カテゴリー: 帰国後の生活

As I mentioned earlier, I lived in a dorm for 1.5 years. Although I enjoyed every moment in QMB, I felt like it was time to leave. I started to feel like living with 800 other students was becoming a bit tiring. So I decided to live in a smaller apartment with 2 close friends. We chose an area very close to USYD (10 minute bus ride). It was also close to amazing local Italian restaurants/cafes, a small shopping mall with several supermarkets, and a cinema with top-quality popcorn. I was very glad to have settled in a nice and safe neighbourhood. Rent wise, moving out was much cheaper than living in QMB, but still relatively expensive. Our apartment had a living room, kitchen, balcony, 1 single room, and 1 shared room (all furnished). I still remember the first night we cooked together. We made a feast for at least 5 people for 3 girls. We drank plenty of red wine, ate too much, and laughed until morning. I still look back at these memories and laugh a little. It was so nice to know that there was always someone at home I can talk to and ask for advice, even at 2 am. If I could relive the time I spent in that small but cozy apartment with these girls, I would definitely do it again.

To be very honest, my grades in my first year were not great and I felt like I just needed to pass. But towards the end of my second year, I started to think about my grades more seriously.

Because I was able to find my area of interest in my second year, attending lectures and tutorials became more engaging and proactive. I remember feeling demotivated to attend lectures in my first year since the classes were not the right fit for me. I also used to sit towards the back of the lecture hall since I knew I would drift off and fall asleep. However, I noticed that I kept moving closer to the lecturer to listen to her/him more closely, and surprisingly, I was wide awake.

I genuinely enjoyed the classes and wanted to achieve higher grades.

Not only did my experience at USYD allowed me to challenge myself and receive grades that I thought I would never be able to obtain, but I was also extremely hopeful to know that I was good at something. I learnt a lot about myself and slowly knew what I wanted to do with my skills.

I remember the first time I felt when I sat on the plane back to Tokyo for the holidays. I felt so safe and warm to know that I would be going back home.

Although I was enjoying my first semester in Sydney, I also missed my family, friends, and Japanese food. Every time I was back, I would spend as much time as I could with family and friends, always busy to catch up with them before I leave again for the next semester.

Because I spent most of these 4 years in Sydney, I began to appreciate my time in Tokyo more and tried to spend time with my family. So each holiday felt very special to me and I always wanted to make the most out of it.

That being said, being so far away from home and family made me appreciate moments with my family. I definitely took them for granted and never confronted myself about the possibility that I may not be able to see them as often as I wish.

A couple of weeks before flying to Sydney, all I could think about was the excitement of starting a new chapter overseas. Little did I know about the responsibility that came with it.

Firstly, I have to thank my mother and brother for traveling to Sydney with me and seeing me off. If it weren’t for them, I don’t think I would have started my life in Sydney very smoothly. I was oblivious to responsibilities such as creating a bank account, choosing a cell phone plan, understanding international health insurance, and who/where to call for emergencies, doing my own laundry and cooking, figuring out where my classes are (the campus was enormous and I got lost too many times), and the list goes on. Of course, it is all very exciting and liberating to start your university experience in a new environment, but it is also crucial to be aware of these responsibilities.

That being said, living away from home made me realise how challenging it is to manage and organise your life. I feel like I was able to become more independent, confident, and mature. I used to rely a lot on my friends and family, but I learnt that I’m capable of accomplishing and discovering things on my own.

While I was in high school, I was too focused on studying the International Baccalaureate that I was not paying attention to what I truly wanted to study and what I wanted from my experience at university.

In my first year, I had no idea what I was passionate about. I was honestly anxious because I felt like I needed to decide my major right on the spot. Thankfully, this was not the case. I’m not sure if other universities are as flexible, but the system at USYD allowed me to select a few electives, encouraging me to find my passion.

As I was attending various classes, I discovered my interest in Psychology and Criminology. From here, my career pathway became more clear but more importantly, I genuinely felt hopeful to find a subject that I was enthusiastic about. Once I decided to focus my studies on Psychology and Criminology, I felt more and more committed to understanding the topics covered in this course. It felt very close to my heart and I knew I wanted to pursue and defend these values in my career.

