How University Has Been So Far

 Hello,

This is my first post on this blog and I'm not quite sure how this works, but for now I think I'll just write what I've been up to since entering university. How I've been coping with the new environment, class registration, and everything in between.

Honestly, I think I underestimated how hard university is. There's so much I don't understand especially since I'm not completely fluent in Japanese, so I'd like to consider being in the Department of English as as a small mercy from the deities. I can easily just take English classes--well, I say 'easily' but honestly, I'm really just hoping to god that I get into the classes I registered for--and attend classes conducted in English. To be honest, if you look at the classes I registered for, you'll see just how much I've been bending over and backwards to avoid Japanese conducted classes.

I don't think I'm completely terrible in Japanese. I mean, I can speak it just fine but that's entirely different from getting a good grade in class, right? Ever since the IT Orientation and the Class Registration Orientation, I've been constantly nervous and second-guessing myself because I'm not confident on my understanding of the language. Even during the orientation, I was just totally stuck in my head trying to make sense out of everything. And to me, that was really embarrassing--but I had to understand that I wasn't the only one who was having a hard time that day; even students fluent in Japanese were having a hard time! So I try not to beat myself up over it, there's just no use doing so, y'know?

I shouldn't be too hard on myself for not understanding, and it's valid to feel that way because I'm in a new environment. Everyone around me is the same and even the seniors I managed to talk to are still experiencing the same thing; I can see how much pressure it is on the first years to try and adapt to the university life.

I also noticed that it's the same with the pressure to immediately make friends on the get-go. A lot of students on Twitter, Instagram, and other SNS platforms worry about being alone--from the entrance ceremony, to the orientations, lunch breaks, and classes. There seems to be a lot of pressure to fit in and find a group, and I won't say I'm completely innocent of not feeling the same way because I understand. But seeing so much of my peers rush into friendships makes me consider how we, as people, put so much weight on having the company of others because we can't bear to be alone. Either way, I hope we can all get used to this new environment and take it easy; four years is a long time and I'd like to believe that that's enough time to make meaningful friendships and experiences.

I know a lot of students, like myself, are worried about so many things that we may not have never considered before until we entered university. But I hope that, whoever is reading this blog entry, will find solace in the fact that we are all worrying about the same thing. Despite what you may think, we are not entirely alone on this. And while it may seem hard now, it will--eventually--get better. 

"Trouble don't always last."

For now, that's all I have to say. 

Until next time,
Arisa Teruya