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　　：L・Dさん（留学時：2年生）　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　Spring Sem Classes

I. Communication and Conflict
　　　This course focuses on helping us communicate more effectively in a variety of conflict situations. So far, we studied the variety of conflict styles and in which situation we should use these styles. There are a lot of readings, which isn’t surprising, but other than that, since conflict resolution skills cannot be learned simply by reading about them, we also engage in some exercises, group activities, as well as self-analysis, which will provide us with awareness of the behaviors we display and those of others in conflict situations. Other than reading, we usually have a small quiz from the reading for our homework. This class do not have an exam, but we will have to submit three papers of 4-5 pages. I chose to take this class because it will be helpful in so many ways in the future. Especially living in Japan, I rarely experience effective ways to manage conflict since conflict is seen there as an issue to be avoided. While that was easier, I realized that only using the avoiding style won’t solve any problems, especially when dealing with co-workers. This class gave me a better understanding of my personal conflict style and how to improve it to become a more proficient communicator. I enjoy this class because it is a discussion-based class that helps me learn a new perspective in dealing with conflict while practicing my English speaking at the same time.

II. Group Communication
　　　The purpose of this course is to introduce us to the small group communication process. Through lectures, group projects and presentations, and individual assignments, we will develop an understanding of the small group communication process and learn how to communicate effectively when working in a small group. I took this class to improve my teamwork skills since group communication will definitely come up at some point in our lives. I also consider this to be beneficial for me, as I may start a small business in the future, and the ability to build relationships with the team will be essential for me to be successful. It is mainly a lecture class, but we sometimes go into small groups and do some practice about small group communication. We have a lot of reading for this class too, and a small engagement assignment. For the big projects, We have two exams, one interview paper(we had to interview someone who has done social justice work), and a group project where we have to create a 10-minute podcast about social justice. The challenge I am facing in this class is the group project because as a member of a collectivist culture, I am more used to listening to the group instead of leading it, but my teammates are not communication majors, so even though they come from an individualistic culture, they seldom lead discussions which leads us in being silent. Although I am gradually becoming confident in leading discussions or teamwork, we sometimes struggle with the language barrier and our different values. In spite of this, I know that if I am able to complete the project successfully, it means that I have been able to put into practice what I have learned in class, so I am eager to meet challenges and see my personal growth.

III. Entrepreneurship
　　　This class is a business class. The professor teaches us how to launch a new business venture by analyzing the trends and changes in the world, listening to guest speakers about their experience in running a business, and visiting places. We also have a lot of reading for this class and a small quiz from the book at the beginning of the class. We study best-practice approaches and apply that learning in real-time to feasibility analysis of a business idea we came up with as a group. The class will have one paper and presentation on feasibility and one exam. This class is helping me learn how starting a business works and how to be successful because I am planning to start my own company in the future. This is a three-hour class at night, which can be tiring sometimes, but is my favorite. Just hearing what is trending around the world and others’ thoughts is interesting. Besides teaching me how to start a business, this class also teaches me how to build relationships, the importance of being naive and bold, and how to take risks. Listening to the guest speaker’s stories always leaves me inspired and enlightened not only about business but also about life.

・Discovery in CSB/SJU
　　　The most favorite thing I like here in CSB/SJU is the students’ involvement in the school activities. It is just so cool how people participate in a lot of events and support sports teams. I have heard how college sport is a big thing in the U.S., but I was way crazier than I thought. I have been to the football game in the fall semester where people were packed, which was understandable since it is the most popular sport, but I was surprised that students also go to basketball games and hockey games. I also joined a business event where ten students gave a pitch and competed in their new venture ideas. I thought that there would only be a few students since it is not a sports event, but there were a lot of students who participated in the event. First, I was unsure why people would participate in this event, but after experiencing the event, I understand why people enjoy and participate. The event is successful because they also involve the audience by including some games, and everyone has a strong bond to support their classmates, which I thought was fascinating. I hope BGU students will have this same value and build connections through school events.

・Winter Break
　　　For break, I went to Las Vegas and stayed with my relatives. The atmosphere was so different to Minnesota and there were more diversity. It was way more convenient for me since I am used to walking around instead of driving all the time. The most interesting thing for me was that there were casino and slot machines everywhere. We saw it at the airport and even at the convenience store. I also found it interesting how people dress and interact were different from Minnesota. I’m really grateful to my relatives for allowing me to explore around and discover new things.