The English Department of Tsurumi University has a program which provides an opportunity for students who are willing and eager to take up the challenge of long overseas study. Here, we learn about the recent experience (in 2022) of one student, Nagisa Sato. Let's find out what life is like as a student attending the University of Regina, located in beautiful Saskatchewan in Canada. After the interview, please check out all the gorgeous photos!
★ What was the most surprising culture shock you had in Canada?
Students’ independence! The feeling of being independent that most of the college students there had was something that really surprised me. I had a couple of Canadian friends, and once they told me they started to live by themselves at 18 or 19 years old, which sounded early to me. I started to learn how to cook and clean more after coming back to Japan to get more independent and ready for living by myself in the future.
★What was your most memorable moment in Canada?
I saw aurora [Aurora Borealis] in Wascana Lake, the lake in front of my university, and it was an unforgettable moment there. I was hoping to travel to the North of Canada to see the Northern lights but gave up on the plan because of the expensive flight ticket. It was a good luck that I could see them in Regina. They were so beautiful!
★What was the most difficult challenge you had while studying in Canada?
Well, it was really difficult to finish my assignments in my class. Since I was in a higher class in ESL program, there were many technical things, like some kinds of grammar and vocabulary, in the assignment which I had never learnt before. I dealt with them by prioritizing working on them to finish them first before going out and asking for my teacher’s help sometimes.
★Did you miss your family and friends in Japan?
I really missed my family and friends the whole time in Regina! With the very different time zone, it was hard to call and message when my family and friends would be awake. But we tried our best to keep in touch. It felt amazing when I saw them in person after coming back to Japan.
★Did you have a difficulty speaking English?
For the first couple of weeks, yes. When I arrived at Regina, I had to do almost everything by myself. I do remember I was crying in front of the receptionist because I could not understand what they were talking about.
★How did you live there?
Because of worries about Covid, I lived in a dormitory on campus first. It was easy to get connected to the people in that building, and I did not feel lonely so much. It was like our own community.
★Did you get used to the cold in Canada?
Never! Since Regina has colder weather compared to other provinces, it had a lot of snow and blizzards. It sometimes got to -40℃ in the winter! Even if I made layers with sweaters and jacket, they didn't work most of time, and I was shaking all the time there. So we would spend lots of time inside, where it was warm and cozy.
★What did you learn in Canada, apart from your studies?
I learnt the importance of communication. There was the time once that I had a problem with my friends, and we had a kind of silent period afterwards. But not communicating with each other never solved any issues that we had. But our friendship got back again once we communicated our true feelings and started getting to know the needs of ourselves and each other. It was an important lesson for my life, I think.
★What food did you like in Canada?
I really loved ‘Poutine’, the Canadian French fries. Poutine is the fries with blown gravy and a bit of cheese on top. I really loved the combination of the fries and sauce, and the rich taste was really addictive. I really miss the fries in Canada!
★How did you improve your English skills through your life in Canada?
I tried to avoid speaking Japanese and tried to use English skills as much as possible. I personally believed that it would be better if I could make the environment where I cannot use my own language. I made many international friends and volunteered as an interpreter to get more opportunity to use English.
★Well, thank you very much, Nagisa. It seems like you had a really wonderful adventure in Canada. Thank you for telling me your stories and insights and for all the great photos. It will help other students to think about trying this out.
★My pleasure! The overseas study program changed my life! Thank you for giving me the chance to share my adventure with others.
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Nagisa's Photos of Canada
The photos below were all taken by English Department student Nagisa Sato -along with a few shots taken by her friends- during her stay in Canada on the long study abroad program in 2022. Each photo is captioned by Nagisa. Note that some of the photos are of travels within Canada as well as on the campus of Regina. Students of course spend most of their time studying, but they can also find the time for special trips. Nagisa wanted to share how beautiful the country is. Note also that everyone who appears in these photos gave their assent. Oh, and the photos are not always in complete chronological order.
Nagisa is a fourth year student at Tsurumi, graduating in 2024. If you happen to see her on campus, say hello, or even Merry Christmas! We can all learn a lot from her inspirational experience.
(Note that students wishing to be chosen for the long overseas program should prepare for the interview process by doing all they can to improve their English long before that. This will entail doing all your coursework well, participating actively in class, obtaining a TOEIC and/or EIKEN score (or other), participating in the Reader Marathon, joining Irish and/or English Cafe, and reading in general in English. Joining Book Cafe is another suggestion. Just any way you can think of how to make efforts to make your English better will be much appreciated.)