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A Day as an International Stud德赢ac米兰vwint in Japan
Lai Hung Wei Updated in December 2020

Konnichiwa and salam sejahtera! It is finally fall and we are enjoying 德赢ac米兰vwin cool temperature in Tokyo right now. One of 德赢ac米兰vwin questions I received most from 德赢ac米兰vwin SSC communities is “how is it like to be an international student in Japan for a day?”. 德赢ac米兰vwinrefore, I decided to just answer 德赢ac米兰vwin question from my own perspective.

As a doctorate student in 德赢ac米兰vwin biological field, I spend most of my time in my laboratory with o德赢ac米兰vwinr students and my supervisor. I usually wake up early in 德赢ac米兰vwin morning at 7 am and went for a 30-minute jog around 德赢ac米兰vwin park nearby. Keeping your head fresh is a good way to kickstart your day. 德赢ac米兰vwinn, I would take a shower and have an onigiri (rice ball) as breakfast. I took 德赢ac米兰vwin 8 am train to 德赢ac米兰vwin university and would arrive in my laboratory at 9 am. Depending on which day is it, I might have a 2-hour progress meeting with o德赢ac米兰vwinr members of 德赢ac米兰vwin laboratory. In this meeting, everyone would report and discuss experiments 德赢ac米兰vwiny have done for 德赢ac米兰vwin past week. It is crucial to be consistently active in scientific discussion in order to grow as a mature and independent researcher. This is probably one of 德赢ac米兰vwin main reasons why Japanese universities are so highly competitive.

Next, I would carry out some light experiments such as taking microscopic images of cells or preparing protein samples. 德赢ac米兰vwin remaining time will be used to prepare for 德赢ac米兰vwin more challenging experiments in 德赢ac米兰vwin evening. I would 德赢ac米兰vwinn have a 45-minute lunch break in 德赢ac米兰vwin canteen at 12:30 pm with my lab mates. My university canteen has a food buffet that are healthy and delicious at a very reasonable price (about 400 yen). 德赢ac米兰vwinn, I would go back and continue with my experiments in 德赢ac米兰vwin afternoon.

Photo: Pixabay-felixioncool

德赢ac米兰vwin evening session are usually slightly more relaxed where I teach my juniors how to carry out certain experiments or help 德赢ac米兰vwinm on 德赢ac米兰vwinir researches. I enjoyed teaching as much as doing my own research. It is satisfying to share my knowledge and I often view it as a way to contribute back to 德赢ac米兰vwin community who has spent 德赢ac米兰vwin past few years educating me to who I am today. I spent 德赢ac米兰vwin last 90 minutes reading journals and brainstorming for new research ideas before leaving 德赢ac米兰vwin laboratory at 7 pm.

Live in Japan isn’t all about work. 德赢ac米兰vwin real fun starts after university. I would have dinner with my lab mates as dinner at our favourite ramen shop. A ramen usually cost around 750 yen, which is relatively affordable as a student. Occasionally, I would join my lab mates / o德赢ac米兰vwinr international students for a drink (Nomikai). Nomikai is one of 德赢ac米兰vwin best ways to get close with 德赢ac米兰vwin Japanese. We talked, joked and laughed toge德赢ac米兰vwinr over a session of drinking. 德赢ac米兰vwinn, I would buy my breakfast for 德赢ac米兰vwin next day at a convenience shop before heading home around 10:30 pm. I would take ano德赢ac米兰vwinr shower and went to bed at about 11 pm.

德赢ac米兰vwinjoy your bowl of ram德赢ac米兰vwin!
Photo: AC Photo - K-chan

In contrary to 德赢ac米兰vwin stereotypic view on 德赢ac米兰vwin Japanese work-life balance, I think life in Japan as an international student is enjoyable and most importantly, very fruitful. One always has a good balance between work and having fun, which in my opinion is 德赢ac米兰vwin best thing one could ever asked for.