Nyssa Vilchis
UMBC Exchange: Nanzan University
Major: Political Science
Minor: Spanish Language and Culture
Pre-Departure
Hello everyone!!
My name is Nyssa Vilchis and I am a junior at UMBC, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Spanish. This fall semester I am studying abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya,Japan!!! It’s absolutely wild to think that in a couple days, I will be a student in Japan.
Studying abroad has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I have always been interested in the Japanese language and culture, so when I found out UMBC had an exchange program with Nanzan, it seemed like fate. Nanzan’s program aims to specifically strengthen Japanese language skills and create a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, which clearly aligns with my interests. Having the opportunity to completely immerse myself into such a unique culture is absolutely amazing, and the more I researched, the more excited I became.
Right now, I am definitely feeling a mix of emotions: excitement, anxiousness, and a light sprinkle of panic. While it’s not my first time traveling internationally, it is my first time studying abroad, being away from my family, and being in a country where I don’t know the language. No matter how you spin it, that’s nerve-wracking. And yet, that’s also part of the adventure. Life can be nerve-wracking, but it’s all about taking leaps of faith. If you always live in fear, you’ll never know just how much you can accomplish.
Something that has been really helpful in easing the nerves is preparation. I definitely recommend creating checklists of things you need to get done. That way, nothing falls through the cracks (not that I would know anything about that…). I have also been talking with Madison, another UMBC student who studied at Nanzan last semester. She has given me so much helpful information about Japan and day to day life at Nanzan. Definitely check out her blog if you’re interested in learning more!
This summer, I spent most of my time working, researching Nagoya, studying Hiragana and Katakana (two of Japan’s writing systems), and spending time with my family and friends. I didn’t realize just how much I would miss them until now. It’s a little bittersweet, but they have all been so supportive and excited for me!
Now, as my flight date gets closer, I find myself dealing with the age old question: what on earth do I pack? It’s been…interesting trying to decipher what I really need vs what’s just me overplanning. You have to take into account a lot of things, like weather, luggage space, availability of products, etc. It can definitely feel a little overwhelming at times, which is why my new motto is: I’ll just buy it once I’m there. (Except for my curly hair products. I don’t even buy those in the US, so they will definitely be joining me).
Finally, my goals for this study abroad experience are to absorb as much of the culture as I can, improve my Japanese, push (or shove) myself out of my comfort zone, and make new friends along the way. I only have a couple months and time goes by fast, so I have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. I know I won’t understand everything or feel comfortable right away, but that’s the whole point. Remember, unfamiliarity is the beginning of growth!
Alrighty that wraps up my first blog post! Thanks for reading and I can’t wait to bring you along on all my adventures this semester! Next time you hear from me, I will be all settled in at Nanzan!
In-Country Post One
Hello everyone!
I have now been in Japan for over a week and it’s been absolutely amazing. I spent my very first night in Tokyo, then took the Shinkansen to Nagoya the next morning, so I was pretty jet-lagged the whole time. I was a little worried about having to navigate the city and stations, but Google Maps has been very helpful and many of the signs have English translations.
I am currently staying at the Janssen International dormitory, which combines students from the Center for Japanese Studies program (my program) with Nanzan University students. We are only a 5 minute walk from the main campus, which is a major bonus. Nanzan has a beautiful campus, but be warned: it is very hilly. In this humid climate, it’s definitely a struggle. I chose to stay in the dorms because I wanted to get the famous dorm experience. Everyone gets a single room but we share the kitchen space, showers, and bathrooms. I’m a commuter student back at UMBC, so this has definitely been an interesting change for me. I am not used to sharing so many spaces with this many people, but I like getting to know my amazing kitchen-mates! Being in the dorms has also made it easier to make friends, especially with the Japanese students that will be starting classes soon.
About 2 days after my arrival, I took the placement test and started orientation week. I was placed into Fundamental Japanese 1, which I expected and am very happy with. Orientation week consisted of getting to know the procedures at Nanzan, going over rules and safety plans, registering for classes, and visiting the Immigration Bureau to get official documents. It started to feel a little tedious, but enabled me to meet so many new people, like the other UMBC students currently studying abroad here too! At the end of orientation week, we had our entrance ceremony, which happened right after a thunderstorm where my friends and I got rained on. Pro tip: always carry an umbrella, especially one that has UV and heat protection!