I believe that it is definitely tough to know what you want out of your studies and experience at university. You may dislike your course at the start, feel like it is too late to change majors, or feel like you’re wasting your time. All of these feelings are completely valid and there is no need to rush things. I think it is only natural that you struggle in the beginning. So my advice is to take your time and slowly discover what you really want.

While I was enrolling for classes, I also had to choose where I wanted to live. I knew that I wanted to live on campus at least for the first year since I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to meet new friends. 

 At the University of Sydney, there are two different types of dormitories. The first type is self-catered accommodations and the second type are residential colleges, which offer three catered meals a day. The main difference between the two is the cost, where colleges are significantly more expensive (due to the catered meals). Another difference is that the students living in self-catered accommodations are mainly international students and exchange students. Students living in colleges are mainly local students. 

I decided to live in an accommodation called Queen Mary Building (QMB). It consisted of roughly 800 students. There are 12 floors in total: 11 resident floors and a rooftop on the 12th floor with barbeque supplies. The first floor has a very big kitchen where students can cook together and socialise. Below the kitchen floor is a spacious lounge where students can relax, host parties, and watch movies. Next to this lounge is a study room. 

I lived in QMB for 1.5 years. I must say that these years went by very, very quickly. Every semester was completely different since more and more students would come in. I would see new faces all the time, which allowed me to interact with more friends. Although I loved every moment of each semester, I think the very first semester was the most memorable for me. 

In this particular semester, I was able to meet a lot of exchange students from all over Europe and become very close with a few of them. Because they were all new to Sydney as well, we all went on hikes, explored good restaurants/bars, and hung out in each other’s room, and just talked for hours on end. However, because their exchange program was only 1 semester, I had to say goodbye to all of them too soon. I still call them from time to time and reminisce about the moments I spent with them. If I ever get the chance to visit Europe, I know I can always contact them and catch up on each other’s lives. 

東京で生まれ、１歳の時 パース（オーストラリア）で８年間生活しました。後に日本に戻り、清泉インターナショナルスクールで高校まで学びました。卒業後、シドニー大学に入学し、心理学の学士号を取得し、犯罪学の大学院の学位を取得しました。現在東京に戻り、生活しています。

I was born in Tokyo and moved to Perth, Australia when I was about a year old. After eight years in Perth, I moved back to Tokyo and attended Seisen International School. After graduating from high school, I moved to Sydney to begin my studies at the University of Sydney.

大学一年目は自分が何を勉強したいのか分からなかったんです。１８歳の年齢で決めるのはとても難しく悩んでいました。しかし、この大学のシステムはとても柔軟性があり、いろんなコースを取ることが出来ました。幸運な事に、心理学と犯罪学を学ぶ事が出来たことは私にとってとても重要な経験となりました。

While I was enrolling for classes, I was not quite sure what I wanted to study. It was very difficult to decide my major at the age of 18. However, the system was very flexible and I was able to change my major whenever I wanted to. With this in mind, I chose a couple of elective classes to get me started. Among these elective classes, I grew interested in Psychology and Criminology. It was exciting and challenging at the same time to study something that I had chosen on my own. Because I was passionate about these subjects, I was eager to learn more and more.

そのコースを取ることによって、違う国々の友達と知り合う事が出来、また違う文化に触れる事によって、色んな考えや意見を学ぶチャンスが出来ました。今ではその友達たちは家族みたいな存在になっています。一緒にコンサート、旅行、そして色んなビーチにも行くことが出来、忘れられない思い出となりました。いつでも連絡を取り合い、信頼出来る仲間がいる事はとても心強いです。

As I was attending lectures and tutorials (separate small classes), I had the opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world, who I can now call family. I was able to appreciate different cultures and understand diverse perspectives. Going to music concerts, going on road trips, and exploring beautiful beaches in inner Sydney was an unforgettable experience. I know that I can always rely on them for anything.

この4年間の経験によって、自分自身をより深く知る事が出来たように思います。自分の人生の方向性が見つからない事に悩んだ時期もありましたが、友達や家族からのアドバイスとサポートがあったからこそ決める事が出来ました。

I can say with confidence that these four years have helped me understand myself more. Although it took a while to figure out what I wanted to do with my career, I was truly blessed to have my close friends and family support me through my decisions.

