My first semester is coming to an end here in Japan, and between freaking out about final exams and wondering where the time went (I’ve checked under the bed; wasn’t there) I have been thinking about exactly how my days have gone by.
My school days weren’t massively different from the ones back home at Western Michigan University. I crawl out of bed in the morning and engage in surfing the internet before my doorbell rings. I hastily throw my clothes on and my papers in my bag before joining my friend, Melanie (from Germany) in our walk to the train station. The train station is very close to the foreign exchange student housing, and it passes right by a variety of shops, making living on a college student’s wallet easier.
One train and bus ride later, we’ll be on campus. The Daito Bunka University campus reminds me a lot of Western’s; a lot of greenery, very hilly, with big, beautiful brown buildings. A cheap breakfast is usually bought and scarfed down, while Melanie scolds me for neglecting to do my homework. I have a tendency to do my homework right before class begins, but that’s another story.
My class consists of six people, all of us foreign exchange students. Two Americans, two Germans, one Australian, and one Italian. We all speak English so communicating is never a problem. All of our classes are some form of Japanese grammar, be it writing essays or studying kanji (Chinese characters) or reading about various bits of Japanese culture. Our teachers are also all Japanese, and the classes are conducted as such. Most of our teachers know a smattering of English, though, for the times when we’re really stuck. I found that classes are pretty much the same here as in America. There are some you absolutely love because of the wealth of knowledge you attain, while others are better left not being spoken of.
What is very different is how the students dress here. At Western, it’s the norm to just throw on sweats or anything warm and comfortable. Here, the Japanese students are always dressed to the nines, hardly ever not looking like something out of a fashion magazine. Melanie and I had a fun time one day counting all the girls who actually wore pants. We were surprised when we reached the double digits. Most girls also wear heels and have their hair done up. It makes me with my Homestuck hoodie, jeans, and tennis shoes feel very… plebian. I am reminded very much of how uncultured and American I am; a constant joke amongst my friends.
When classes are done, there’s usually a rush to get to the buses before the line becomes obnoxiously long. The reason they are obnoxiously long is because the university only uses around four or five of its ten buses. The ones that aren’t in use just sit there in the parking lot, taunting me. It becomes dark quickly in Japan, so there isn’t much to be done during the evenings. On weekends or days when we’re done with class early, sometimes Melanie and I will go window shopping at a mall nearby. Other times, a large group of us foreigners, along with a few Japanese friends we’ve made, will arrange a trip to somewhere new to visit. Past trips include the Ueno Zoo, Kyoto, the Kawagoe festival, and future trips will be involving a bus tour to Mt. Fuji!
Keeping myself busy, I believe, is the easiest way to avoid my boredom-induced depression and homesickness. While I do miss my loved ones back home, I have a lot of new friends here, and a lot of wonderful things to see and do yet. Our winter/spring break will be starting shortly and school will resume in April. With luck, my friends and I will pass our placement tests and be put in regular classes with other Japanese students. A slightly nervous prospect, but certainly exciting.
Editor: Samantha Sandler