New to Waseda? Then you got to do this!
When you’re new to a place we all have those common issues of not knowing anyone, not knowing your surroundings, and in the case of us entry level language learners not knowing anything – hah!
That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to take part in the Campus Photo Adventure hosted by the ICC at Waseda.
When I arrived on campus one month ago, I promised myself that I would explore every corner of the historic Waseda campus, but those positive intentions came up against a mountain of homework which quickly meant I was getting into the rhythm of apartment to class, and back again, without properly exploring the campus.
The Campus Photo Adventure was the perfect remedy! On arriving at the beginning of the session we joined different teams. This was fun as we got to meet new people from different backgrounds and interesting stories. The ICC had a nice idea of tasking us with coming up with a name for our respective teams.
We then received a photo briefing pack which provided hints at the things we had to find around campus. The easier items on the list generated fewer points, whereas the exceedingly cryptic hints could see a team hitting the big time. Remember more points means more prizes!
After explaining the rules my group blasted off into the big unknown. I was lucky as my teammates were not only clever, but also very familiar with the two adjacent campuses here in Waseda. I tagged along!
Throughout the course of the next 1.5 hours I was able to find out more about the museums and stories around campus, the famous Waseda bear, and even got to explore the Toyama campus as I don’t have classes there day-to-day…this reminds me I better start making use of my gym membership at Toyama!
I can’t give away any more details as these are closely guarded secrets of the Waseda fraternity. ? But all that is left to say is that this is a turbocharged way to get your bearings around Waseda, and to meet more Japanese and international students in a very fun and worthwhile endeavour. And if you can beat our team’s third place finish then please don’t brag too much! It’s an honour to come third as we received a very kawaii toy, the Waseda bear keyholder!
photo by author
photo by ICC
