Robbie MULIJANA

Monash University, Australia
Exchange to Nagoya University, Japan

During the past year, I have been on exchange to Nagoya University in Japan, and I have to say it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The main purpose of this exchange was to improve my Japanese language skills and to broaden my knowledge on Japanese culture. However, this exchange has not only allowed me to broaden my knowledge about Japan, but has also allowed me to form new friendships with people from all over the world and experience things that would never be possible if I had just stayed in Australia.

When I first began this exchange I had various doubts on what my life here would be like. Having been one of only approximately 10 people having gone to Nagoya University from my home university, it was difficult to get an idea of what I should expect when I arrive. The only thing I knew about Nagoya was that it was the business centre of Japan, and was conveniently located exactly in the middle of Japan. I constantly wondered if my Japanese were good enough, whether I could cope being away from my family and friends and what I could expect from the exchange students as well as the Japanese people with such different cultures. However these worries immediately disappeared when I was greeted warmly by two students from the ‘HELPDESK’ at the train station in front of my dormitory (a club created to assist exchange students to adjust to life in Nagoya, which I became part of in the following semester). It was at that moment that all my worries disappeared, realising that language was not a problem here, and neither were the people that I quickly became good friends with.

This exchange has allowed me to vastly improve my knowledge on Japan and its language, and has allowed me to continue pursuing my interests from a whole new perspective. Since coming to Nagoya I have been able to continue learning Korean and Indonesian both in classes as well as from many of the other exchange and Japanese students. I had the opportunity to experience teaching English and working in Japan. In addition, I have also been able to experience living alone and have a glimpse into what I believe to be the ‘adult world’, where I had to learn to do many things without the help of others. Also with the help of the Endeavour scholarship provided by the Cheung Kong Group, and the Australian Government, I have been able to avoid the continuous study that I expected and instead, have been able to travel not only in Japan, but to various neighbouring countries with general ease. With the grant provided by the Cheung Kong Group, I have been able to travel all the way from the north of Japan (Hokkaido) to the south (Okinawa), as well as travel to Korea to visit friends from the previous semester as well as relatives in Indonesia who I have not seen for almost 10 years.

As my exchange comes to an end, my worries have changed from wondering what I can expect in Japan to what I can expect when I return to Australia. Having got used to my lifestyle in Japan, it hurts to think that I will have to leave a life I have grown to love, however I have no regrets going on this exchange and I strongly recommend anyone who is considering going on exchange to not give it another thought. Not only do you broaden your horizons, you gain friends for life and establish connections from all over the world and although the idea of saying goodbye is painful, in this day and age you know that your new friends will never be too far away, and that what you experience while on exchange is something you can only do and see once in a lifetime.

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