Graduation Project Taiga Onodera う | Page 8

1st-2nd year

I went to the entrance ceremony of Kindai university with my junior high school friend and his friend who I had never met. I tried to get along with them,but I realized that I was different from them, we could not get together, so I did not have so many friends. However, through the classes of ELS and the soccer club, I could made many friends. In my 1st year, I studied about foreign culture and prepared for studying abroad.

In September of 2019, I went to study abroad in the US. Everything that I had seen was inspiring. By studying in the US, I learned English and communication skills,how to live without my family’s support, foreign culture and gentlemanliness.

I lived in a dormitory when I was in the US. Although Kindai university told us that there are many foreigners in the dormitory, there were no foreigners, all of residents were Japanese ,so I thought that making an American friend might be difficult because my school in the US is a place where students learn English, there were no American students, we usually did not have opportunities to make contact with American students. One day, I went to the gym, and I found that many people were playing basketball. I had played basketball for 10 years, so I thought this is a chance to get to know other university students. I was shy, but I pushed myself to ask them whether I can play with them or not. Then, I joined and played basketball well. Because of my good basketball skills, they acknowledged me as a friend. Through

basketball and a little brave, I was able to make great friends. They taught

me how to live in the US, rules and culture, they were a big help for me.

Also, before I went to the US, I had not done so many chores in my home,

but in the US, I had to do everything by myself. I could have known how

hard daily house chores, how my mother has done well. I often went to the supermarket that takes much time from my dormitory. My money was limited, so I needed to save money. Every time I went to the market, I compared some products to choose a cheaper one. These chores and experiences will bring much benefits when I have my own family in the future. By saving some money, I was able to travel. Of course , I like to travel with my friends, but I often traveled alone. I went to New York City many times. The first time I went to the NY, I got lost on the way NY, I was not used to speaking English so I could not find the way by myself, but one young American saved me. He showed me the way to the city,good restaurants, and good places to sightseeing. Due to his big help ,I decided to help foreigners in Japan, if they are in problem. By traveling alone, I could practice English and learn how to communicate with others. As I described above, I had obtained a lot of things in the US. However, I got one more thing in the US that is the most important: some of my Japanese Kindai friends who went to the same school in the US. I lived in the dormitory with them for eight months. We helped each other a lot. We gathered at night and played some games while we were eating dinner. We shared our stories and traveled a lot. I usually don’t express my feelings,but I do when I talk with them. If they had not been in the same university, I could not have experienced and grew up while I was in the US. They were necessary for me. Even after we came back to Japan, our relationships are still continuing. Actually, I am working at a Japanese restaurant with one of them so we sometimes gather in our restaurant to drink and eat.