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OQEANOUS Plus-DDP Report (TUMSAT 2022/Nov-2023/Sep)
2023.10.20
Shanghai Ocean University (People's Republic of China)
College of Marine Sciences
Course of Fishery Resources
Second Year of Master's Program
Z. Q.
I am Z. Q. from Shanghai Ocean University, I studied at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology under OQEANOUS Plus DDP Program from November 2022 to September 2023. I hope this report of my experience could be helpful to those who are interested in OQEANOUS Plus program, especially foreign students who want to know study life in Japan.
[Motivation of Application]
My motivation and enthusiasm for the opportunity to study abroad in Japan at TUMSAT is to get out of my comfort zone and experience another training system for graduate students. I want to stimulate myself in another study mode. What's more, I would never know if I can have this kind of chance again, so I made my decision to seize it otherwise I may feel regret afterwards. To be honest, I would always like to learn more and understand deeper about this Chinese neighbor country. I believe the only way I can really know a place is to reach there and observe by my own. Besides, I learned a little Japanese by myself several years ago, so I felt nervous but excited about real communication with Japanese.
[Life in the Campus ]
I took 5 classes during this year, every professor I met is so gentle and friendly to foreign students. They kindly spoke in English and made English slides for us, and tried their best to explain the lecture using an easy way to help us understand.
In my laboratory here, there are several foreign students coming from different countries, so our supervisor use English to organize us and hold seminars. He prefers to give us some ideas and suggestions, but encourages us to study deeper by our own, which really exercised my ability. My lab-mates also helped me a lot both during the seminars and in the usual time. The teachers in International Student Section are very warm-hearted and scrupulous, I could not adapt so quickly without them. Thanks to the tutor system of TUMSAT, I got a tutor who is a Japanese girl and can speak English very fluently, she helped me solve many complicated problems.
It was so lucky that I witnessed the campus festival of TUMSAT in November, there were so many students setting up their carts to introduce their societies and sell some snacks or decorations. What's more, I happened to watch the whole process of firework activities inside the university, which was quite beautiful.
[Life in Japan]
At the beginning, I felt familiar but strange when I just arrived in Tokyo. Because there were Chinese characters surrounding me but I could not understand what passers-by talked about. Gradually, I found Japanese people are very patient to foreigners who speak poor Japanese. Japanese government departments and some big companies also offer service with different foreign languages. While so, language barriers can still affect academic and social experiences. I sincerely recommend you to prioritize learning the Japanese language before and during your stay. It will significantly enhance your experience, both academically and socially.
Living in Japan challenges me to step out of my comfort zones, adapt to new environments, and build cross-cultural communication skills. It fosters my independence and resilience.
[Conclusion]
Studying abroad in Japan offers a unique blend of academic excellence, cultural immersion, and personal growth opportunities. While it comes with challenges, careful planning and a willingness to adapt to a new culture can lead to an enriching experience. If you are now considering about applying for one of the OQEANOUS Plus Programs, please don't hesitate and have a try!
Left:Sakura flowers in the campus Right:Fireworks in the campus
Left:Party in the laboratory Right:Sushi with my tutor
