This past January, I had the privilege of studying abroad in Tokyo, Japan on a San Jose State University faculty-led program for two amazing weeks. I got to explore Tokyo and learn more about the culture all while taking a course on dynasty and dynamism. Seeing Japan in person was so incredible; images I had seen online came to life in front of my own eyes, which was an incomparable experience.
I learned so much about not only Japanese culture, but about myself throughout this trip.Here are four ways that studying abroad helped my personal growth.
- I learned how to be comfortable alone
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I’ve always considered myself to be fairly independent, but traveling to Japan by myself was a whole different level of independence. I had never been this far away from loved ones, so I was forced to become more comfortable with being by myself. Since I was not traveling with family or friends, this meant I was on my own for a lot of the trip. I ate at a restaurant for the first time alone which was very different but a good experience.
I was forced to become comfortable with walking and taking the train by myself so that I could explore parts of Japan independently. Walking around Tokyo alone truly felt like a main character moment!
I also had my own hotel room, which helped me learn to value being alone. Since I’ve been home from my travels, I have started prioritizing my alone time, which has been very beneficial for my mental well-being. Being apart from loved ones forced me to make decisions independently and now, I feel more confident in the choices I make.
- Independent travel without family
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Studying abroad gave me the opportunity to travel to a new place without my family or friends, which was daunting at first. I had only flown alone to Hawaii and Oregon. The thought of navigating through a different continent terrified me, but I am so glad that my fear did not stop me from going on this trip. I was able to successfully navigate myself through an international airport and train stations all throughout Tokyo. I also fulfilled all of the pre-travel requirements on my own, which helped me feel more comfortable with traveling internationally in the future. Traveling without family and friends is scary at first, but now that I’ve done it, I would 100% want to travel alone again!
- Make new friends
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One of the biggest benefits of studying abroad in my opinion is that you get to meet so many new people. I was pushed out of my comfort zone since I didn’t know anybody prior to the trip, but I was able to get along with everyone very easily! I made so many friends who I would not have met if it weren’t for the study abroad program. Now, I see all of the people I traveled with around campus fairly often. It is so nice to see more familiar faces around school! It blows my mind that I would not have talked to the people who I studied abroad with if I did not take a chance on this Japan trip. The people I traveled with were there for me when I needed support, and I will always be grateful for the way they were there for me. Getting to go through this experience with new people was incredible and I would do it all over again.
- Experience different cultures
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One of the most fun aspects of studying abroad is getting to experience a new culture first-hand. The reason why my major made studying abroad a requirement is so that public health majors can be culturally well-rounded and educated, which contributed immensely to my personal knowledge.
There are many cultural norms in Japan that we don’t practice in America, such as how tipping at restaurants in Japan is seen as rude, but tipping is expected in America. I got to try new foods and eat authentic Japanese food; I also got to compare restaurants that we have in America which are also in Japan. I also got to learn more Japanese and gain a new language background. There are also so many once in a lifetime experiences to be had while studying abroad, which you may only be able to do in that location. For example, I got to see sumo wrestling in Japan, which I would never be able to see anywhere else!
Becoming more culturally educated has become even more of a priority to me since I got home. Getting to experience a new culture made me want to learn more and take advantage of future travel opportunities!
Overall, I had a great experience studying abroad in Japan. I got to make irreplaceable memories and I met so many amazing people. I grew immensely as an individual and got to broaden my knowledge on various topics. I feel so lucky to have had the privilege to visit Tokyo and further my education through this program. There are endless benefits to studying abroad, and I would recommend taking advantage of any opportunity to do so!
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