My name is Milenia Sevtiani, but people usually call me “Nia”. I was born on December 28, 1999 in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia. I’am a student of the Japanese Literature at Bung Hatta University, Faculty of Cultural Knowledge in Padang, West Sumatra. I’am writing this essay to apply for the HUMAP scholarship.

As we all know, Japanese culture is interesting and very unique in it’s own way. That’s why I’am very happy to be able to participate in the exchange students program at Sonoda Women’s University in Prefektur Hyogo. As a Japanese literature student, I think this will be a great opportunity to directly experience Japanese culture and also as a way to directly learn Japanese so that I can speak like a Japanese person.

"Hyoki" is one of the subjects taught in the Japanese Literature. During the first semester at Bung Hatta University, there was a class called “Hyoki” in which I learned about “Kanji”. "hyoki" is a course on teaching the letters "kana" and "kanji". In this course, I studied about how to read, write, and also the learn the meaning of each Kanji characters. Kanji is very different from Alphabet, as there is a specific meaning and reading in each characters depending on how we write or pair them with another Kanji. This is what makes Kanji really interesting. Other than Kanji, there are also a lot of things that took my interest about Japanese culture. Which is why I want to deepen my knowledge about Japanese culture, and in order to achieve that, I need to improve my Japanese.

During my time studying in university, besides kanji I also learned about Japanese grammar, conversation, listening comprehension, and lot of other things. I took part in the N4 japanese level test and passed with 143 points out of 180. This year, I also took N3 test to improve my Japanese proficiency level. By studying directly in Sonoda Women’s University, I hope that I’am able to improve my Japanese grammar, conversation, listening, etc, so that i can speak Japanese perfectly just like a native Japanese would.

There are lot of things I want to know about Japan, such as the daily lives of a Japanese students and how Japanese society works by experiencing it first hand. By participating in this student exchange program, I hope to be able to realize those things that I want to know about Japan. My mother once told me that knowledge and experience are the keys to success. By studying directly in Japan, I hope that I can study and gain more Japanese knowledge and experience that will lead me to success in the future.
This concludes my essay.

I have been living in Japan for eight months. Every day in Japan gives me new experiences and knowledge. I learn a lot, not only at school but also from everything around me. I learn a lot from the advertisements on the walls, from reading the letters I receive, and from talking to my friends and teachers. Through this process, I realize that I can easily remember what I learn at school by applying it.
In my life in Japan so far, I have participated in various activities besides attending classes at school. For example, I volunteered at cultural events in Nishinomiya, participated in video exhibitions, and took part in tea ceremonies. One of my best memories was participating in a homestay program in Nishinomiya City. In that program, I visited a Japanese family's home in Nishinomiya. I also saw how Japanese families live and experienced the harmony within their family.
On another occasion, I had the opportunity to visit historical places in Japan such as Himeji Castle, Fushimi Inari, and Gion with the headmaster. During this trip, I learned about Japanese history and culture. And I was delighted to see the beauty of the white Himeji Castle, the grand sight of Fushimi Inari with its thousand torii gates, and the uniqueness of Gion.
Since I was young, I had lived in a tropical climate until I came to Japan. So, this is the first time I have experienced the change of seasons. For me, experiencing these seasonal changes has been very impressive. Since I arrived in Japan at the beginning of autumn, I have been able to see the changing colors of leaves on trees, play in the snow during winter, and witness the beauty of cherry blossoms in spring.
Last but not least, making friends with people from different countries has also been an amazing experience. We can exchange ideas and information. Thanks to that, I have been able to broaden my knowledge and develop myself.
All these experiences I have had in Japan have made my life colorful.

During my one year in Japan, I have learned and experienced a lot. Firstly, I was able to expand further my knowledge of the Japanese language, including grammar, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary, and conversation. Beyond that, I was able to have pleuty of experiences, both positive and negative. Being a foreigner studying in Japan and having to live independent wasn't an easy task. I missed my family in Indonesia, my friends back home, and the Indonesian cuisine.

I received a lot of support from my family in Indonesia. The professors at Sonoda Women's University also listened to all of my concerns and provided me with a lot of advice to ensure I could have a fulfilling life in Japan. Furthermore, they dedicated themselves to guide me to pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N2 level. I took the test in July this year passed it.

Other than studies, I had enjoyable moments with my friends and teachers, not just through studying. Events like "Keyaki Festival" and the English Festival allowed me to spend wonderful time with them. Participating in the "Keyaki Festival" stage to showcase Indonesian traditional dances was a particularly delightful experience. My Japanese friends were also incredibly kind and helped me a lot with various things. For instance, during our conversations, if I used the wrong vocabulary, they would correct me. It was very helpful.

And now, my study abroad journey in Japan is coming to an end soon. When I return to my home country, I'm sure I'll miss Japan a lot. But I promise I will come back to Japan. In order to fulfill that promise, I plan to continue my Japanese language studies . The reason I wanted to study at Sonoda Women's University, learn about Japanese language and culture, participate in various activities in Japan, and travel around the country was because I want to be an interpreter and a Japanese language teacher. I believe that learning Japanese and understanding Japanese culture firsthand will greatly benefit me when I work as an interpreter or a Japanese language teacher in the future.