Nine students of University of Aizu (UoA) had three-weeks short-term Oversea Programs at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, USA on UoA's short-term Overseas Study Programs for Academic year 2014.

Here are their reports of their research and daily life in USA.

Participants

• Ms. Maiko Arakawa (a first-year student)
• Mr. Mikio Endo (a first-year student)
• Mr. Yuta Sugii (a first-year student)
• Mr. Kazutoshi Sugita (a first-year student)
• Mr. Shumpei Tosa (a first-year student)
• Ms. Kagome Naya (a first-year student)
• Ms. Saori Nemoto (a second-year student)
• Ms. Mami Yokokawa (a third-year student)
• Mr. Rikuto Watanabe (a first-year student)

Grade during the program

Study Report

Maiko Arakawa (a first-year student)

I went to the America during the spring vacation. Some people feel three weeks are long. Some people feel three weeks are short. I felt three weeks passed quickly. I have understood my English ability or American life because I had been to America once. I had understood that three weeks are passed quickly and I couldn't get anything without my active action. I wanted to study abroad to improve my English skills and to make Aizu better. I want to know the good points of Aizu, good points of University of Aizu, not good points of Aizu and not good points of University of Aizu and make Aizu or University of Aizu better places.

First week, I thought I wanted to go back home many times because it was difficult for me to talk with university students. I couldn't find the chance to talk to university students. I was worried why I couldn't talk to someone. I heard people who had been to Rose-Hulman before had spent with their buddies but we didn't have always same classes with our buddies. Unfortunately, I didn't often see my roommates. I didn't do anything without greeting. My roommates used a computer or did her homework so I couldn't talk to her. I'm disappointed that. A week later, I thought "First, I should talk with buddies". That make my mind light and I enjoyed the conversation with them.

My purpose of this studying is to make Aizu better and I want to know the good point of America. To be honest, I was troubled about communicating with other people so it was difficult for me to find the good points. I found the some good points.

First, in America, there are many kinds of restaurants. In Aizu, there are only Italian restaurants or Japanese restaurants. My buddy said that. In America, I ate hamburgers, pie, pizza and Californian pizza nevertheless I stayed there only three weeks. I heard there were many kinds of national restaurants like stake or Italian. We couldn't go because price was high or there was no time. We could go to Asian shop to buy Asian materials when we made Japanese dishes.

Second, I found the exterior of American buildings and monuments were very beautiful. For example, houses, city hall or courthouse. I'm sure you can enjoy seeing such buildings. Road is wide and orderly. The rows of houses are like art work. That design is like "Seishun-street" in Aizu. There are many monuments in the town, so we enjoyed wandering.

Last, I'd like to introduce University. I was impressed with free spaces for students. There were some free places and tables and chairs were set there. There is coffee cafe "Java City". We could study or communicate with others with coffee or meal. In the University of Aizu, we aren't allowed to eat anything in classrooms so I wonder where I should spend in my free time. If there are spaces we can relaxed, students will communicate with others of course with exchange-students, or study more.

I regret not to have communicated with others well. When I went to the America before, I found my English ability is low. But this time, I could understand what my friends said and I could make them understand what I meant. I thought about topic. I asked about them, shop or building. I don't think that is daily conversation. I want to touch the culture of America like music, TV-show or movie from now on.

Making the most of what I learned, I want to grow more.

Mikio Endo (a first-year student)

The best I could learn is doing proactive approach. When I went to the RHIT, I could not talk to other people because I did not have confidence. However after I talked with person who lived in my dormitory room I thought talking to other people without fear is the best the way to speak English. RHIT students were very kind and they listened to what I spoke carefully. When I did not understand what they said, they told me again very kindly.

Immediately I arrived in America, I felt the first week is very long. After that the second and third weeks are very quickly, and that week, I experienced different culture.

Looking back at this period, I found what not enough in my study was. And it was very short term but very nice experience, so I suggest going to RHIT.

Yuta Sugii (a first-year student)

I went to study abroad for the first time. I enjoyed the life to speak only English at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, US.

Why did I go there? I had 3 reasons. First, I joined classes at RHIT. Second, I made friends on US. Third, skill up of English. When I went there, it was different from what I had thought. It was so good experience for me that I cannot write down all of things in this sentence. I got the best things. It's a motivation to learn English. I couldn't get it when I live in Japan because I often talk in Japanese and almost foreign people who live in Japan have skills to talk Japanese very well, so I try hardly to talk in English on US for three weeks. Of course, it was different how to learn English on school. If I can't talk in English, I can't live in US. I mean I need to talk on common days, so I studied all of a day.

Now, I can notice the huge world exists in this world, and understand other culture. I act anything on University of Aizu with those things. Those activity's motivations were included all things for this 3 weeks. As a result, I love my friends who taught me motivations on US. I'd like to talk about the good old days and show how far I have come on the future, so I'll try hard to learn English more and more.

Kazutoshi Sugita (a first-year student)

I joined study abroad program at Rose Hulman institute of technology by using spring vacation. It was only three weeks but it was valuable memory.

I have three big reasons why I joined this program. First, I was not satisfied in this University. It was possible to use English in daily life here, but I'm not that kind of person. The reason why I don't use English is the environment around me. When I first came in to the University of Aizu, I was thinking this University is global school which uses English in classes. But in the fact, it wasn't. In the freshman year, we had only few classes which use English and the most of students around me was not enthusiastic in studying English. What I was hoping at this university was totally different so I was very dissatisfied. So I choose to use my spring vacation to join study abroad program.

This time was not first time for me to go abroad so it was not fresh, but it was first time for me to go out of Japan after I became University student so it was new experience.

