The desire to study abroad and the COVID-19 epidemic

When I was a junior high school student, I lived in Singapore for a year. Living in an environment and values entirely different from those of Japan was very refreshing, and I felt that I really grew up. So, I had been thinking of studying a field that interested me by going abroad again while in university.

Looking back on the summer when I was a first-year student, I felt that I wasn't able to accomplish much; one of the causes being the cancellation of the Study English Abroad (SEA) Program, which I was thinking of applying for, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, in the summer of sophomore, still under the pandemic, I decided to apply for the Summer Study Abroad Program---I did not want to put aside my desire to study abroad, and also, even though the program turned out to be held online, I wanted to make a choice where I might be able to grow, even a little, rather than spending time doing nothing.

Since I was considering development studies as my major for studying abroad, I chose the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London in the United Kingdom. The reasons for choosing the School werewas that I had been attracted by England, the birthplace of development studies, and that I was interested in classes specializing in Asian and African regional studies.

Days spent tackling assignments and discussions

The Online Academic Summer School at SOAS was split into two sessions of two weeks each, and I took courses related to international development and international relations. The classes for international relations and development studies I took at ICU were primarily theory-oriented, but the classes at SOAS took up and delved into individual issues such as nuclear weapons and terrorism, engaging in a topic in a more practical way, and this enabled me to perceive fresh aspects that I hadn't noticed before. For example, in a class titled "Conflict and International Development", we had discussions on occurrence and reasons of violence in light of practical problems, and also debated, from various perspectives, about the differences of targets which the categories of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers signify, both of which were quite impressive. I was able to deepen my understanding of the news that we usually see or cases that we believe with no thought, by sharing, with other members, the frame of mind of thinking while asking, "What is the fact about it?"

As for my day-to-day life during this summer school period, since there were many assignments for each class, I had to work on them or study on my own all through the morning until noon, due to the time difference, and then attend classes from around 17:00. Moreover, I had to study hard, harder than regular university classes, such as by writing essays while preparing for the classes, reading 50 to 60 pages a day on average. In addition, since I was studying alone for most of the day because of the program held online, I had a hard time maintaining my motivation at the beginning.

Many of the other session members had a master's degree or were working adults who had the experience of actually working at international organizations. Because of this and also due to differences in experience and language barriers, it was hard for me to participate in discussions at the beginning of the program. However, since I had made a decision to complete this opportunity while making it a meaningful one, I prepared for the class by asking the teachers to send me handouts or deciding what to ask in discussions beforehand.

How I grew up through Online Academic Summer School

Given the limited period of four weeks, I was greatly irritated by the feeling of time just passing by, because I was initially unable to actively participate in the classes. Even after the program was over, I still had a strong feeling of regret, thinking that I might have been able to try harder. Nonetheless, looking back on the experience, I think I was able to learn a variety of things even under the restriction of the program held online.

One example of what I learned would be that I was able to acquire a frame of mind to cast an eye on the world as a whole--not just looking from the Japanese perspective. This has been made possible by: being able to deepen the knowledge on international relations and development studies, which were my original aim; being able to learn about the present situation of development and international cooperation through discussions with members having diverse knowledge and experience; and discussing with those more knowledgeable and experienced than I, beyond generations, on an equal footing.

I have realized the importance of taking action in accordance with the initial goal I set for myself. Also, by discovering the fascination of international relations through the classes, I feel I was able to accumulate experience, which would provide a direction for my future path. At present, I have not been able to make up my mind on what course I would major in or on my career path, but by participating in online summer school, I think I was able to find a new interest and move a step forward.

I would like those who are wavering between whether to study abroad or not, to go abroad and find what you can do in your own way toward the goal you wish to achieve.