Student Voice: Learning, and Living in AIU － Sau Han Au, Australian National University, Australia

Sau Han Au chatting with her friend in campus

Time flies, and I have been studying at AIU for almost three months. I arrived at AIU at the end of August. I was overwhelmed with a sense of strangeness at the beginning. However, I adapted to my new life in Akita because of an excellent environment of AIU.

AIU is providing support to students from all perspectives, whatever in the study, social interaction, or accommodation.

Before coming to AIU, I was curious about the differences in university life and education between Japan and Australian due to the study of Japanese and Japanese culture. Although I grow up in Hong Kong, I go to university in Australia, and I have never studied and stayed in Japan for over a month. “How is university life in Japan?” “Is it similar to Australia?” “How about the classes in AIU?”. These problems made me apply for the exchange program to AIU, and that is why I am here now. My first-hand experiences can help me to find out the answer. I can learn from books, but I cannot experience from books.

To continue my language study, I am taking Japanese and Korean courses at AIU. Both of them are my favorite courses, and it is difficult for me to choose the most favorite one. The majority of courses at AIU are implementing small classes teaching, so there are only about 10 to 15 students in each class. Small-size classes let me quickly absorb knowledge, and each student can receive enough care from teachers. The learning atmosphere in those language courses is also conducive for my language learning. I can easily interact with classmates and teachers. I made some new Japanese friends from my Korean classes. Although language learning is a long and challenging journey, I enjoy studying at AIU.

Apart from study, various events are held by different clubs which helping international students to blend in with the big family of AIU. RCOS activity is viral among students because it offers diverse activities every month. I still remember my first activities of RCOS, and that is my favorite experience too. I introduced my country to many Japanese children and played games with them. Telling impressive knowledge and showing pictures of my country to the children; For example, currency, famous places, and tasty food. Those children tried to introduce themselves and communicate in English; They also made a lot of pretty name cards for us. The lovely smile from those children makes me feel satisfied and happy every time after the activities.

For accommodations, AIU is a concentrated campus, and there are enough accommodation facilities. Most of the students are living on campus. It is easy to get around and meet your friends. For instance, it only takes 5 minutes from my dormitory to those teaching buildings on foot. There are enough common areas for students to chat, play games or even cook together too.

Finally, there are two months left until the end of the semester. I hope that all of us can enjoy the rest of this semester. Although I am going to leave AIU in December, studying at AIU will be an invaluable experience in my life.

Studied at AIU in the Fall 2019 Semester.