The following is an interview with a student named Sakura from a university in Japan that focuses on foreign studies. Currently she is finishing a summer course at the University of Alberta, and has been at the U of A since the fall of 2011. She will be returning to Japan over the summer to finish her university degree.
S: Sakura (interviewee)
K: Karyn (interviewer)
K: Can you describe university life in Japan (community, recreation, free time, studying, classes, professors, resources available to students)?
S: Every fall my home university has a big festival. Since everyone studies a foreign language, they do something related to their foreign language or country. First year students cook food that is from their country of study. For me, since my major is Hindi, I cooked Indian food. Because of this, there are many food stands with many different types of food. Second years do drama performances in their language of study, so they need a lot of practice. There are many dance clubs, such as Jazz club and Hawaiian dance, which all perform at this festival too. This festival is open to the public, so many high school students who are interested in attending the university attend as well.
My university only has a few big events, like in April, at the start of the year, many clubs want new students to join their club, so they invite the first year students to 新歓 (shinkan) (“welcome party”). I think it is only in my university, but in May we have a rowing boat competition. It’s a type of event that acts to get all the students together, working together, and meeting each other.
I prefer how the U of A has many small events always happening, because it allows me to meet many people. I think that because I am an international student, I want to participate in many events.
In free time, we often went to see movies, go to karaoke, go shopping, and go out to eat. In Japan, my favourite thing to do in my free time was just chilling out with friends. I do miss Japanese karaoke and Japanese food.
Because my university focuses on foreign languages, you have to preview and review all the time, so I think in language classes, everyone has to study harder. But in other classes that are required, some people don’t come to class very often, and only come on exam days. We study harder in some courses, but not in others. We have only one library, so some people would study at home or at cafes. I mostly studied at home, because I don’t like noisy places, so I need my own space for studying.
Depending on the class, classes could be very big or very small, and some teachers check attendance every class, but some don’t. It’s pretty much the same as here.
I think Japanese students are more conservative. I find that every time Canadian students rise their hand when they have a question, but Japanese students don’t. Maybe they are more shy and hesitant to express their opinion in front of people. University teachers’ primary job is just to research, so some professor’s class is boring, and I think they don’t know how to teach. At least in Japan, some professors are like this, and don’t have good personality. The teacher’s I’ve had here, of course since they speak in English, it is a difficult part for me. Sometimes they speak slowly, so it makes me sleepy sometimes. The most difficult part is listening to a lecture in English.
We have a career support center, and in my university there are many international students, so we have an international student center, a counseling center, and a support center for Japanese students studying abroad. The U of A has much more resources like this, but I think it is because of the size of the school. Like, we don’t have food bank, or sexual assault center.
K: What are some things you did not like about university in Japan?
S: I think that the top people in the university do not know what we are studying and how the classes are conducted. Some courses only have one native teacher, while other professors are Japanese. I think it is very bad to teach foreign languages in Japanese. I think this is very sad because although my university’s specialization is foreign languages, many students cannot master the languages. I think they need to change the style of teaching and get more native teachers. I also think that tuition money is spent on things that are not as important to students.
K: Describe university life in Canada. How was it different or the same? What things (that were different or the same) surprised you?
S: The students here are more willing to participate in class, so that really surprised me. I think the students here don’t care if they get some criticism about their opinion. I think the Japanese students don’t want to get negative feedback or feel embarrassed, so they are much more quiet.
In Japan, we have to start job-hunting from second semester of our third year, and we have to study while at the same time we have to do this job hunting, and most Japanese university students have to write a very big thesis to graduate – I think it is about 37 pages – and, now it is difficult to get a job due to the economy. So, many of my friends are struggling with studying, job-hunting, and writing their thesis. Here, it doesn’t matter as much when you start job-hunting, so I think students here can go at their own pace.
In Japan, it is hard to enter university, but once you enter university, it is not as hard. But here, it is easier to enter, but once you enter, you have to study very hard. I think the Canadian university system is better, because university is just before you start your job, so I think it is a very important time in your life to get ready for working. In Japanese university, it is a bit too carefree, whereas here students essentially have to study. I think in Japan it would be better for students to be controlled in this way a little bit more.
Here, we have many Subways, Edo, etc., but in Japan’s universities, we usually have a cheap cafeteria, which is much cheaper than the junk food we have here. Depending on the season, or even the month, the menu changes. So summer time, they offer summer food. In the university cafeteria, there is a bakery that brings some fresh baked goods from their shop and sell it in a free space area.
K: What was some culture shock you experienced?
S: People here they put their backpacks on the floor in the washroom, which was very gross to me, because in Japan, we always put our bags on the hooks.
Another thing is that in Japan, it is kinda embarrassing to bite an apple whole in public. At home, we do. Maybe boys don’t care, but most girls do care, and usually we bring an apple cut in slices.
K: What are some things you liked about university life in Canada? Some things you didn’t like?
S: I like that I have many opportunities to join events because the campus is so big and the Students’ Union is very good at organizing the events. There are many international students here like me, so the international center is very helpful for people like me. I also like that I can use the library 24/7; it’s very convenient compared to my home university. What I didn’t like, is winter time. And sometimes, because the campus is too big, it’s difficult to get to class on time.
K: What advice would you share with Japanese people going to do university in Canada?
S: Try not to hangout with other Japanese people, because many of my Japanese friends here hung out with only Japanese people, or other people who could speak Japanese. I think it’s a very big waste of time, because they came here to brush up their English, but they always hang out with Japanese or those who can speak it. Also, join some club, and join as many events as possible, as long as you are interested in it. For me, the international house was a very good opportunity to practice English, because if I lived in HUB or Lister, without having a roommate, you cannot get many chances to speak English. Home stay or some dormitory is also good. Also, invite other international students to hang out, and make a language exchange partner.
K: What advice would you give to Canadians looking to study in Japan?
S: Canadians may get some cultural shock, especially in Tokyo. People are always busy and not looking at others in Tokyo, so don’t think Japanese people are cold or rude, because it’s just that they are busy. Also, don’t expect too much about Japanese peoples’ English, but try to make many Japanese friends. If going to university in Japan, you can get many opportunities to make friends, but if not, you can always search online for Japanese conversation groups, church, or some other public language exchange class. Japanese people are too shy, so, for me, I was surprised when I was walking on the street here, somebody I didn’t know passed me and she smiled at me. Here, even if they are a stranger to you, they talk to you. Even a cashier, waitress, or someone you meet in the train or bus. They are very friendly. But Japanese people usually don’t speak to strangers or cashiers as friendly as Canadians do. For Japanese, business is business. Their private life is very separate from business life, whereas here, it is less black and white.
