Alumni Voices: A Truly International Experience – by Caitlin BOICE, Union College, U.S.A.

What do you want to experience at AIU? Who do you want to become through study abroad?

In this series, we would like to introduce the articles written by former AIU exchange students to share their most memorable experiences, what they learned and how the AIU experience has helped them get to where they are now, and what they would like to tell international students who are thinking of studying at AIU.

The purposes and goals of studying abroad are different for everyone, but we hope that the stories of these alumni will encourage you to consider choosing AIU as your destination.

Here is a message from Caitlin BOICE. She was an exchange student who studied at AIU in the Fall 2022 Semester.

I came to Japan with a very clear goal: improve my Japanese. As a Japanese language major at my home university, my motivation was to immerse myself in the language, and learn about Japanese culture in a way that I couldn’t in the U.S.

However, my experience at AIU ended up being so much more than that, and gave me memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Traveling to a foreign country for the first time can be very exciting, but also intimidating.

I was lucky when I first got to AIU, that my roommate and I got along very well. Both being international students, we could share this exciting experience of studying abroad in a new country. We very quickly found more people to share those experiences with – traveling, meeting up for lunch, and exploring around campus – and stayed very close until the end of term, when we eventually had to part ways.

While I came to AIU expecting to learn more about Japanese language and culture, I’m very grateful to my friends for exposing me to the languages, cultures, and food of their various respective home countries as well!

After the Matriculation Ceremony (Ms. Caitlin BOICE is third from the left)

Welcoming environment

The atmosphere of AIU was always very welcoming. The teachers and staff were very kind, and the small size of the school made it easy to get to know people.

Walking around campus, I could feel the very close-knit environment, and I was glad to be able to experience things such as performing at the AIU festival with the Acapella Club.

Club Activities

Interacting with the surrounding areas, and getting to know Japanese locals was also a great part of my experience.

Since I am currently living in a bigger city, I’m very glad I got the opportunity to live in the countryside of Japan, and see the beautiful sights of Akita.

From short-time exchange student to my current job

From an academic perspective, my time at AIU has also impacted me greatly.

The classes challenged me in my language studies, and broadened my understanding of Japanese culture, along with helping me write a large part of my senior thesis for my home university.

I believe my experiences at AIU also helped me in my application for my current job in Kobe, Japan where I am working as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT).

Through living in Akita, I gained more confidence in myself, and felt more comfortable moving abroad after graduation.

I will continue to use what I have learned at AIU as I continue to explore other languages and cultures.

Studying abroad is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, and to anyone that is considering – do it!

Make the most of your time, and take any opportunity that comes your way.

While I came here planning to study and improve my Japanese, I was happy to get to do that and so much more. Through being able to meet not only Japanese people in Akita, but international students from all over the world, I have expanded my knowledge about different countries and cultures, and have even more of a desire to keep traveling and learning.

I will forever be truly grateful for the opportunity that AIU has given me.