I first met Haruka when she came to the boot camp fitness class I was going to last year. Nothing bonds two people like the pain of one too many lunges! We became fast friends and I quickly learned how funny, smart, and caring she is. In this interview, I asked Haruka some questions about her experiences at U of T as an international student, as well as about her future career prospects.
Program: Mathematics and Statistics Major, East Asian Studies Minor
Year of Study: 3rd
College: University College
1. Since you’re originally from Japan, how did you decide to come to U of T?
I got interested in studying abroad after I went to a summer program at Oxford University (UK) when I was in my first year in high school. It was a very short program, but very tough as well. Since I was from a very rural area in Japan, I never had anyone as a rival when it came to speaking English. But the summer at Oxford made me realize how little I could do with my English, and made me want to become better at having a good discussion with anyone from the world from an equal position. I was never interested in studying in the states, so it automatically narrowed down the options of where I wanted to study to either the UK or Canada. My school trip to Vancouver convinced me to study in Canada, and ultimately led me to U of T.
2. The transition from high school to college is a very difficult one for anyone, but the transition to a new country adds to these challenges. Could you talk a bit about your experience with these changes, and how your first year of university went?
My first year of university went pretty badly. I knew that my English wouldn’t be good enough and that I would have a hard time studying, but first year studies also challenged me on what I truly love to do. Before coming to university, my dream was to study Biology and become an astronaut. However, I couldn’t enjoy studying bio at all. Even having the bio textbook in front of me for two hours gave me a headache. That’s when I started to think that maybe I didn’t actually like bio as much as I had originally thought. But my love for bio was all I brought from Japan. I always thought that I loved bio and that it was my strength. But my experiences and reality were telling me otherwise. So I had a very tough time trying to figure out what I truly love outside of biology, the subject that I had always thought I loved. I eventually figured out that it was math!
3. Many students at U of T are international students, and get to experience the different culture that Canada has to offer. What are some of the differences that you have noticed between Japan and Canada?
Tipping at restaurants. Learning how much to tip was difficult concept to grasp because we don’t have the same tipping culture back home in Japan. But also, one of the biggest things that convinced me to study in Canada through the school trip, was that I never felt like a foreigner during the whole trip. I had been to few other places than Canada before that trip, but I always felt like a foreigner (not necessarily in a negative way) in those countries. But I guess because Canada is a “mosaic country”, I didn’t feel like an outsider. That was a surprising and comforting feeling.
4. As students, it can be difficult to invest so much time and energy into studying when the outcome of our future seem so distant. Being as you recently had some amazing success in applying your knowledge to a future career, could you talk a bit about the application process for your current internship?
I participated in a huge job fair in Boston and went to almost all of the campus recruiting that happened before that. I got a position in data analytics. It is a division where you look at tons of numbers and seek any patterns or decide which numbers are relevant/irrelevant. I had the first and the second interview on the same day, and the final one the next day. The first interview was a group discussion, and we were given a specific case to solve as a team. After the second interview, I was told that I would have the final one, but they never told me exactly when that was happening, if it was going to be during the job fair or at a later time. Since I didn’t like the feelings of uncertainty I was experiencing, I went to the company’s booth the next day, and asked when my final interview was booked. They told me that they hadn’t scheduled it yet, but the 11:30 interview slot was free, so I asked them to sign me up. Though I had to leave the place by 12:00 to catch my plane, I knew that I would prefer to do the interview sooner rather than later. After the 30 minute interview, the interviewer took me out of the room and asked me to do some paper work. That’s when I knew that I got the position. And, I didn’t miss my plane either.
5. It can be nerve-wracking to think about our futures as we move closer and closer to graduation. What would you suggest other students do to increase their likelihood of future success upon graduation?
Know what “success” means to you. Is it the money? The high societal position? The fame? Do you want to be happy if you succeed in the future? Will you be truly happy with the “success” you go after? Ask those questions to yourself, and don’t stop asking them.
6. We’re coming to the end of the semester, which means papers and assignments, and of course STRESS! What is something that you do that helps you to de-stress when exam season hits and the stress really starts to kick in?
Tell the people that I treasure, that I love them. Or even better, talk to them. You don’t necessarily have to use money or time to destress. You just have to know the right way for yourself. Mine is just making sure that the ones that I love know that I love them.
7. If you could offer students at U o f T one piece of advice for their remaining time in university, what would you say?
Enjoy it! I believe that someone who can enjoy even the hardest times in their life will make the most out of their life, and if you can appreciate everything that you have, you can enjoy the bitterness as well.
8. What has been one of your favorite memories or experiences you have had since living in Toronto?
Encountering people that I can proudly say I love.
There you have it folks: love and positivity keeps this girl grounded. Keep this in mind the next time you’re under stress!