I’ve known from my first year of university that I wanted to go on exchange to Japan, but I was unsure where I wanted to go. I have always loved travelling, creating new memories and immersing myself in cultures that are different from my own. I have travelled to Japan for study twice before this exchange, and both times I have returned home with great, new experiences.

I chose to apply for Kwansei Gakuin University for its wonderful exchange opportunity. In my first year at university, I was able to meet an exchange student from KGU who told me about the campus and Nishinomiya city. I was lucky enough to participate in the three-week Winter Intensive Course held at the Nishinomiya-Uegahara campus in February 2019. This provided the opportunity to attend KGU on a short study program to see how I liked the campus before my home university started applications. I loved not only the quiet and beautiful Nishinomiya area, but all the people I was able to meet.
I believe studying at Kwansei Gakuin will give me the opportunity to expand what I have learnt at university and to utilise Japanese in ways that aren’t possible in Australia.

I believe my language abilities have been improving significantly.
Also, my life at my dorm is something I am immensely grateful for. The resident assistants and managers are always willing to help with any troubles or celebrate your achievements. Outside of my studies, I have various opportunities to participate in events and travel around the country. I've experienced my first Japanese-New Years, festivals, Hanami, etc, and I will treasure these experiences for the rest of my life. My placement in the Kansai region has also allowed me to have good access to Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, and beyond. During the holidays my sister came from Australia to visit, and together we travelled to Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hokkaido.

I believe my language abilities have improved significantly since coming to Japan, even just from living daily life. In particular, I feel like my speaking and writing proficiency has improved the most. Before I came to Japan, I had very little confidence participating in conversations, as I couldn't think of what to say, or I was too worried about making mistakes. Now, I am more confident and can keep up with conversations with native speakers. I still believe I have various improvements to make before I'll have the proficiency required, but this exchange opportunity has given me a significant step forwards, both in ability and confidence. I'm hoping to return to Japan in the future to work, and thanks to this experience I am now more confident about this aspiration.