Ripon College Days

Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Masayuki Yamaguchi. Masa time. Japanese exchange student Masayuki Yamaguchi, Masa for short, is used to a student body of 45,000. [Click to enlarge]

Hello. I'm Masayuki, a transfer student from Japan. I came here a month ago. There are big differences between life in the U.S and in Japan. I sometimes have trouble, but I am gradually getting used to the life here. I like Ripon very much because people are friendly and they help me very much. I want to say thank you to everyone.

Sometimes people ask, "Why did you choose here?" One of the most important points is that this is a small college compared to our university in Japan. Another Japanese student, Manami and I are from Waseda University, which has more than 45,000 students. In a big school, it is hard to know each other and make contact with professors. Small classes are helpful for me to catch up with the class. What is more, I like the style that every student lives in a dorm. I think it will increase the opportunity to speak English.

This is my first overseas experience and my first time using English in daily life. I have studied English for more than seven years, but mostly reading and writing. The first day I arrived in the United States, I couldn't understand what people said. It was big trouble only to buy a hamburger. Now, I still can't understand what people say, especially when they speak rapidly and use difficult words or slang. However, I feel my English ability has become better than before.

Also, foods are so different from ours. It seems that they are so heavy compared to Japanese foods, which are healthy and low fat. I couldn't eat a lot the first week until I got used to it. Nowadays, I really enjoy eating because I found my favorites: foods with soy sauce, soup, and cakes.

I think students here study much harder than in Japan. College students in Japan don't study so much, because however low their grades are, they can graduate if they get enough credit. I think Japanese students should follow American students' example.

Finally, I hope that I will not only be learning, but I also want to tell people about Japan. It will be good to know each country. Please ask me anything you want to know. Thanks for reading.

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