I have been studying at the State University of Maine in the United States for XNUMX months since March of this year.
Maine is located in the northeast corner of the United States, facing the border with Canada, and has a harsh climate like Hokkaido, with short summers and long winters.It takes about XNUMX hours by car to Quebec, a small city in Canada, so I went on a trip to Quebec during the summer vacation.Also, it takes XNUMX hours by car to Boston and XNUMX minutes by plane to New York, so I think it's convenient to travel when you have time.
In the United States, the new semester starts in September, and I am taking classes among the local students.I often have the image that American universities have a lot of assignments and that you go to the library every day to study.For example, in the class on gender issues that I am taking, there are classes three times a week. I have to submit every week.Even during class, students speak one after another, and it's normal for there to be more than XNUMX Hermiones in the classroom.In addition, since the GPA of the grade is deeply related to the course after graduation, everyone is desperate to get good grades, and if they get unsatisfactory grades, they will mercilessly protest to the professor.If you study so hard, you might think that I study all day long, but on Saturdays and Sundays, I play a lot and take a break, which I thought was amazing.At first, I was overwhelmed when I saw this situation, but I think I'm going to lose, so I speak up as much as possible and try to get good results.Also, since there are many classes and assignments, I can take my time and learn more deeply, so I feel that it is interesting because I can acquire a lot of knowledge.
As for extracurricular activities, I belong to a club where international students gather, and two weeks ago we held an event where they served Japanese food. With the help of three Japanese students and a local Japanese teacher, we made miso soup, minced chicken, stir-fried vegetables, potato butter, Japanese-style pasta, and rice balls.There were more than XNUMX visitors on the day, and the food was sold out.Of course I was happy to hear that the food was delicious, but the event was a great success because I was able to introduce the Japanese culture of “itadakimasu” and “gochisosama” as well as Hirosaki University. There will be a culture festival in November, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to introduce Japanese culture.
Speaking of culture shock, Maine is a place with too much nature.The university is surrounded by forests, and you can see animals such as deer, squirrels, beavers, porcupines, and foxes here and there.I see deer grazing near my apartment every day, and I almost bumped into one when I was walking through the woods on my bicycle in the evening.In Japan, apart from insects and birds, you cannot see animals unless you go deep into the mountains.I have less than XNUMX months left to study abroad, but I want to enjoy my time so that I won't have any regrets.
