Living independently and studying in a new country is incredibly refreshing and enlightening for me. I was warned many times about culture shock, but I did not really experience it at all. I did a lot of research, kept an open mind, and dropped all preconceptions I had of the country. I was more surprised about how lovely the weather was and how much more intense my studies were, both quite different from Loughborough.
It was challenging. The language barrier was my main obstacle. Fortunately, the International Centre at Joshibi organised weekly lessons for me at the town hall and designated one of their students as a mentor for me. I also took extra classes externally in a nearby city because I found it quite fun. When it came to me having to give a 2-minute presentation at the end of my second semester, I decided to present in both spoken and written Japanese, and it worked out very well. It goes to show that the whole experience (with all of its obstacles) was a brilliant opportunity for personal growth.