ENG
INA
STUDENT EXCHANGE SHINSHU UNIVERSITY
My name is I Made Adhyaksa Parama Wibawa, a fourth-year student at Udayana University. Feeling the need to experience international collaboration firsthand, I took the opportunity and registered myself in the Student Exchange Program offered by Shinshu University located in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. The registration process itself can be said to be well-managed and timely thanks to the cooperation between both campuses, especially the GEC staff.
Upon arrival at Shinshu University, there were many things I had to do as an exchange student. This includes both academic studies and various administrative tasks related to my personal identification documents. In this regard, I highly appreciate the campus tutor system that supports foreign students. Without tutors, as a newly arrived foreign student in Japan, I would have encountered more difficulties with administrative tasks. I also feel that having tutors greatly assists foreign students in adapting to the environment better than if they were to do it on their own. When choosing courses, I also needed a study schedule that could be converted into credits for my home university. I received a lot of assistance from my seniors and tutors in this matter, and eventually, I was able to create a weekly schedule for one semester at the Matsumoto campus.
By adjusting my Japanese language abilities, I took courses that I could understand based on a Japanese language basis equivalent to JLPT N3 level. All the courses I took during this semester were very beneficial to me, both for my own academic knowledge and for learning about the types of classes and curriculum offered by Shinshu University to foreign students. If I were to describe the courses I took during this semester briefly, I would have to say it both as an informative and interactive experience. The classes offered by the instructors greatly helped me, as an international student, to be more proactive in learning without feeling anxious about my own learning progress. Combined with the overall campus life, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Japan.
Following the directions and suggestions from the orientation activities, I tried to join one of the campus clubs that focus on activities involving international students, HANAS. By joining this club, I could get a lot of information about events that are interesting for us international students. The students also holds “English language salon” activities, which help me to practice my English.
By participating in various off-campus programs supported by different surroundings, I am confident that the student exchange program can provide a new perspective for students who take it. Interactive activities such as social clubs or visiting educational institutions ranging from elementary schools to high schools made me realize a new and interesting perspective as an Indonesian student interacting with various layers of society, from children to elderly people who actively communicate, even until using simpler forms of language that can we understood as a Japanese learner.
Continuing my education here, I have high expectations for the next semester by taking some notes as a reminder when my study period at Shinsu University is completed. It is a unique experience for me to attend events organized by both the university and simply by touring around the Matsumoto city area, traveling outside, or just going to karaoke with other students. Thus, I highly recommend other students to seize the opportunity and go seek the experience of student exchange at one of the universities in Japan.
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY