KYUDAI NEWS KYUSHU UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MAGAZINE Spring 2014 No.25

23/28

International Students’ Voices22Kyudai News No.25Jenny Cook (UK)Undergraduate Student of Japan in Today’s World (JTW) ProgramWhy did you choose Japan and Kyushu University to pursue your studies?I’m a Law student from the University of Bristol. I chose to study in Japan because my mother is Japanese, so I wanted to live here for a year and immerse myself in Japanese daily life in a way that I wouldn’t be able to do on a holiday. I chose Kyushu University because it has a good reputation and the JTW Program seemed perfect for me to learn about Japanese culture in English.What are you mainly studying now?I am currently taking 5 JTW classes and 2 JLC classes. My JTW classes are Japanese Modern History, Japanese Cultural Patterns, Japanese Life through Tea Ceremony, Digital Culture and the Law, and Gender in Contemporary Japan. One of my most interesting classes is Japanese Cultural Patterns as each week we look at a distinct theme within Japanese society, for example ‘beauty work’ or ‘education’ and so the curriculum has great breath – but also depth as each week we have a class discussion and people always contribute very interesting comments. My JLC classes are among my most challenging – currently I’m taking a ‘J’ (general but with a focus on grammar) class and an ‘S’ (conversation) class. How do you nd your campus life at Kyushu University? All my classes take place on Hakozaki Campus, which is convenient for me as it’s only a 20 minute cycle to the international students’ dormitory. JTW students always have Mondays off (as Study Trips are usually arranged on this day) so usually I’m in Tuesday to Friday. Some days are very long – starting at 8:40 a.m. is very early for me as in the UK I usually wouldn’t start until 9:00 a.m. or even later, and nishing at 6:10 p.m. is also very late in the UK – especially when I’ve been in all day! I like eating lunch in the University Cafeteria, as it’s cheap and really lling. How do you spend time after classes and weekends?I try to do something different every weekend that I couldn’t do back in the UK. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to go and see Sumo, the Hakata Odori, and I’m due to see Kabuki in Tokyo too. I also have two host families, and one family was kind enough to drive me to see the Autumn Momiji leaves in all their glory. I also spend some weekends in Yokohama visiting my grandparents. And, I’m enjoying watching Studio Ghibli lms. What kind of job would you like to have after graduation? I haven’t fully gured this out yet. I would quite like to use my legal skills though, if possible. I’d like to get a job with the U.K. Civil Service and working in London. However, in the UK, there’s not such a big focus on getting a job before you graduate – obviously it’s great if you do, but unlike in Japan, you’re likely to be just as employable after graduation, especially if you gain extra experience in the meantime. I’d like to think about it and make sure I choose a career that I would nd interesting and enjoyable rather than just settling for the sake of it.

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