I think the University of Aizu has a big chance for students who have enthusiastic or have interests in study. If you have any interest in English even a bit, I recommend you to join study abroad program. You can get different values of different countries by joining this program so please join!

Shumpei Tosa (a first-year student)

This is the first time for me to go abroad. In Japan, it is said that Japan is a safe place, so if you are in abroad, you must be careful. But in Rose-Hulman, I don't have to worry about it. For example, when we have a lunch, we go to cafeteria. And we have to put a baggage into a locker out of the cafeteria. But there is no one who steals it.

RHIT students are very friendly. For example, when we were playing some sports or games, other student came and said "Let me join." It was a good opportunity to be a friend. In class, as we've heard, most students were raising their hands up or asking a question. It was impressing for me.

We ate American food at RHIT. For example, pizza, hamburger, cake, cookie, and so on. If you keep eating them, you will gain weight. But we didn't. Because we exercised at Gym. Some of my friends lost weight in USA. Moreover, we have billiards and the game looks like curling, we played it with friends and buddies. The students in RHIT are good at switching their mind. When they are playing, they are really excited playing. But, if they have to study, just they do. While I was at RHIT, I could learn so many things.

Kagome Naya (a first-year student)

It was my second time to go study abroad. I've been to Rose Hulman Institute of Technology for 3 weeks. It was really short time, but we were able to experience American life style, the university and also to make lots of friends. I miss them all the time when I read or listen English, and I'll never forget everything that I've done there.

I haven't told people this story, but when I came back home after the first time study abroad, I thought I would never go to study abroad. Now, I really need to say thank you to my parents, the professors who interviewed me, and everybody who related to this study abroad. For the first one, I decided to go study abroad because I hate studying English. I don't want to study it, so I just put myself to the place where I must study English. That's the reason and that's why I couldn't enjoy well. And when my friends asked me about the study abroad, always I just told them "Do not do study abroad", and just go to trip. This time, I say, "Do it! Go to RHIT! This is the thing that you must do in this university". People who like English, want to study it but don't know how to do it, know you will need it later but don't want to study because don't like it... everybody who don't like English like me, I'll recommend to go there, RHIT. You will find every answer for those pretexts.

Saori Nemoto (a second-year student)

This time, I stayed in the Rose Hulman institute of technology for 3 weeks using the short-term program that supported by university of Aizu. I was interested in foreign culture because I like to listen to foreign movie and music. Furthermore, I wanted to tell the good point of the foreign culture to more my friends, because there are many foreign students and foreign professors in the University of Aizu. However, I had not been abroad. So I decided to go abroad to understand the good point of the foreign culture. And I decided that I applied for this program.

The first week that I went to the United States, I get bewildered in unfamiliar environments and I had language barrier. So I was full of anxious feelings. But one week later, I came to understand what people said and I got be able to convey my thoughts in English and gestures. Then every day was really fun and I think I want to be there more when three weeks were over.

I took classes at RHIT, I realized that aggressiveness of the students. They speak actively and a tempo of the class was very good. So I felt it was fun. At after school, we played some video games or sports with some foreign friends. They were always kind and understood my poor English. And we made many memories. I will never forget those memories.

I experienced this short-term program and it greatly changed my attitude to the rest of my life. And I become to take an active part in some projects. I'll practice to speak English more and I will try to use this experience into something positive.

Mami Yokokawa (a third-year student)

I went to Rose-Hulman for short term study abroad for three weeks on spring vacation. The time of staying at Rose-Hulman was a great experience and felt too short.

In Rose-Hulman, I took three classes. My classes were a using Python class, an algorithms class and a Japanese class. First, in a using Python class, I had never used Python. But it was easy to understand Python because our teacher taught well and gave us some sample code. Second, an algorithms class was easy to study because this class was similar to algorithms class in Aizu. Finally, in Japanese class, we could communicate with some students in Rose-Hulman in Japanese. Many of students in Japanese class like Japanese Anime and Manga.

I compared food that is sold in America and Japan, American food is much bigger. For example, Haagen-Dazs ice cream in America is about five times bigger than one in Japan. It tasted good. I recommend it when you go to Wal-Mart. We often ate meals in Rose-Hulman cafeteria. We can eat some American foods. For example, pancakes, pizza and hamburger. They were delicious. And you can make own waffle in the cafeteria. It is easy and fun to make waffles.

I often became negative at staying in Rose-Hulman. I regretted it strongly. I will try to be active from now on. Studying abroad will be a chance that inspire you and consider yourself. If you cannot decide to apply studying abroad, you should apply. You will be inspired by studying abroad.

Rikuto Wakanabe (a first-year student)

I went to study abroad at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in the United States in Indianapolis during this spring break. University of Aizu has three study abroad programs. I chose Rose Hulman Institute of Technology from them. I thought that I experienced a lot of fresh things at Rose Hulman. I could know clearly about the difference of university of Japan between American one. Only professor speaks at Lecture in Japan. However American one is a debate style. Students and professor are talk and learn each other. I felt that everyone of Rose Hulman is earnestly and they have a high consciousness and spend their life in RHIT.

I want to improve my English skills and I want to break my prejudice by spending times at overseas. And I want to get large sight and think about everything than old me. That is why I joined this study abroad program. At first it was difficult for me to hear their English. And I couldn't say what I want to say. That was very sad. However after I spent 3 weeks at Rose Hulman, I could tell things that I want to say and I became able to hear their English better than that time when I came to RHIT. So I enjoyed time at Rose Hulman. I could broke my prejudice and change it. And I can see clearly many good points of Japan within 3 weeks. Now I think that I want to learn at graduate school in America and I want to apply to midterm study abroad program of Aizu University. Then I thought that I want to know a lot of things. It was important experience for me to spend time at Rose Hulman. I really think that it was good to participate in short term study abroad program.