Two Japanese Literature Students at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus), Vinie Almira Nur Sabrina and Intan Cahyani Dewi Hapsari had finished their student exchange program at Osaka International University (OIU), Japan. During the program, both of them gained many experiences in academics and culture.
Vinie revealed that before the program started, all students were obliged to participate in a selection test. After the test, Vinie apparently belonged to the intermediate class with eight other students.
During the program, there was one program Vinie found unforgettable, namely, when all exchange students opened the bingo booth. At the booth, students were allowed to promote traditional attire from the countries they came from.
“The bingo booth was very intriguing, as I could get to know traditional clothes from other countries, allowing me to open my eyes to the beauty of diversity in every country,” she uttered.
Meanwhile, Intan also highlighted the learning system at OIU, which was discipline according to her. Intan stated that the learning system was not all that different, but at OIU, if the faculty member were to not be able to teach, they would inform their students a day before.
“They really uphold punctuality, some of them even arrived before the classes officially began,” she explained.
Despite that, both of them had some challenges in communicating with their fellow students and the locals. They mentioned that both of them were struggling to understand Japanese conversation, as their vocabulary was a lot to be desired. However, as they lived there, their listening skills improved, allowing them to talk with the locals properly.
“Both of us are still learning ourselves, and sometimes, we couldn’t even find the correct word to express ourselves. In addition, every student also spoke in those accents only exclusive to their respective countries, meaning that we had to accustom ourselves to the way they talk in Japanese,” Intan uttered.
Intan also encouraged her fellow students to consider participating in this program. Both Intan and Vinie emphasized that learning Japanese and honing one’s own independence were also in the equation if they were to participate in this program. “It’s best to understand and learn the language for one to communicate on campus or in the country they study or work. In addition, independence is also important, as initially, you couldn’t just rely on anyone,” Intan concluded.
Meanwhile, the Dean of the Humanities Faculty at Udinus, Dr. Bayu Aryanto, S.S., M.Hum., expressed his appreciation for Intan and Vinnie’s accomplishments. He was also proud of both students, as Udinus could secure a place in the international world through Intan and Vinnie’s participation in the student exchange program.
“They also garnered valuable experiences in understanding Japanese ethics and cultures. Hopefully, many students in the Humanities Faculty will follow in their footsteps,” the dean concluded. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Foto: Humas Udinus)
