Sophia University’s Image Holds Strong, Even After Admission

I first chose to look into Sophia University based on advice from a high school teacher. Until then, Sophia University had not been on my list of potential universities, but as I gathered more information, I became more and more interested in the curriculum and the global atmosphere of the Yotsuya campus.

Naturally, my aspiration to attend Sophia University increased. Sophia is exactly how I had imagined it would be prior to entering. At first, I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the campus, where not only English but also many other languages are spoken, but this degree of globalization is something I’ve come to expect.

While many of my high school friends went on to universities in Osaka, their reaction to my choice of Sophia University was incredibly encouraging and warm. My teachers and friends told me that I would do fine, which was greatly encouraging to me as I was anxious about going to Tokyo alone, and I vowed to make the most of my four years at university.

Making your Own Choices: Living Alone can Help you to Enjoy the Hard Things

When you live alone, waking up in the morning and choosing when you eat are all things that are up to you. Although it is obvious, it was a big challenge for me to switch to a lifestyle where there is no one to wake me up if I oversleep and no one to prepare meals for me when I get hungry.

However, living alone gives me the freedoms that I can’t have while living at home and the joy of being able to make decisions on my own. There are many challenges, but I believe that the best part of living alone is cultivating a sense of balance between self-discipline and enjoying the freedom that comes with it.

I am a senior now, so I’m not taking many classes, but I often head to campus in the morning on weekdays. After classes, I work part-time as a tutor from around 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and I try to go to bed around midnight. In order to maintain rhythm in my life, I try to be conscious of when I get up and when I go to bed, even though I live alone.

On my days off, I like to watch movies or take walks in the park. I am also a member of one of Sophia’s soccer clubs. I have been playing soccer since kindergarten so I enjoy being able to continue playing several times a week even in college. While we only practice about two days a week, talking to teammates and being active has been a good way to relax.

The choice to leave my hometown was a difficult one, but I believe that it has given me many opportunities for growth. The learning that comes from taking on new experiences without fear of failure is motivating, and I now enjoy taking on challenges and feel that I have the ability to confront difficult situations flexibly.

Discovering My Love for Communication and Numbers Through Extracurriculars and My Studies

Sophia University has a mutual exchange agreement with Iitate Village, Fukushima Prefecture in which I participated to work with local junior high school students. What drew me to the program initially was the ability to interact with these students in an area to which I have no prior connection or relation. I was mainly engaged in a dialogue project with the junior high students in which we discussed their dreams and goals for the future.

At first, I had a hard time getting to know them as it was difficult to get the students to be open to me, a university student from Tokyo who is a stranger. I was conscious of creating an atmosphere in which it was easy to talk, and the more we interacted with the students the more they began to share their true feelings which made me very happy.

Before starting at Sophia, I had a vague idea of the future and thought I wanted to work for a large company where I’d play an active role, but these four years have allowed me to discover a much clearer goal for my future. As a student in the Economics Department, I deal with numbers and data a lot, and as I studied more, I realized that I like numbers more than I thought I did. When I thought about what career would allow me to put my love of numbers to good use, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career as a national tax specialist.

Over the past four years, I have approached various challenges, both large and small, in my own way. I realize that there is so much to learn from experiencing new things, such as the work we did in Iitate Village. Learning broadens one’s perspective, and being exposed to new values and ways of thinking will enrich your life. I want to continue to challenge myself – even after entering the workforce.

*Please note that the content of this article is current as of July 2023.