Student Testimonial

Q　What motivated you to study abroad?
The reason I chose South Korea was because I became interested in Korean culture after interacting with the students from PKNU who came to study at the University of Yamanashi under the same A3I program last year. Another reason I decided to study abroad was that I wanted to learn about the current state of IT in Korea, as society as a whole is becoming more and more IT oriented, and I also wanted to learn about communication in English and Korean.

Q　What was your most memorable experience during study abroad?

In PKNU, classes were held in English. Different from Japan, many classes were involved with presentations and Q&A sessions. Hence I had many opportunities to speak in English. Although I was confused at first, I think my English skills have been improved because of that.
There are many restaurants and shops around the university. In particular, I was very impressed by the number of coffee shops and I can see many students holding coffee on campus. Also PKNU is a university located near to the sea, and the scenery is really beautiful. The nearby beach is lighted up every night, in addition, firework displays and drone shows are held  depending on the seasons, which make it a truly attractive place.

Q　What classes did you take? How were the classes?

In PKNU, I belonged to a laboratory where  I did my own research and had a weekly meeting with the lab members to discuss about the progress of my research and introduce research papers that I was interested in. I also took three classes, two on AI and one on Korean language. In the AI classes, we summarized the assignments (textbooks or papers) in an easy-to-understand way and then made presentations and Q&A sessions in English in front of the classmates. In the Korean language class, the local students taught me how to read Hangul and make simple greetings.

Message to those considering studying abroad

The university years are a precious period when you can spend time on yourself.   I know that there are many concerns when it comes to studying abroad, but once you give it a try, you will be able to experience a culture different from Japan’s and interact with many different people. And after you complete it, you will feel more confident with yourself. Moreover, I think Korea is a good option for those who study abroad for the first time because it has many similarities with Japan. Even if you are not confident about communicating in English, you can get by using simple daily phrases, and many locals can speak Japanese. Even you just have slight interest, I advise you to take a step forward and try to challenge it.