Higher Education in Japan : A Personal Experience

 My name is Reinis Udris and I am a recipient of the Monbukagakusho scholarship currently enrolled in a Master’s program at the Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University.
   Life has taken me to various places and countries around the world, but one of the experiences stands out from all the others. Having the opportunity to study in Japan has enabled me to get in touch and learn from different cultures and people. This chance would have never had come if it was not for the scholarship offered by the Japanese government that provides the recipient with a chance to study at a world class university with complete financial support.
   Everybody is different and therefore incentives also differ. I was looking for a chance to acquire new knowledge and experience new things. I have been in Japan for more than two years now and I can truly say that time has gone by extremely fast. My studies are the most important thing for me now, but it does not mean that there is no time for extracurricular activities. Japan is a wonderful country and if you are curious enough new opportunities await those who dare to try. I have engaged in as diverse activities as participating in a TV commercial, teaching English and Latvian, translating or interpreting in various languages, recording English listening exercises for high school exams, talking on the local radio and even being on stage in a professional ballet performance. The question is what would you want to do if you had the chance to study in Japan?
   Of course it is not always easy living in a foreign country, especially in one that is on the other side of the world. It might take some time to get used to different ways in how people conduct their daily lives compared to one’s home country, not to mention various tacit rules that exist in Japanese culture. I think this is also part of the learning process one must go through life and it does not depend on one particular geographical location. If you want to succeed in life, it does not matter where you are or where you are trying to get to, because there will always be challenges on the way. Also I believe that if something comes to you too easy in life, it means you are not trying hard enough or you should set more ambitious goals.
 No matter what are your aspirations or objectives in life this scholarship can pave new roads for future opportunities and I am happy I dared to try. How about you?