As someone who is a rising senior at UW Bothell, I never thought I would have the chance to study abroad, let alone in a country that I had always dreamed of visiting. Prior to this program, I had never seriously considered applying for study abroad. After stumbling upon ‘Computing, Connection, and Digital Future’ in Japan, I saw it as an opportunity to do something to benefit my own personal career and academic goals, as well as push myself out of my comfort zone. I’m a student who is interested in data, computing, and machine learning, meaning this program allowed me to learn more about the innovation of AI and technology in Japan and how it is interconnected with their society in various ways! After speaking with Dr. Kim, I even realized it had a lot more relation to my studies as a math major than I thought, as there would be many talks and visits that related to math and data science. From that point onward, I knew the program aligned with me.
In all reality, leaving home to study abroad in a country I had never been to for a month was something that I wouldn’t have ever anticipated in my college experience. I’m someone who tends to stay fairly close to home and used to having immediate friends and family in extremely close proximity. I was anxious about jumping into what felt like the unknown and having almost zero clue of what to expect during my month-long journey there. Little did I know that I would go through such a life changing experience and go through likely my most beloved memory of all of college thus far.
During my time here, I got to research sociotechnical cases and learn more about the ever-evolving AI and technology hub in Japan. Most days involved research and guest speakers, while other days of the week also had site visits in which we could speak with and ask questions to professionals and local students. A lot of these experiences were very rewarding, as I got to not only expand my knowledge about technology but also connect with Japanese culture and life. Site visits were a way of truly immersing yourself in what you’re learning; my favorite was visiting IBM Research! I quickly learned throughout the month that Japan has advanced in many ways, but their way of integrating their technology into daily life was something I never thought of until diving deeper into it during this program.
While in Japan, I learned so much about their culture and their society’s etiquette. Whether it was going to a shrine, on the train, or simply just walking on the street, everything about Japan differs from American culture. Being able to learn more about Japanese culture made the experience more fulfilling in itself. Getting to visit Tokyo and Kyoto made me reflect on the fact even more that participating in other cultures and traveling is truly beautiful. Stepping out of my comfort zone into the unknown and unfamiliar was the only reason I was able to do so.
Being a part of study abroad was a great privilege and opportunity that I can say was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I’m incredibly grateful that this program has allowed me to see another side of the world, and another side of myself in the process. I came into this unsure if I could handle a month away from everything familiar, but now I know I would do it all over again.
