Sharon JAMES

Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Exchange to Meijo University, Japan

When I applied for an exchange to Japan, I didn’t really think about the technicalities of living in another country, I just wanted to go. When my application was accepted, I suddenly had to deal with a lot of paperwork and it all suddenly became real. I was moving to another country. I was going, by myself, to a place where I knew no-one, and could hardly speak the language. All of a sudden I was terrified, but scared or not, I still wanted to go, the possibilities of fun far outweighed my fears. I had a feeling that it was going to be one of those life changing experiences.

I really wanted to improve my Japanese speaking skill, and to do that what better way than to go to Japan? I chose Meijo University in Nagoya because not only did it have a strong focus on spoken Japanese and strong ties with Queenstown University of Technology, but the classes available to exchange students also appealed to me. During my semester at Meijo, I studied Japanese sociology, contemporary economics and the history of the Japanese economy. My professor for Economics was one of the most interesting people I have ever met. I really enjoyed his lectures, and was sad that because I had to return to Australia I could not continue taking his seminars.

Even though I had been studying Japanese for two years, I knew it was going to be difficult to adapt, but thanks to the amazing student support at Meijo University, I was soon feeling at home. They helped me with everything from shopping to homework, and without them I really would have had a very boring time. My home university organised many field trips in and around Nagoya, and I even got to see a Sumo tournament with my friends from the university. The students who were part of the support network at Meijo University were from a variety of places; not only did I make many new Japanese friends, but I also made friends with people from many other cultures.

In addition to the university organised trips, I also spent much of my free time travelling around Japan. Long weekend in Hiroshima, you bet! It’s a public holiday, how about a trip to Tokyo? I was there. Having the support from the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards programme really allowed me to enjoy my time in Japan, and I could focus on my studies completely, and then spend my spare time relaxing.

I was really lucky to have this opportunity to improve my Japanese, and to make some amazing new friends at the same time. I really enjoyed my time at Meijo University and would have loved to extend my stay. I will definitely go back to Nagoya in the future; it is like a second hometown for me now.

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