Student Life

Ms. ZHOU JIAQI from China

I am ZHOU JIAQI, coming from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China. And I will study here for about one year, as an exchange student. The reason why I chose Nagasaki University was quite simple. This exchange program in our school is supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council, so the appliers don’t need to make any payment once they are qualified. Moreover, the strength and competence of economics in Nagasaki University is also outstanding in Japan. So I believe that I can improve myself a lot in this atmosphere, as well as get to know more about Japanese culture and economy.

It took me about two weeks to adapt to this new environment. In addition to the language problem, we also had many procedures to handle. I don’t know what things will be without the help from my teachers and seniors. Thanks to their help, I was able to get used to the life here quickly. I am so glad to share my experience in Nagasaki with you.

Dormitory

The dormitory lies in Nishimachi, and it is quite new. We have almost everything in the dormitory and the surroundings are also satisfying, although the rent is much higher compared to that in China. The first thing confused me was the garbage classification, since Japan is such a country with strict regulations on garbage. We have three dustbins on the balcony, and one in each bedroom. In the beginning, I had to check the guidance pasted on the wall before throwing garbage. What's more, we have to wake up early if we need to throw out the garbage, usually earlier than 8 am. But there are also many warm things. For instance, every weekday, a traffic police will stand at crossroads, and make morning greetings to students and those go for work. It seems that this kind of positive energy has been passed from person to person.

Sakura

Sakura is a symbol is Japan. I was so lucky to arrive in Nagasaki in March, because it gave me the chance to appreciate the beautiful Sakura, which was so amazing that even took my breeze away. In China, we also have cherry blossoms, but they are different, since the blossoms are much fewer and smaller than those in Japan. Here, you can go to a park for “Hanami”, where a huge number of Sakura trees are planted, while chances are rare that you can see so many Sakura trees at the same place in China.

Inasa Yama

Undoubtedly, Nagasaki is such a city which can give me some surprise from time to time. I went to Inasa Yama with my friends from China, and they came to Nagasaki University for a short term study tour. In spite of the strong wind, they seemed to be attracted by the scenery in front of them, the mountains, the sea, the ships, and the sunset. The best time to see Nagasaki from the Inasa Yama is at night. We can see the Nagasaki Port, shopping malls nearby, as well as the cottages and houses, which extend to the top of the mountains. Imagine you are eating in the canteen on the top of Inasa Yama, and though the French windows, you can have good view of the nightscape of Nagasaki. How romantic it is!

In addition to Inasa Yama, There are also beautiful places like Glover Garden and Iojima. Make sure to go to these places if you are in Nagasaki.

Badminton Activities

After visiting the training of badminton circle, I decided to join them, because everyone in this circle seems to be so energetic, especially the girls. Don’t be cheated by their appearance, although they look so pretty and delicate outside the gymnastic, when playing badminton, they can also be very vigorous. The reception party held for freshmen was fantastic, too. It is apparent to us that the seniors have spent a lot of time in preparing it, like the food, drinks, dessert, etc. It had left me a good memory that I will cherish for all my life. And since I’m a foreign student, the president is always very warm-hearted and patient to me, which make me feel so warm.

In China, the clubs or circles in school are completely different from those in Japan in their attitude to them. In China, most students just want to have fun and meet more friends, so they will not spend too much time on it. While in Japan, the clubs are usually quite serious, members are basically required to take part in all the activities held. And sometimes, their time spent on clubs or sports is longer than that in study.

I was shocked that the Japanese are so crazy about sports, including many elderly people. I took part in an activity held by the foreign student association and Chikyukan, where both students and social people can participate in. I was included in a group with 4 students and 3 social people, and one of them is 75 years old. However, the grey-haired grandpa was unexpectedly enthusiastic and energetic. He could play several competitions in a raw without any break, which was really unbelievable. I can’t help asking myself “When I turn to 75, can I run as fast as him?”

For the Future

Now I've completely adapted to my life in Nagasaki, and I like living here, including the environment, the people, and the transportation. Besides, I also made many good friends here, some of them are Japanese, and some are foreign students. Wherever they are from, all of them have left me precious memories. So I hope to stay in Japan as long as possible. Now I'm preparing for the Japanese N1 test and TOEFL test, in order to enter a graduate school here after my exchange.