Student Voices 2027 #001 Faculty of Letters

Since I had not specifically decided what I wanted to study at university, I was attracted to the Keio University Faculty of Letters, where I could study a wide range of fields in my first year before choosing a major, and then freely study specialized subjects in other fields even after being assigned to a major. However, considering my family's financial situation, I thought it would be difficult to move to Tokyo for university. It was then that I learned about the "Keio University Gakumon no Susume Scholarship" (see p. 118), a pre-admission application scholarship that supports students from outside the Tokyo metropolitan area, and I decided to take the entrance exam.

After enrollment, I was awarded a scholarship from the Japan Student Services Organization (see p. 117) in addition to the "Keio University Gakumon no Susume Scholarship." I am leading a fulfilling student life, taking the maximum number of credits allowed and being active in student organizations.

University life offers many choices, such as working hard on job hunting from an early stage or immersing oneself in activities with the Athletic Association or student clubs, but among these, I want to prioritize learning. For me, the Faculty of Letters is an irreplaceable environment where I am blessed with friends who can discuss and respect each other's studies.

In my major, Psychology, I am studying experimental psychology, which approaches the "mind" through scientific methods of experimentation and analysis. The major is characterized by small-group education and the ability to conduct research in a wide variety of areas and through diverse approaches, including perception, cognition, behavior, learning, development, and neuroscience.

For extracurricular activities, I belong to the Keio University Wandervogel Club (KWV). It is an official organization with a history of over 90 years. In addition to two-day, one-night mountain trips on weekends, we hold long-term training camps during summer vacation, such as traversing the Northern Alps. The activity of experiencing the great outdoors while traveling all over Japan is very stimulating.

On the other hand, mountain climbing is always accompanied by danger. In addition to implementing organizational safety measures, KWV has a system in place where members can grow into mountain trip leaders by fulfilling roles assigned to each school year. I feel the footsteps of our predecessors in that meticulous organizational structure.

I am interested in the dynamic relationship between the body and the mind, particularly changes in bodily sensations under environments that one cannot control. The sensation that one feels "I did this" when performing an action is called the Sense of Agency (SoA), and it is a research field that can contribute to real-world society, not only in psychology dealing with the body but also in clinical practice and engineering. I am interested in this field and plan to go to graduate school to deepen my research while approaching the question of "what is the mind?" In the future, I aspire to be involved in the clinical and engineering fields from the perspective of psychology.

When you see something through to the end despite the hardships, you sometimes encounter a new version of yourself that you wouldn't have met if you had given up. What served as my guide during my exam preparation period was the "sense of self" I cultivated during those days. I sincerely look forward to you entering Keio University with the "sense of self" you cultivate through your best efforts in learning, and to the day we can study together.

This article was published in the university guidebook for prospective students, "Guidebook 2027."

The latest guidebook is available as a PDF or digital pamphlet. Please check the "Guidebook" webpage.