Series: Student Voices from the Department of Foreign Languages (Part 3)

Students in the Department of Foreign Language’s Community Service Learning (CSL) program were asked to share their thoughts about the university. The third question presented to the students is:

“What did you learn during your first year at the university?”

Student responses are as follows:

From the time I entered this university until now I have been a 3rd year student and I thought I had tried a lot. To get into university, I had to pass an important exam during which my English and Japanese skills were not good, so it was a challenge for me. But nothing is impossible for us and I finally got into this university. In my first year of university, because I was a foreigner, I learned Japanese in my first year of university. The class hours are longer than Japanese schools, which makes me feel a lot of pressure. However, the teachers encouraged me and I tried very hard to have a pretty good academic record in my first year of studying Japanese. I can speak more Japanese and have more friends here. I feel great!
C.B.さん

I mainly learned two things during my first year at the university. The first thing is that people have different perspectives and values. That depends on their culture, upbringing, religion, and so on. In the department of foreign languages, we’ve had a lot of opportunities to think or learn about diversity through the classes. It’s important to respect every perspective and value even they are different from my own. The second thing is about religion. Religion class is held twice a week in the first year. I learned Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism. Recently, some wars are going on somewhere in the world, and one of the causes of the wars is religion. The class has given me an opportunity to think about how to end them. Religious conflicts are so complicated but we should keep seeking a solution.
S.E.さん

When I was a 1st grade student, I learned relationship with people. I couldn’t talk to some people because I was shy. So it took a while to make friends. I joined the band club, but I couldn’t practice because of COVID. However, it took a while, so I made a lot of good friends. I don’t think you need to rush to make friends.
S.U.さん

What I learned in my first year as a university student was communication skills. The reason for this is that, of course, I wanted to talk to people from the same department, but there were times when I had to talk to people from different departments, so my communication skills were put to the test, figuring out what to say. I was apprehensive about which significant I would take, what required subjects I would assume, whether the classes would be difficult and whether I would be able to keep up, but somehow, I managed to keep up and am now in my third year.
H.M.さん

In my first at the university, I mainly learned the basics of English, such as vocabulary, grammar, and TOEIC. We also learned about poverty and literature.
A.M.さん

During my first year at university, I learned a wide range of subjects and skills. I learned how to think critically, analyze complex problems, and communicate effectively. I also learned the importance of time management and how to balance my academic and personal life. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds and engage in stimulating discussions and debates. Overall, my first year at university was a transformative experience that helped shape my intellectual curiosity and passion for learning.
S.D.さん

I learned during my first year university Japanese language and English language and did volunteer work at the stadium with my teacher and friends .
T.B.さん

University life requires effective time management skills. Balancing coursework, extracurricular activities, and personal life can be challenging, but it is crucial to prioritize and allocate time efficiently and Many university assignments involved group work, which taught me the importance of effective collaboration. I learned how to communicate, delegate tasks, and work together towards a common goal. Overall, my first year at university was a valuable learning experience that not only expanded my knowledge in various subjects but also helped me develop important life skills.
B.S.さん

During my first year at university, I learned a lot of positive knowledge and skills that needed to strong my life. My confidence level wasn’t great when I started my first year at university but now it’s much better. during my first year at the university, I learned how can I communicate with people, I came to know about time management, making new friends, learned basic language, properly known for syllabus and learned how I can behave with others.
K.B.さん

I have learned many things between 1st year of university. Firstly, I have learned the Japanese language. I have learned to collaborate with friends and teachers. Second, I have learned to manage my time and how to do presentations in front of people. I have made many friends from different countries, and I have got to know many cultures of different countries. In this 1st year, I have gone to volunteer work at the local stadium.
B.P.さん

In my first year at university, I studied Japanese language, worked on English grammar, joined the CLS program and took part in numerous events and computer classes. It was an exciting mix of languages, tech exploration, and social activities that made the whole experience quite enriching and enjoyable.
M.S.さん

I learned the Japanese language in my first year at the university and I am now learning the English language. This is a challenge because I’m not learning Japanese language. Also I am learning in my CSL and seminar classes.
M.R.さん

During first year, I learned Japanese language at university. I learned Japanese language in my country but it not enough for me so when I enter university I learned many new Japanese word and it’s makes me quite easy to communicate with Japanese people so I learned Japanese language when I was in my first year.
K.S.さん