PEARL Student Voices

Q1: What brought you to this country in the far east all the way from Germany?
From a young age, I have been drawn to Japan and its intriguing history, thanks to history class at school. I was also a bit tired of the thought of staying in the one same place for my whole life. At some point I realized that Japan was the place for me to live.

Q2: How was the reality of starting your university life in Japan? Did you face any struggles?
Everything is exactly how I imagined and expected it to be. All the professors are well qualified in their field and fluent in English, and my peers are very nice. Despite arriving in Japan without knowing anyone, my experience has been super smooth so far, as there is always someone to help me.

Q3: Are you learning Japanese?
Yes I am. I studied Japanese on my own for more than four years in Germany, and I am now taking intensive Japanese classes three times a week at Mita Campus. Although PEARL does not require Japanese ability, I believe learning Japanese has made my life in Japan much more convenient and enjoyable, and opened many doors as well.

Q4: What do you love about PEARL?
The atmosphere that embraces different types of people and different ways of thinking. We are all open minded here. It is true that the majority of students are from an Asian background, but where you come from does not really matter here. Even though I am the only European in the classroom, I have never once felt out of the loop.

Q5: How do you like living in the dorm? How do you usually spend your leisure time?
I live in Hiyoshi International Dormitory, just 15 minutes away from Hiyoshi campus on foot, and share my housing unit with 2 other PEARL students. It’s very comfortable and a lot of fun.
What I am enjoying right now is exploring Tokyo with my friends. Coming from a small village in southern Germany, this cosmopolitan city is full of excitement.

Q6: Any advice for prospective students?
I want to strongly encourage other European students to experience the rest of the world. When I was searching options for college, I did not have a chance to visit the campuses at Keio, or have conversations with current students at Keio. All I had was the internet, but that was enough for me to make this great choice of destination. You may think that studying abroad is an unreachable goal, but don’t be afraid. You can do it if you are determined.