お久しぶりです、Naokiです。

高校を卒業してから日本で帰国生入試の対策のために予備校に通っていたのですが、生徒が150名程度もいたため、入って間もない頃に「クラス分けテスト」というものがありました。そこでは帰国生入試と同様に、英語と小論文のテストが課せられ、そのレベルによってクラスが分けられました。

私は帰国する前から小論文を教わっていたため、結果的には英語も小論文も上のクラスに入ることができました。正直なところ、「成績でクラス分けたところでそんなに変わらないでしょ、友達と同じクラスがよかったな」と思っていました。

そう思いながらしばらく予備校生活を送っているとあっという間に9月になり、私立大学の入試期間になりました。そこでいくつかの大学に合格し、次は年明けの国立大学の入試に向けて切り替えて勉強に励もうとしていました。私立大学受験後に予備校へ行くと、明らかに生徒の数は減っていました。実は6クラスあった中で上位2つのクラスの生徒以外のほとんどは私立大学入試で受験が終わった人たちでした。私の友達のほとんども志望していた私立大学に合格したため受験が終わっていました。

甘えたことであるのは承知ですが、周りの友達が受験を終えて遊んでいる中で、自分だけ勉強しているのは正直辛かったです。しかし、周りのクラスメイトの多くは私と同じように国立大学を志望していたため、そのような頑張っている人に囲まれて勉強できたことでその辛さは軽減されたように思います。もし自分が他のクラスにいたら国立大学の受験まできちんと頑張れていたかわかりません。もしかしたら友達と一緒に私立大学へ行っていたのかもしれません。そのとき初めて、友達と違うクラスでよかったなと思いました。

日本の高校生の受験期間と比べると帰国生受験などとても短く、一瞬で終わるだろうと思われがちですが、個人的な体感時間としては結構長かったです。それは自分が何校も受験したからかもしれません。その時間を友達と過ごすのも大事ではありますが、自分を高めてくれる人たちが周りにいることが、大学受験にとってはとても大事なことかもしれません。受験期ぐらいは友達と少々疎遠になってしまいますが、頑張って乗り切りましょう！

こんにちは、Naokiです。
海外に住んでいる学生のみなさんは、「日本の大学に入ってから英語を使う機会なんてあるの？」と自身の英語力の低下を心配される方も多いのではないでしょうか。

結論からお話しすると、実際海外に住んでいるときと比べるとやはり英語を使う機会が少なくなってしまうため、英語力は落ちてしまう場合が多いです。
しかし、私の周りにはそうでない人たちもいます。その主な例を今回は紹介します。

1. 積極的に英語を使う部活／サークルに所属している人
2. 帰国後の予備校での友達とのつながりを持っている人
3. 英語で行われる授業を多くとっている人
4. 洋書を多く読むゼミに所属している人

まず「1. 積極的に英語を使う部活／サークルに所属している人」についてです。私の大学には、英語で演劇を行ったり、ディベートなどを行ったりするサークルがあります。そこに所属している知り合いはやはり英語が堪能で、英語力が落ちているとは到底思えません。また私自身が所属している部活は留学生が多く、その対応などを任されているため、英語を使う機会はそれなりに多いです。しかし、やはり十分というわけではないので、英語力は低下してしまっています。

次に「2. 帰国後の予備校での友達とのつながりを持っている人」です。高校卒業後、予備校に通うことになる帰国生のみなさんには、たくさんの帰国生友達ができると思います。大学に入学してからもその友達と連絡をとっている人は、日常的に英語で会話する機会が増えると思います。実際私の周りにも、日常的に英語で会話している帰国生の友達は大勢います。英語力の高い友達と楽しく話しているだけで英語のレベルが維持できるなんて素晴らしいですね。

「3. 英語で行われる授業を多くとっている人」や「4. 洋書を多く読むゼミに所属している人」は帰国生とは直接的に関係なく、大学内で英語力が高い人に見られる傾向です。大学での多くの授業は日本語で行われます。それを英語で受けることによって、ビジネスでも使われる用語や学術用語といったレベルの高い英語に簡単に触れることができます。やはり英語力を維持しようとするのであれば、意識を少し高く持っておくことが必要です。

日本にいるうちは自主的に英語を学ぶような姿勢を取らないと、単語を忘れたり、言い回しが自然と出てこなくなったり、徐々に英語力が落ちていってしまいます。せっかく培った英語力をいまのまま維持するためにも、大学入学後どうするかを軽く考えておくべきだと思います。