After orientation, we had a long weekend because of Respect for the Aged day happening on Monday the 15th, so I traveled to Tokyo to spend time with my parents, who are also vacationing in Japan. While in Tokyo, we stumbled on 2 different festivals. One in Odaiba, celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day, which is on September 16th. My family and I are from Mexico, so we loved seeing such a beautiful celebration of our culture. They had many street vendors selling traditional Mexican food, like tacos, quesadillas, and mangonadas. They even had a vendor from the same city as my mom selling her family’s recipe of salsa. They also had singing and ballet folklorico performances. Fun fact, I used to do ballet folklorico as a kid, so this brought back happy memories. The second festival, happening rightoutside Tokyo Station, was the Japanese Festival Omatsuri. The festival showcased traditional dances and cultural practices from the Edo period. I watched the Awa Odori dance, which is actually the traditional dance of Tokushima.
Additionally, the festival was purposely made to coincide with the World Athletics Championships and Deaflympics, something I wonderfully found out when trying to make it on time to my Shinkansen back to Nagoya, only to find most of the roads leading to Tokyo Station blocked off. Pro-tip 2: Do your research before leaving. And maybe leave an hour earlier than you think. You never know when there’s a championship in town.
Finally, I officially started classes this week which was a little nerve-wracking. My Japanese class consisted of reviewing Hiragana and Katakana, with an emphasis on spelling. I already have a writing test next week… My other classes, which are later in the week, include Japanese Foreign Policy, Japanese Culture, and Japanese Society. One thing I have noticed is classes lean more towards using physical pen and paper, so I am gonna need to go out and buy some notebooks!
Well, that’s a wrap on this week’s blog post! Thanks for tuning in, and I’ll see you all next time!
In-Country Post Two
Hello Everyone!
Welcome back to another blog post! It’s almost been one month since I arrived in Japan! Time goes by so fast! This past week or so has been super busy, so let’s break it down.
First up, academics. My classes have officially started and been finalized! I don’t think I mentioned this last time, but course registration here is a little different from UMBC. The entire registration process happens on paper, not online. Interestingly, if too many people sign up for the same class, it triggers a lottery system where students get randomly selected for a spot. I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t get into the classes I wanted, but luckily, only one of my classes triggered the lottery and I actually won a spot! General courses are about 2 hours and 35 minutes long, while my language class is about 1 hour and 40 minutes. That’s longer than my classes at UMBC, so it took some time to get used to. I definitely have to make sure I eat well before my classes. My classes are structured similarly to some UMBC classes, where you are doing readings and work at home to prepare for in-class discussions and assignments. So far, I’ve had to read multiple articles and chapters, but I am having so much fun with them! Something very curious I noted during my classes was the lack of water fountains in school buildings. Back at UMBC, they’re everywhere, but here at Nanzan, they are less common. I actually have to leave my building and go into a different one to fill up my water bottle. Pro-tip 3: Get a bigger water bottle.
Next up, daily life. I have gotten better at establishing a routine to get me through my day in a more organized fashion. Setting alarms and writing things down in my Notion calendar has helped me keep track of my assignments and events. Another important detail, Japan continues to be very cash oriented. I actually bought a separate coin purse because I was accumulating so many coins from paying with cash. I often use cash at the convenience store, grocery store, or when I’m buying something quick. Funny story, I tried paying with cash at a pharmacy self-checkout because I thought it would be fast, but ended up struggling so much. For some reason, the machine wouldn’t accept my bills. I had already used similar machines before without issue, so I was really confused with what was happening. An older woman came by to help me and as I started explaining in my broken Japanese what was happening, the machine suddenly decided to start working. I almost crashed out right then and there. She must have thought I was so silly. You’re definitely going to find yourself in some embarrassing situations, but it’s important to not dwell on them too much. In the end, you have no choice but to go on living and learning from your mistakes. Pro-tip 4: Embrace the embarrassment and learn from it.
Finally, my dilly-dallying adventures. Since school is back on, I haven’t been exploring much during the week. On the weekends though, my friends and I try to explore as much of Nagoya as we can. I went to watch the new Demon Slayer movie in theaters with some of my Japanese friends and it was absolutely beautiful. I even got a little booklet with artwork and frames from the movie! The whole thing was in Japanese, but I was surprised by how much I understood, whether it be from the language or general context. I’ve come to notice that even if you do not know exactly what the words mean, the context can help you decipher what’s going on.
That has definitely been helping me when I talk with my kitchen mates! Later on, my floormates and I explored a Night Market, Oasis 21, arcades, and karaoke! We even joined some Nanzan students on a tour throughout Sakae to explore the scenery and architecture. I have also started adding to my Sanrio collection (someone needs to hold me back right now).
It’s been a great couple of weeks in Japan and I have some exciting events coming up, so I hope you’ll keep following along!