Waseda University Student Interview #1

Kelvin Julian WIJAYA

HANDS-ON LAB EXPERIENCES AND CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

The privileges of student life at Waseda
Japan is extremely advanced in the areas of technology, robotics and the automotive industry, so it is the place to be if I want to focus on mechanics, and Waseda’s all-English engineering program was the perfect choice for me.
Since starting two years ago, I have participated in many hands-on lab experiences. I’m knee-deep into electric/hybrid cars, and in the future I would like to apply this knowledge to the Indonesian market where transportation is a big issue.
Also with the engineering program, I had the chance to visit the TWIns research center. The level of technology on display was even higher than I expected. It almost felt “top secret!”

Volunteering and martial arts
Outside of school, I really enjoy dorm life and activities with my volunteer circle. It focuses on helping Nepal, where we go every year to support children. My team is so nice, people just opened up to me. Now we can communicate in Japanese thanks to the language classes I am taking. The grammar is difficult and we’ve started tackling some pretty complicated newspaper articles. It is very rewarding, though.
I also really like the sports in Japan, martial arts and especially kendo-. Japan is the mainland of many of these activities and it really impresses me!

Message to prospective students
Student life’s great! It gets busy in engineering but you get a lot back if you enjoy the sciences. I’m doing robotics, it’s really great! But don’t just study: there are a lot of things you can enjoy in Japan, people you can interact with, places to visit and culture to discover. I recommend the “yuki matsuri” (snow festival) in Hokkaido. The huge sculptures made out of ice are just something to see!

Waseda University Student Interview #2

LingYue ZUO

AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT JAPAN’S RICH AND STUNNING CULTURE

Bridging the gap between China and Japan
I started studying contemporary Japanese culture at the School of Social Sciences in Waseda University because of the relation between Chinese and Japanese cultures, as well as to be able to contribute in improving communication between the two countries.
I feel that English is crucial for this program: studying about Japan, its culture and language in another language provides a fresh perspective and a better understanding of things.
That being said, I also take Japanese classes several times a week --which helps a lot-- and put them to practice with friends. Japanese and Chinese languages have some similarities but they actually invites mistakes! (laughs)

Wandering through Japanese culture
We have an excellent teacher who tells us about Japan’s mesmerizing culture. He inspired me to visit museums in Japan, many of which are really impressive. I also like Japanese-style gardens a lot.
Two years ago, we went on an overnight field trip to Nagoya and Mie. From there, we went to Ise Jingu (my first shrine ever!), as well as the Toyota plant and Asahi Breweries. Staying in a ryokan (Japanese inn), with hot springs was also quite an experience and it helped us students to get to know each other.

Message to prospective students
Don’t worry, just come! If you are interested in all things Japanese, then I would definitely recommend this English-based degree program at Waseda University. It holds up to expectations.

Waseda University Student Interview #3

Chinnapa PATTAMADA

BEING ABLE TO INDULGE IN WRITING, CODING AND PHYSICS IS LIKE A GODSEND FOR ME

The appeal of Japanese culture and SILS’ array of classes
After going to high school in Singapore, I wanted to pursue my studies abroad and picked the SILS program in Japan because I knew a little Japanese and have been interested in the country’s culture. Classes being taught in English was quite a big part of the appeal because I wasn’t confident enough to throw my Japanese onto that level yet.
For me, one of the best things with SILS is that it’s in Japan and I really like living here. Besides, few colleges offer good physics and literature classes within the same program. This allows me to indulge in writing, coding and physics, which is like a godsend. This semester I’m taking some physics, journalism classes, and a seminar on the human mind. We had a lot of fun and useful assignments in journalism: one of them was writing your own obituary. So I just imagined I was someone else and wrote this tragic story! (laughs)
I also take Japanese credits. The class levels are progressive so I’m feeling more and more comfortable. In addition, Japanese grammar is fairly similar to that of Hindi so it’s reasonably easy for me to organise a sentence.

Campus life and living in Japan
I mainly use English at school and Japanese outside because I stay in a dormitory that’s predominantly Japanese and go to the uni’s bridge circle where I’m the only foreigner. I feel that joining one of Waseda’s many circles is the best way to fit in and make friends.

Message to prospective students
If I’m not mistaken, the biggest worry is the language barrier. I think it’s not much of a problem since Waseda offers excellent Japanese classes for all proficiency levels. They are compulsory credits in SILS and should help you improve in no time.

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