By Adrià Ramoneda (BSc Economics with a Year Abroad)
WASEDA UNIVERSITY, TOKYO
Tokyo, a captivating amalgamation of tradition and innovation, a bustling metropolis whose residents, much like a clock’s hands, move with purpose and precision. A laberinth-esque city, with multiple layers of convoluted passages, for once being lost is not inducive of panic but of serene tranquillity. Inexplicably, the mind falls silent, the constant drumming thoughts dissipate along with your worries, and the senses readjust or rather heighten. You become a wanderer, slowly encountering temples and shrines, enchanted by their structural beauty you are left in awe, contemplating a cultural heritage site that is a testament of collective human effort and diligent dedication to honing one’s craft. As you continue the excursion, you pass by several small businesses, often owned by a humble and welcoming individual or family, specializing in no more than a handful of goods. Each establishment is meticulously decorated in great detail, reflecting its importance to the owner, and capturing a piece of their mind. Nestled between this jungle of wonders, (found) in the ward of Shinjuku, is the world-renowned Waseda University.
Being fortunate enough to have the means and being presented with the opportunity, for me going to study abroad was a must and it’s a decision I will forever be grateful for. With an endless list of destinations at my disposal, I resolved to travel to Japan, a place with profound richness in culture, exceptional culinary delights and possessing academic institutions with very strong economic programs. At the time of writing this, I have resided in Japan for nine months and to put it briefly, the experience has been eye-opening on many levels. From an academic perspective, I chose to challenge myself while simultaneously exploring other disciplines – this was out of interest and to acquire additional skills that would benefit me later on in my career – choosing courses from multiple fields: law, computer science, economics, finance, and politics. In hindsight, I could have reduced the intensity of my academic choices, since the workload and complexity of some of the courses kept me frequenting the library on a daily basis, leaving less room for leisure.
Nevertheless, the people I met along the way, including passionate students with tremendous work ethic and professors of the highest calibre with years of experience in their respective field, proved to be an invaluable source of inspiration. The friendships forged and subsequent memories created, be it in the classroom or whilst exploring Japan, has undoubtedly further improved my objective reasoning and global vision of reality.
It’s hard to vocalise just how life altering my experience abroad has been, something that can only be understood if experienced first-hand. For those uncertain about studying in another country, if there is ever a better time to go, it is now. Take risks and make mistakes, but most importantly learn from them.
UEAs “Study Abroad Team” is composed of highly competent professionals, who have been readily available throughout my time abroad and made the application process – an arduous task – surprisingly simple.