Zhou Yixin
From China
Takadanobaba Campus / Advanced III-15
Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University
Mr. Zhou, a student at Takadanobaba Campus, has successfully passed the entrance exam to the graduate school of Hitotsubashi University, one of the most prestigious national universities in Japan. Mr. Zhou is studying economics at the graduate school and has high aspirations for the future, saying, “I want to start a securities company and create the future of humanity. We asked Mr. Zhou about his advice on how to enter higher education in Japan.
- Why did you choose to study in Japan?
- There are two reasons why I decided to study in Japan: first, I have been interested in Japan since I was a child, watching many Japanese anime (Naruto and Evangelion), and second, before coming to Japan, I worked for a Japanese company (Keyence Corporation) in China for one year. I was influenced by many Japanese people there, so I decided to study in Japan.
- Please tell us why you decided to enroll in ISI.
- Since I wanted to speak Japanese as much as possible after entering Japan, I wanted to get involved with students from many different countries. While I was looking for many schools, I decided to enroll in ISI because it has a lot of multinational students.
- What do you think is the best thing about enrolling at ISI?
- Of course, I can talk with students from many different countries in Japanese.
Recently, some of the event-related activities have been cancelled due Corona, which is a pity, but I also liked that there are many events such as Kabuki. - Do you have any memorable lessons or memories of your teachers?
- Mr. Katahira, my homeroom teacher, makes the lessons easy to understand. Japanese and Chinese have the same Chinese characters, but many of them have different meanings. Mr. Katahira explains in detail, focusing on this point of view, so I think the class is very easy to understand.
Another teacher who impressed me was Mr. Seto. He has studied Chinese himself, so he is able to explain the difference in meaning between Japanese and Chinese in a way that is easy to understand. Although he is an older teacher, he is very energetic and fun to take classes with. - What did you find useful in ISI's guidance and support for your exam?
- I was able to apply on my own by looking at the application guidelines and learning what I needed to do to prepare my application. I was also able to practice my interview about four times.
- Looking back on your exams, what were the hardest and best parts?
- There were two things that were difficult.
1) The interview was difficult. I had taken a graduate school exam in China but failed, and I had only had one job, so I had very little interview experience, which made it difficult.
(2) The written test was very difficult. I did not go to a cram school after I came to Japan, so I had to study by myself.
The good thing is that I have a friend who I can study with at ISI. She was in the same class as me when I entered the school, and it was great to have a friend who could work towards the same goal with me all the time. - What were some of the things that you worked hard on with your teachers and fellow students to prepare for the exam?
- One thing I worked hard on with my teacher was interview practice.
What I did well with my fellow students was to ask each other when we didn't understand a word of the material or a problem, and to support each other in understanding. By breaking down the words in my own mind and explaining them to others, I was able to further my own understanding. - What are your goals and dreams for the future?
- My dream for the future is a bit ambitious, but I would like to create the future of humanity. Also, since economics is capital, I would like to join a securities company in the future and after gaining experience, create my own securities company.
- What would you tell to those who want to study in ISI?
- Do not forget your goals. Seriously focus on improving your Japanese level at ISI.
Photo of of Mr. Zhou and his homeroom teacher, Mr. Katahira.
