Reede Lowery (2018 Exchange student from Northern Lights College, Canada)

I have done and experienced so many amazing things during my stay in Japan. My main goal in coming to Japan was to learn more about the Japanese language and culture. I want to become a English teacher in Japan so knowing both the language and culture is essential if I want to do my absolute best in this country. I also really enjoy Japanese literature and learning the language would help me to appreciate some of the written beauty that tends to get lost in translation. But like any other foreign country it takes a lot of hard work and effort to fully understand the language and culture. Luckily my teachers are excellent and always do what they can to help me in my studies. Actually, all of the school staff that I have met have been really great and always assist me when I’m having trouble. There is so much paperwork and bureaucracy involved when studying abroad so I am very grateful that the university staff were always able to help with it. This type of sentiment can also be applied to most of my other experiences in Osaka. While traveling through cities and towns I’d often be able to ask someone for help if I became lost or disorientated. Afterall my time here I can say with confidence that people in Osaka are very down to Earth and easy-going. This type of kindness was also extremely helpful with the transition from moving from a small Canadian town to a busy Japanese city. The university staff also often let me know of upcoming events and occasions which I could see or participate in. I really appreciated this because a lot of these events I would never have known about otherwise. Overall, my year in Japan has been a truly wonderful experience and I hope that more students can experience it as well.