Study Abroad

Yu Ogata

I spent about one year in Mexico as an exchange student. Everything I saw and all the people I met were new to me—the tacos and other Mexican food, the traffic jams with no space between cars, the indigenous people. The apartment where I was living was very inexpensive at just ¥30,000 a month, which was a big help since I was studying abroad on a scholarship. At the university where I was studying, I took courses in politics, economics, and international relations. In my classes, I struggled with my assignments every day, but I studied as hard as I possibly could and somehow managed to get credit for all of my courses. I think I got used to the Spanish course after my first semester. For extracurricular activities, I participated in the foreign student soccer team and in a salsa class, so I was able to make friends not only with Mexicans but also with exchange students from various countries. I had heard that Mexico is not very safe, but I was happy to have made it through my one year without any trouble. If you are thinking about studying abroad, I would strongly encourage you to step up and take that challenge!