Name: Josephine Ganebo Skantz Age: 23 From: Stockholm, Sweden Degree: Sociology
This week one of our writers, Linn, met with Josephine and they got chatting about her exchange year in Japan. Here’s the stories she had to tell HCAU!
Have you ever thought about studying abroad or going on an exchange year? Surely, being part of a university which offers Erasmus, as well as other options for going abroad as part of your studies, ensures that the answer to that is yes! Josephine is currently in Akita, Japan, on her exchange year and we were lucky enough to interview her about her experiences; all from language barriers to bug bites! You may recognise her from on stage, if you went to any of Aberdeen University’s Comedy Society events last year, and if you didn’t – make sure you don’t miss it when she comes back in the autumn!
HC: First off, what made you decide you wanted to study sociology at AU? JGS: I was originally a psychology major, and I took sociology as an extra. I enjoyed the sociology course so much that I decided to change my major during my second year.
HC: What made you want to go on an exchange year in Japan? JGS: I studied North-east Asian Studies at another university for a year before I came to AU, from that university I made friends with a lot of Japanese exchange students. I also went to Japan on holiday when I was twenty and I did Japanese martial arts as a teenager, so it was a combination of previous interest and having the opportunity to live closer to some of my friends for a year.
HC: Can you describe Akita in 10 words? JGS: Snow, rice fields, bears, forest, sake, rice, shrines, international, rural and quaint.
HC: How do you spend your days? Is it different from AU? JGS: The campus of Akita International University (AIU) is situated about 30 minutes by car outside of Akita city. To even get to a grocery store you need to take a bus, this means that we spend most of our times on campus. The university is much smaller than AU as well, so you get to know everyone, which for me translates into spend a lot more time socialising. Beyond that it’s still lessons, library and gym for me, but in a different setting.
HC: If I came to visit you, what would you not let me miss?
JGS: In Akita, I would never let you miss the local sake! Akita is famous for its rice and its sake production, Akita even means ‘autumn fields’ in Japanese. I didn’t like sake until I came to Akita, but this sake is very different from the one you find abroad or even down in Tokyo.
HC: Are you learning Japanese during your stay or do you get by speaking only English? JGS: AIU is an international university so all their courses, with exception to the language courses, are taught in English. So on campus, Japanese is not a requirement. I decided to study Japanese mostly because it’s a good opportunity to learn a new language, also outside of campus, English is not an option. Most Japanese people do not speak English, and if they do you’ll most likely find them in one of the bigger cities like Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto.
HC: What would be your advice to anyone who’s thinking of going on an exchange year?
JGS: Everything will go wrong! The airline will lose your luggage, the courses you were going to sign up for will be cancelled and your new roommate will probably make it a habit to cook dinner at 3 a.m. But never let that discourage you, because you’ll find that every problem that arises will have a solution. You’ll learn how to say both ‘bug-bite’ and ‘infection’ in a new language, and discover which trail-mix contains dried fishes, and once you’ve done that, you’ll feel this sense of accomplishment, which you’ll only achieve by successfully getting by in a foreign country. So I guess my advice would be “expect the worst, but do it anyway. “
HC: What do you miss the most about AU?
JGS: Believe it or not, the weather! We have a snow blizzard coming into Akita today and this summer, I experienced my first typhoon. Sure the Aberdeen weather leaves a little to wish for, but it’s never an actual threat to your life. I of course also miss all my friends back at AU and can’t wait to see them again!
HC: You were in the Comedy Society here at AU, will you re-join the society when you come back?
JGS: Yes! The president of ComSoc and I have been talking at length about all the cool work that the ComSoc has been doing this year. Iain Daniels is doing an amazing job as the new president and he’s really turned the society around for the better. I can’t wait to go back to the society this autumn and help contribute. Also, studying abroad is a good source for new materials.
HC: Tell us about the most exciting thing you have going on right now?
JGS: In March I will be going to Thailand to take part in a project course organised by AIU. We’re ten students from AIU who will be working together with ten Thai students to study the applications of the UN development goals in an area in northern Thailand. I’m currently preparing for that course and I couldn’t be more excited about it!
Thanks for chatting with HCAU and answering all of our questions Josephine! Enjoy the rest of your year abroad, we can’t wait to have you back in Aberdeen!
All photos are Josephine’s.