Japan and why I'm glad that I’m on the quarter system
So I’ll be upfront about this; I’m starting to panic about my trip to Japan.
I fly there on Monday (so much sooner than I’m ready for). Although really, no amount of time will change my personality. I always freak out a bit (or maybe a lot) just before making some major change/ participating in some major event. And the change/event doesn’t even have to be a big one. I remember in college how I always hated going home at the end of the spring quarter AND hated coming back to college in the fall. Not because either change was a bad one, I loved college and living at home (the two family members that I find stressful to live with are my older siblings who have been out of the house for quite a while). But just because it was a change and I was already so settled in. Also, after the first year, I knew what was up so it wasn’t like I was going to a whole new place. I just hate readjusting myself. But I am really trying to work on that aspect of my personality. I know that I haven’t done some things because of my inertia, but with this trip I’m trying to force myself to be more open to new oppertunites.
Objectively, I’m super excited to be going to Japan. But for me, this is the first time I’ve done something like this. I’ll be living in a country where I don’t speak the language, plus I will not be able to read the signs (a scarier prospect in some ways). I’m going to be completely in charge of my own research while I’m there, and I won’t have my labmates or my advisor for help. I have never personally met my host researcher and there was definitely some confusion between us when we communicated via email. I don’t know for sure if the lab has a critical point dryer or not, but I’ve convinced myself that it doesn’t matter. Just collecting the stuff will be great, I can always analyze it back in the US. I won’t have anyone else in the program there (at least, I know there is no one else from the US, there could be someone from the UK, Canada, France or Germany but I doubt it). And I won’t be in a big city where there is likely to be more English spoken. Instead, I will essentially be in the countryside. And it is going to be super hot. So yeah, I’m nervous and a bit panicky.
BUT…I will be right next to some beautiful forests and wilderness from what I can gather. I’m a pretty quick train ride (3-3.5 hours) from Kyoto, Osaka and Nara, all places I am interested in going. I’m going to be a quick walk away from some lovely white sand beaches and one the most famous onsens in Japan. Being in the country side probably means that I will be forced to actually use Japanese, which is a good thing even if it makes me nervous, and that I may get to see some more traditional culture. And I will be in Japan for the Star Festival (Tanabata), Oban, and various summer festivals (including lots of fireworks!) which should be pretty awesome. I will be out in the field or on the microscope all summer actually collecting and working with specimens, something I haven't really been able to do since Dec. And most of all, I’m going to actually be able to personally experince a culture that I find fascinating, which trumps all else, really (those of you who know me well know that learning about other cultures and experiencing aspects of them are always my first choices for fun). So I'm sure that in the long run, the positives will far outweigh the negatives.
I will be in Japan for 10 weeks total, 1 week or orientation, 8 weeks at my host insitution (Seto Marine Lab), and 1 week at the end for personal travel. And I am soo glad that
A. the program is set up the way that it is and
B. I’m on the quarter system
If I were on the semester system, it would make more sense to add the extra week of travel at the beginning of the trip since most schools start in late August. However, in the quarter system, we ended spring quarter in the first week of June and don’t start up again in the fall until late September (in the 20s somewhere). Which means that it makes more sense to add it to the end of the trip. This is much better considering my personality. That first week, I won’t have to make any decisions, everything will be planned out and structured. This gives me a few days to get over my culture shock and readjust a bit. By that last week, I should have some basic, functional Japanese down and have a sense for how things work in that country. So all in all, I still love the quarter system and think it is superior to the semester system.
As a final note, people that want to physically talk to me before I go should call me ASAP. I leave on Monday. Otherwise it’s email only (unless you have skype which you should let me if that is the case).
I fly there on Monday (so much sooner than I’m ready for). Although really, no amount of time will change my personality. I always freak out a bit (or maybe a lot) just before making some major change/ participating in some major event. And the change/event doesn’t even have to be a big one. I remember in college how I always hated going home at the end of the spring quarter AND hated coming back to college in the fall. Not because either change was a bad one, I loved college and living at home (the two family members that I find stressful to live with are my older siblings who have been out of the house for quite a while). But just because it was a change and I was already so settled in. Also, after the first year, I knew what was up so it wasn’t like I was going to a whole new place. I just hate readjusting myself. But I am really trying to work on that aspect of my personality. I know that I haven’t done some things because of my inertia, but with this trip I’m trying to force myself to be more open to new oppertunites.
Objectively, I’m super excited to be going to Japan. But for me, this is the first time I’ve done something like this. I’ll be living in a country where I don’t speak the language, plus I will not be able to read the signs (a scarier prospect in some ways). I’m going to be completely in charge of my own research while I’m there, and I won’t have my labmates or my advisor for help. I have never personally met my host researcher and there was definitely some confusion between us when we communicated via email. I don’t know for sure if the lab has a critical point dryer or not, but I’ve convinced myself that it doesn’t matter. Just collecting the stuff will be great, I can always analyze it back in the US. I won’t have anyone else in the program there (at least, I know there is no one else from the US, there could be someone from the UK, Canada, France or Germany but I doubt it). And I won’t be in a big city where there is likely to be more English spoken. Instead, I will essentially be in the countryside. And it is going to be super hot. So yeah, I’m nervous and a bit panicky.
BUT…I will be right next to some beautiful forests and wilderness from what I can gather. I’m a pretty quick train ride (3-3.5 hours) from Kyoto, Osaka and Nara, all places I am interested in going. I’m going to be a quick walk away from some lovely white sand beaches and one the most famous onsens in Japan. Being in the country side probably means that I will be forced to actually use Japanese, which is a good thing even if it makes me nervous, and that I may get to see some more traditional culture. And I will be in Japan for the Star Festival (Tanabata), Oban, and various summer festivals (including lots of fireworks!) which should be pretty awesome. I will be out in the field or on the microscope all summer actually collecting and working with specimens, something I haven't really been able to do since Dec. And most of all, I’m going to actually be able to personally experince a culture that I find fascinating, which trumps all else, really (those of you who know me well know that learning about other cultures and experiencing aspects of them are always my first choices for fun). So I'm sure that in the long run, the positives will far outweigh the negatives.
I will be in Japan for 10 weeks total, 1 week or orientation, 8 weeks at my host insitution (Seto Marine Lab), and 1 week at the end for personal travel. And I am soo glad that
A. the program is set up the way that it is and
B. I’m on the quarter system
If I were on the semester system, it would make more sense to add the extra week of travel at the beginning of the trip since most schools start in late August. However, in the quarter system, we ended spring quarter in the first week of June and don’t start up again in the fall until late September (in the 20s somewhere). Which means that it makes more sense to add it to the end of the trip. This is much better considering my personality. That first week, I won’t have to make any decisions, everything will be planned out and structured. This gives me a few days to get over my culture shock and readjust a bit. By that last week, I should have some basic, functional Japanese down and have a sense for how things work in that country. So all in all, I still love the quarter system and think it is superior to the semester system.
As a final note, people that want to physically talk to me before I go should call me ASAP. I leave on Monday. Otherwise it’s email only (unless you have skype which you should let me if that is the case).