Enjoying All AIU Has to Offer: Cécile Laloy, Burgundy School of Business, France

New Friendships Around the World

Cécile at the Fall 2017 Matriculation Ceremony

During this semester, there are a lot of memories that I can speak about because I really enjoyed every moment that I passed here.

Overall my best memory is the people that I have met here. Indeed, at AIU there are so many students from different countries that you can see around you every day. You can share your feelings with each other and compare your life and experiences in your home countries with here how it is here. This helps to create well-being. All this time, I have created real links with AIU students and I will never forget them, it’s AIU Spirit!

I could say now that I know people all around the world!

Interactive Courses and Case Studies

My favourite class at AIU is MBA Essentials. This course is designed to introduce students to the world of MBA (Master of Business Administration) studies by exposing them to various fields of management sciences such as leadership, organization, financial analysis, strategy, marketing, and so forth.

It is my favourite one because it’s a real interactive course and your not passive sitting down on your chair. You can share your opinion with the teacher and the other students. On another hand, you can practice real cases. This method permits to catch your attention. Moreover, we speak about actual subjects and famous brands. That makes it even more international!

Campus Life and Activities

I’m not a club member but my favourite one to attend is Kanto club.

AIU Kanto Team night performance at AIU Festival

Kanto is a traditional festival that only gets celebrated in Akita City. The first time I saw it was at the Matriculation Ceremony at the beginning of the semester. And also there is a night performance with illuminated lanterns, it’s really beautiful.

Campus Environment

The campus is situated in the middle of the forest, this is one of the most beautiful one I have ever seen. Indeed, there’s a great stretch of fir trees I can see from my bedroom window in Sakura Village. The environment is very calm and peaceful.

Adjusting to Campus

In addition, when you’re a foreign student and you arrive at AIU you may be anxious about what will happen, but, from the moment you arrive, people are welcoming you and put you at ease.

Also, there are RAs (Resident Assistants), who are also students here at AIU, that you can meet anytime if you have a problem or questions about anything about living on the campus. There are also a lot of activities and a lot to do here! All these elements permitted me to feel like home even if mine was a thousand miles away.

AIU Festival

My most surprising experience here was of course the AIU Festival! During a weekend there’s a celebration throughout the campus with a lot of activities and performances.

For example, my friend participated in the “Miss and Mister AIU contest”. There were a lot of stands, each for one AIU club, as well as a parade and a rock concert!

For AIU, it is a big celebration that occurs once a year. However, the most impressive thing for me was the closing performance, at Suda Hall and, of course, the fireworks we saw from the campus above the forest. Before coming here I didn’t know that a university could perform a fireworks show!

Beyond Campus: Traveling Around Akita

Fireworks Contest in Omagari, Akita

Traveling was one of the most enriching things for me during my time here.

If you like traveling and visiting, there are trips organized by the university. I went for example to Lake Tazawa, Oga Peninsula and, my favourite one, to a Fireworks Festival that occurs here, at Akita, every year. It’s a kind of contest and we were at the first row. It was the first time in my life that I’ve seen it so close, and it was the most awesome and breath-taking one that I’ve ever seen. It’s one of my best memories.

Shirakami Sanchi UNESCO World Heritage Site

As well, there is at AIU an association called “Wandervogel” you can join if you like hiking and see amazing landscape! I went to Shirakami-Sanchi, a huge forest with amazing colors, the leaves were like fluorescent green and the water was a full blue.