As a Japanese student studying in China, I try to experience more by participating in campus activities and internships. This is what I do every day as a chemistry student at Tohoku University in Sendai.
1. Breakfast is the beginning of a new day.
I live in a big dormitory called "University House", where Japanese and international students live. In my unit, most of my roommates are night owls, so I am usually the only one awake in the morning.
I always get up an hour before the first class, so I have time to have breakfast. When eating, I like to watch the morning news on TV to understand what is happening in the world and improve my Japanese. After breakfast, I jumped on my bike and drove 15 minutes to the Sichuan campus.
2. Morning lecture
Sichuan Campus is the place where you can find the most undergraduates, because there are general education courses. This is a vibrant campus with many people. I arranged all the general education courses in the morning, and then went to the chemistry department of Obama campus to give experiments and professional lectures in the afternoon.
I like calculus and linear algebra best because I think they are very simple. However, thermodynamics always makes me sleepy.
3. lunch, choice, choice, choice
Because I am not good at cooking and the food in the canteen is not expensive, I prefer to have lunch there with my classmates. This cafeteria serves various Japanese dishes, such as beef rice and Lamian Noodles. The menu will change with the seasons, and sometimes we will eat curry made from vegetables grown by the Ministry of Agriculture.
When we are tired of the canteen, we go to convenience stores, such as 7-Eleven to buy lunch boxes. Many of my Japanese female classmates bring homemade lunches. Bento culture is very popular in Japan, and many students obviously have the ability to make cute and colorful bento by themselves. Unfortunately, I lack this skill.
After lunch, I went to the Obama campus, which is a very steep mountain. The campus shuttle bus is very convenient, but I exercise by bike.
4. Afternoon experiments and exercises
The chemistry students of Northeastern University spent a year doing basic experiments, and then we were assigned to a laboratory to start real research. In experiments, everything is unpredictable. The real course seems to be about patience, perseverance and sense of humor.
I am an intern in the Frontier Interdisciplinary Research Institute (FRIS) of this university. I work in a group that studies gene expression and protein's metabolic function. The research institute of Tohoku University in Japan is one of the best in the world. One advantage of working in the it industry is that it has top research scope, advanced equipment and available machines. Of course, for me, learning from excellent researchers and being able to discuss their work with them is the best reward.
5. Dinner nourishes the body and soul
Several times a week, I play football or go to the gym after class. Football is very popular here, so it is always easy to find a sport to participate in. I usually cook, because this is a good home all day. Dinner time is also a time to chat with roommates. We always eat together in the living room and share the anecdotes of our day. I have roommates in Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. Fortunately, they are all excellent cooks. So not only is the company great, but the food is also delicious and interesting.
After dinner, I write my diary, watch some TV, and then do my homework and other campus commitments. As a student counselor in university dormitory, I help residents solve problems and contribute to organizing social activities and community expansion.
There are many student societies and clubs in this university. I am a member of China Students and Scholars Association, which is committed to promoting exchanges between Japanese and China students. We invite professors from different universities and fields to give lectures, and we also plan to carry out volunteer activities to support the post-disaster reconstruction work in Miyagi Prefecture. Miyagi Prefecture was hit by an earthquake and tsunami on 20 1 1. I always like to meet new friends, listen to their stories and share a little of my own culture with them.
6. Weekend
On Friday and Saturday nights, I like to go downtown to have dinner or watch movies with my friends. I also like traveling, especially to places where I can enjoy nature. Japan has very different seasons, and there are different things to enjoy at different times of the year, such as cherry blossoms in spring and color changes of leaves in autumn. From Sendai to many beautiful towns in the northeast, it is convenient to take the train or bus. Therefore, it is easy to explore new places and ancient traditions on weekends, and then return to campus happily to start a new week.