Orientation and First Weeks
After I arrived at Osaka's airport, I took the train to Kyoto and then a bus directly to my hostel. I resided at International House Utano, one of the school's housing options. I checked in and was given a brief briefing. Please keep in mind that there is only a limited time period to check in, so if you arrive in Kyoto outside of that window, you may have to find alternative accommodations. After landing in Japan, there was a lot of paperwork to complete, such as address registration, health insurance enrollment, bank account setup, and so on. I was fortunate to be able to go with the resident mentor who spoke Japanese from my dorm and a few friends, which greatly aided me.
Learning and Adaptation
Courses here are all 1.5 hours long, with RCE track students required to attend a minimum of 7 lessons each week. The timetable is significantly different from SFU in that they run by period, which means that every student has courses and gets out at the same time. The first session begins at 9 a.m., and lunch is from 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m., with the third period following. Most of my lessons are solely in English, and just a few are bilingual in both English and Japanese. Despite being an RCE track student, I was still exposed to Japanese students and language occasionally and was lucky to have the chance to learn a little bit of Japanese.
I have also taken a class related to Japanese pop culture and anime culture. The class content has given me a deeper insight into Japanese pop culture and anime culture, going from understanding almost nothing to knowing the categories and significance of Japanese pop culture. This was a very unique class because it was very different from the other classes that I have taken; it showcased how a classroom could be knowledgeable and fun at the same time. We had our class in a film studio, and sometimes our sessions are not in the classroom setting as well, with plenty of flexibility.
Social and Extracurricular Activities
I joined the SKP buddy program and mingled with the other exchange students. It is a program that helps exchange students integrate into campus life and Japanese culture by hosting activities such as sightseeing, matcha-making experiences, Halloween parties, and so on. I felt it was a wonderful opportunity to meet individuals from all backgrounds and learn about Japan in ways other than via hands-on physical experiences. We went to several of Kyoto's most popular tourist attractions, including Fushimi Inari Temple and Byodoin.