The Story So Far: Daniel Greger, Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Daniel (front, fourth from right) on a class excursion.

First Step

Statue of Tatsuko-hime at Lake Tazawa in Akita

Coming to AIU was kind of a difficult choice for me personally, to be honest. It meant leaving the world I knew behind for a quite a long time and travel to country literally on the other side of the planet. Yes, there was the adventurous side of me that was saying go for it but on the other hand, also the more careful side that very well knew some of the ramifications and negatives that it would have for me, such as prolonging my studies.

In the end, as you are reading this article right now its quite obvious which side of me prevailed and I definitely don’t think I made a wrong choice.

Academic Experience

I can’t truly say anything bad about the school itself. The classes that AIU offers have a lot of variety for almost everyone to choose from and the language course is way more efficient than the one hour of Japanese per week I took back home. The professors are very friendly and I really appreciate the personal approach they are taking towards the students. Truth be told, it is different than back home, I kind of feel little like back in my old high school, which isn’t bad or good, just different and I personally enjoy this change of pace from my home university.

Isolation? Not really

Visiting Osaka during the semester.

Yes, the life in a (kind of) secluded campus may seem monotonous or even boring, but at least for me, it’s actually the opposite. Can’t really say why, but there is always something to do, always people to hang out with or a club to go to. So if you don’t let the “lack of civilization” get to you, you should be more than fine. And if you don’t shy away from the opportunities that this place offers.

Beauties of the Land of The Rising Sun

Akita, and Japan, in general, is a beautiful country. I only saw a glimpse of it so far, as I traveled mostly only through Kansai, but even after such a short while and also struck by the beauty of local nature, I must say that it is a truly spectacular sight to behold. The people of Japan are very nice as I met so many nice strangers already that it truly surprises me even now.

To be continued. . .

Visiting Fushimi-Inari Shrine in Kyoto on an excursion.

So yes, in the end, I can say without hesitation that the choice I made by coming here was a right one, even to such extent that makes me wonder that one semester is too short of a time. The cultural experience is worth it alone, as well as the academic and personal value this trip has had for me. And that is not mentioning all the wonderful people around here, of which some had
made a more profound impact on me than I thought is possible in such a short time.