My Study Abroad Experience in the U.S.
Mayuri Kawamuko
Hello! My name is Mayuri, I am a senior majoring in English literature at Aoyama Gakuin University. I studied at Hartwick College in the U.S. for ten months, from August 2022 until May 2023. Hartwick College is located in Oneonta in central New York, U.S.A. Oneonta is an area of great natural beauty and the campus is surrounded by greenery. The college is small, with an average class size of 15 students, and offers a personalized education. This is also the reason I decided to study at Hartwick College. Before studying abroad, I was not that confident in my English ability and my TOEIC score was about 700. While I was worried about my English ability, I wanted to study abroad in an at-home environment where I could be close to professors and students. I hope this report will encourage those who are not sure about studying abroad.
What I studied at Hartwick College
At Hartwick College, I took a variety of classes regardless of my major. Originally, Hartwick College was a liberal arts college, and I was able to choose classes that interested me without being restricted to my major. Hence, I studied American and British literature, political science, sociology, and theater there. What I found particularly interesting were the political science and sociology classes. In the political science class, we learned about how the American electoral system works, its problems, political factions, and social issues. Until that class, I was not that familiar with Japanese politics. But as I learned more about American politics, I became more interested in Japanese politics as well. I also learned that there are significant differences between the two, and it was interesting to compare them and think about which is better in what ways, etc. In my sociology class, we studied race and ethnicity in the United States. Being born and raised in Japan, where the majority of the population is Japanese, I wondered why racial discrimination occurs in the U.S., a multi-racial country, and what is at the root of such discrimination. I learned that the remnants of slavery and white privilege still persist in America, and furthermore, racial hierarchies continue to be socially constructed. I had never experienced or witnessed racial discrimination, so some of the content was shocking to me, but it was a very good experience for me to learn about racial issues in America, a melting pot of races.
What I learned through studying abroad
I believe that the ability I have acquired most through my study abroad experience is the spirit of challenge. During my stay there, I tried many things. One of them was my participation as an actor in a play sponsored by the university's art department. When I saw a friend of mine participating in a play last semester, she looked radiant as she performed in front of the audience, and I wanted to be like her, so I joined the play. However, I had no previous theater experience and was worried that my poor acting would cause problems for the other actors. When I talked to the director and my friends, they told me that it did not matter whether I had acting experience or not, and that it was important to stand on stage with an open mind, and this relieved my anxiety. From then on, rather than worrying, I tried to stand on stage with confidence and dignity, and I practiced my lines many times to polish my performance. As a result, I was able to perform confidently without making any mistakes and received praise from many people, including my friends and professors.
Message to those who are considering studying abroad
Choosing to study abroad during one's college career is never easy. One must make many preparations to study abroad, including English language skills, funds, and a long period of precious college life. Furthermore, even after you start studying abroad, you often suffer from not being able to speak English as well as you would like or not being able to make friends. However, I still believe that there are many advantages to studying abroad during your university years.They can be divided into three main categories. One is English proficiency. At first, my English was not good enough, and I often had difficulty communicating. But, I gradually became able to speak English and had opportunities to interact with many people. In addition, my high level of English ability was often valued in my job hunting activities. Second, I was able to learn about various different cultures. I learned how things are different from Japan from various perspectives, such as politics, society, and religion, which broadened my horizons. And the third is to meet people. I was blessed with many friends, professors, and other people throughout my study abroad experience, and thanks to them I was able to enjoy a fulfilling life there. They taught me a lot, were always there for me when I had a hard time, and supported me through my challenges. In this way, there are many experiences that can only be gained from studying abroad. If you are not sure whether you want to study abroad or not, I strongly recommend you to do so.