My name is Yuma Kiuchi and I am a third-year student in the Department of Regional Studies and Humanities, Faculty of Education and Human Studies, who studied abroad for about four months at Memorial University (Grenfell campus) in Newfoundland, Canada. I would like to introduce my study abroad experience.
 
First of all, what kind of place did I live in? Have you ever heard of Newfoundland? It is an island in Canada. I went to a campus in a town called Corner Brook on the island. It is quite rural. I had to send my plane ticket stubs to Japan to apply for a grant, and I wondered where the nearest post office was. Well, it’s an hour’s walk there and back. Quite a long trek! Moose, an animal that often appears in Canada, like the antelope in Akita, often appear at the university and they are quite big. I needed to take a cab to the supermarket, which is a bit far from the university but I had a student discount. The cab driver had a strong accent. Did you get my message? How rural this place is! But I love it because the people are so warm and friendly. Even if you don't understand something and ask a passerby, they will not frown, but will politely tell you more than what you asked with a smile. This is one of the great things about the countryside, isn't it? Also, there is an abundance of nature. The stress of studying is alleviated by nature. And there are many unique cultural aspects in Newfoundland. I was able to have a lot of experiences. I feel that if you want to experience a different culture directly, it is best to choose the countryside. I’m sure you would rather hear about the university than this kind of story, right? Now let me move on to talk about what it was like studying here.
 
Since I went to a language school, I only studied English. I didn't acquire any credits and it was more like a language study abroad program than an exchange program. As it turned out, I improved my English quite a bit. My reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills all improved. However, it was quite hard. There were a lot of classes. Basically, all the classes were 50 minutes each, and there was an average of five classes every day. On some days, there were as many as six. It reminded me of my high school classes. It was tough. The main classes were two integrated skills classes every day and a grammar class almost every day. Other than that, there were classes for reading novels, group discussions on specific topics to practice speaking, and many other things. The classes at this language school covered all four of the important English skills. As I mentioned earlier, it is quite hard. However, it is definitely worth going. I would really recommend it to everyone.
 
The first reason I would like to recommend going to this language school is that it is very effective. It is hard, but I want everyone to experience the same sense of accomplishment when they achieve their goals. When you feel this sense of accomplishment, I think you will realize that your English skills have improved. Also, the people. At this language school (ESL), the teachers are so friendly and helpful that you feel like part of a family. Also, ESL has a lot of out-of-class activities and I got to spend a lot of time with my ESL friends, and we ended up getting along really well. I really feel like everyone is my family. Since there are only about 12 or 13 students in a class, the teachers are able to provide an incredible amount of support. Now that I have completed the entire curriculum, I can't thank them enough. I am also sad to be going back to Japan. Every day I am surrounded by my close friends and I am happy to be taught by teachers who are like my parents. The life I had taken for granted came to an end in the blink of an eye. I felt that time was passing very quickly. That's because every day was so fulfilling. I can proudly say that there is no better environment to learn English than this. As a way of giving back to the teachers at Memorial University, I would like to do my best to increase the number of students who come to this university when I return to Japan. It has been a four-month period in which I was able to experience not only English but also the warmth of the people.
 
There are still many more things I would like to talk about, but the most important thing I want to say is that everyone should challenge themselves. “I want to be able to speak English”. Anyone can say that. It's easy to just say those words. If you really want to be able to speak English, you have to do something about it. If you don't take on the challenge, nothing will change. You will only remain in a static situation. Of course, challenges can be scary. In fact, I was almost overwhelmed with anxiety before I started studying abroad. However, I didn't run away and desperately tried to catch up. As a result, my world changed. “Get out of your comfort zone.” I translate this phrase as “Explore your potential”. Get out of your comfort zone, meet the new you, and find new possibilities for yourself. Don't run away even if you're scared, face it head on. The more hardships you go through, the more you grow. I would like to conclude by expressing my hope that this report on studying abroad will be an opportunity for someone else to challenge themselves.
 
Thank you very much for reading to the end.
Have a fruitful life.

Click here for the study abroad experience reports of the Akita University ‘Miraisozo Fund’ overseas student study support program.