make the first move and don’t wait for other people to do something.
– Be spontaneous
Try anything that I will usually avoid and overcome the negativities. Be interested and open-minded.
– Experience a lot that can’t be done in Japan

3. Daily Life
I have only been studying abroad for two months, but my friends are have helped me experience many things, so I make good use of my free time, after school and on weekends. They have invited me to do activities that I can do on campus, take me downtown, and to the mall to visit stores and restaurants that are only available in the United States. While I am having a great time, I often find it hard to balance the funs with my studies. In the U.S., unlike in Japan, people don’t often go out to play after school. Most students spend their weekdays studying or doing extracurricular activities. Therefore, some students study in the library until late at night or do group study. Since they spend most of their time studying during the weekdays, everyone makes a lot of noise on the weekends. On Fridays and Saturdays, they have parties in their rooms, go to bars, and so on. When I come out of my room late at night, I can hear music and noise coming from all over the place. However, by Sunday, the noise is gone, and everyone has switched to studying. It took me time to get used to the long hours of study on weekdays because it was completely different from the life I had been leading. It was hard for me to concentrate, and I found myself running away from my studies by touching my cell phone or watching movies. However, since I have a lot of reading and writing assignments every day, I got used to facing my desk for long periods, and I learned to balance studying with having fun.
Also, since we live in a dormitory, we share showers, toilets, laundry machines, kitchens, and more. It is difficult to use the same space with more than 20 people. I have experienced many difficulties in dorm life, such as toilets not being flushed, other people using the laundry machines when they are not supposed to, and the garbage being left unattended. There are many things that I hate about living in a dorm, but at the same time, I love that the people who live in the same building are very kind and even if you have never talked to them before, they will greet you and give you small talk, which makes you realize how friendly Americans are. There are new experiences and discoveries every day, and I am excited to know what is waiting for me.

4. Classes
I am taking four classes in the Fall Semester: Intercultural Communication, Intro to Film Studies, Public Speaking, and English Reading, and most of the classes are discussion-based. Therefore, I can’t participate unless I’ve done the assigned reading, so prep before class is an absolute must. However, even if I have done the readings, there are still times when I have a hard time participating in the discussion, so I often feel depressed. However, my classmates will help me by talking and explaining things to me, so I am never left behind. During discussions, I used to feel embarrassed by thinking I might give a wrong answer. However, after taking classes, I learned that I can share my opinions without fear because everyone shows interest in what I am saying.
In the past two months, I have realized the importance of preparation, review, and proactivity. Preparation and review help to keep up with the content of the class, and no matter what I say, everyone will be interested in it without looking at me strangely. Realizing all of these helped me enjoy the classes more than ever.

5. Accomplishments/Reflection
– Being active in discussions at class: There are times that I can’t say anything, but I would say that I am more active and open in sharing my opinions compared to before I came to the U.S.
– Making the first move: Making friends, asking questions, helping others, and so on. I think I have been less shy and trying to talk to other, which lead me to making friends and meeting new people.
While I have grown in aspects that I have been working on, there is still a lot of time where I can’t make a move and stand or sit there like a statue. Since all three students from BGU have the same schedule, I felt too comfortable staying together and was not being social enough even if I had made new friends. I want to keep a distance from Japanese students and be more social.

6. Memory
This is a picture with my friends at a Thursday night. This was in Gorecki Fireside, which is in CSB. We were working on a project for a class; Intercultural Communication. We talked about differences between Japan and the U.S.