News

Vanessa Techapichetvanich
2^nd year student at the School of Creative Science and Engineering

Loving mathematics, physics, and chemistry and wanting to involve myself in the technological innovation of robotics and automobiles, I enrolled as an international student in Waseda’s Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering last year. There are few female researchers in this field and the opportunity to be one of these valuable individuals was very appealing.

Being raised in a western environment and picturing myself studying in either the United States or England, my move to Japan was unexpected. To be honest, I am not quite used to the Tokyo lifestyle and am not good at commuting during rush hour. I have mainly commuted to university by motorbike. However, traveling around Japan has made me aware of many wonderful places in this country. During my travels to places such as Kyoto, Osaka, Yamagata, and Nagano, I met a number of people with unique backgrounds. I was surprised by the kindness and politeness of many Japanese people and struggled when faced with some Japanese customs such as using chopsticks when dining.

In Japan it is a custom to make slurping noises when eating noodles to compliment the the person who cooked it for you. I would like to get good at this before returning to my home country!

Studying in Japan is without a doubt a very special experience. Thanks to the WISH international dorm I live in and the International Community Center, I have many opportunities to make friends among other international and Japanese students. My cultural understanding has expanded as I interact with students from various countries and we keep each other motivated in our Japanese language studies.

The ICC Snowboard Camp where students participate without revealing their real names or nationalities is a popular event

I look forward to continue expanding my horizons and embarking on new adventures.