Student Voices: One of the best decisions I have made

Tue, Sep 6, 2016

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Student Voices: One of the best decisions I have made

From the United States

Name: HIGHTMAN Alison Karinen
Graduated from: Rice University
Affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience (Master’s course)

How did you find out about Waseda University?

I have one friend who graduated from Waseda about 8 years ago and another who did a one-year exchange at Waseda. I heard about the university from them so when I decided to go back to grad school, I looked into Waseda and what programs were offered.

Why did you choose Waseda?

I had a job offer from an IT company here right after I graduated university, and I had always wanted to live and work in Asia. It was just a great opportunity to explore, and it was also interesting to learn telecommunications and IT work.

I decided after working there that my real passion was in renewable energy, and to pursue that, I wanted to get a master’s degree. I really loved living in Tokyo and felt that if I want to work in Japan or in Asia in the future, going to a Japanese university would be a very good opportunity, as it would give me the chance to learn more about a different culture, a new way of thinking for problem solving. I also wanted to see what problems Japan faces with its energy supply.

My friends told me that they enjoyed their time here, that there was a very strong school spirit, and that Waseda was one of the really good schools in Tokyo. This made me interested to look in more detail. I went through the Waseda website and read the research backgrounds for the different professors and contacted the professor whose research seemed interesting. He emailed me a couple of the papers he published, and after reading through them I decided I wanted to work with him.

Did you have any concerns before coming to Japan?

When I first came here to work, I spoke no Japanese at all. That was a concern, coming here with absolutely no language ability. I lived in Shanghai for two and a half years before, so I was used to living in a different culture but the language barrier was a greater concern.

Did you have any difficulties getting started here?

When I first came here to work, meeting people my own age was a bit difficult, but I got really lucky and made a great group of Japanese friends. After entering Waseda it was really nice because immediately I had a group of people from my lab to work and hang out with. I also joined two circles (interest groups) here and met a lot of people that way. It was difficult at the beginning but Tokyo is a great city to meet people. If you are little bit outgoing and try to meet people and try to speak Japanese, even if you are terrible at it, you will make friends.

How is your life in Japan and at Waseda now?

I think it is a really good balance of social and academic life. It is really busy but I really like it. I joined two martial arts circles (Kendo and Aikido), so I have about four practices a week. I had always wanted to study a martial art but I never really had the opportunity in the US. I really enjoy it. It is also great language practice and a great social network. The university did take a little bit of getting used to because the style of classes is very different from American schools. Here classes meet once a week for an hour and half, where in the US they usually meet three times a week for an hour each. It is a different style of lecture and arrangement of course schedules, so that was interesting to get used to. Also, grades here are based more on final exams, and there are not as many homework assignments. The system is slightly different, but after a few weeks you get used to it. I have a large group of Japanese friends from the area I used to live in. We met through a neighborhood pub, an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) where it is always the same people that go. We have sakura (cherry blossom) viewing parties, barbeques, and camping trips.

I think there is a really good foreign network in Japan as well. If you meet one foreigner, you can meet a lot of others just through different outings and events.

I think that the standard of living here is close to that of the US, it is not too big of a leap. The culture is very different, but I think that the Japanese people are very welcoming and very polite, so if you try to respect them, they will respect you, and you can get along pretty well.

What do you do in your free time?

I mostly spend my free time going to kendo and aikido practices. I also like to go jogging if I have time in the morning, and just exploring Tokyo with friends. I love Japanese food so it is always fun to find good restaurants and have different social events with the circles, such as dinner parties or going to the Waseda-Keio baseball game. Also depending on the season I enjoy going to sakura viewing or different matsuris (festivals) that happen throughout Tokyo. One thing I find really interesting about Japan is that they have maintained such old traditional customs with such a modern lifestyle. It is very interesting to see them carry traditional mikoshi (floats) through a city filled with skyscrapers. I think it is really interesting to have that mix of tradition and modernity in one place.

How are the relationships with your supervisor and lab members?

I think they are good. My supervisor was very welcoming and understanding of the language barrier and also starting my research. Most of the students in my lab started their research in their undergraduate years at Waseda, so they already knew how the lab worked and I entered with no prior knowledge of how the lab operates. So he has been very welcoming with that, and helping me decide what specifically I want to research and to narrow down my research topic. My labmates have been very welcoming as well. They had a little welcome dinner for me when I came here, so that was really fun. I have lunch together in the lab with my labmates and we talk about things. They also have been really helpful in teaching me some of the background research for the specific programs that we use for simulations.

What is your research about?

My research is focused on optimizing renewable energy systems, specifically photovoltaic (PV) systems. One of the greatest issues facing PV systems is stable and efficient integration with the existing systems for transmitting and distributing power. The variability of PV generation can cause voltage and frequency fluctuations which the current power system cannot handle in an optimal way, thus resulting in wasted electric power. There are several approaches to balancing this supply and demand relationship, such as weather forecasting and system operation optimization. For my research I am focusing on the system side and using computational modeling to analyze how the incorporation of storage devices in a system can limit the impacts of PV generation variability. My research aims to increase the flexibility in power systems so that they can handle increased use of PV sources more efficiently and economically.

What is your career goal after you complete your degree?

Ideally, I would like to work here in Tokyo, but it depends on what career opportunities I get back in the US versus here. It also depends on how proficient my Japanese language is after these two years. Potentially, I might be interested in doing a PhD in the future, but right now most likely I would want to work in Japan after graduation.

Aside from having friends here and enjoying the city, I think there is an opportunity in renewable energy here. A lot of electronics manufacturing and design happens in Asia, in China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. So having work experience in Japan would be really useful even if it is just working for a couple of years in Japan and then moving back to the US.

Do you have any advice for prospective students?

While moving halfway across the world and living abroad can be intimidating, it is one of the best decisions I have made. Aside from good academics and research, I believe you should also follow your passions and interests and have a good life balance. Living in a foreign country is an eye-opening experience that exposes you to many new thoughts, people, and cultures. While it can sometimes be challenging, it is a very enriching thing that more people should experience. I think that if you have an open mind and a positive, adventurous spirit you will be fine in adjusting to life here. I have met so many wonderful people and have had a great experience thus far. One recommendation is to study Japanese before you come, if you can, because it opens many more doors and helps you connect with more people. Though even if you don’t speak any Japanese, if you put in some effort and study while you are here, you can work up to conversational level – just keep trying! The culture is different but one that is very interesting and if you can have that positive outlook you can really appreciate all that Japan has to offer. Waseda is a very welcoming community, just try new things and put yourself out there and you will be amazed with all the connections you can make.

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