Name: Desiree Ayako Decker
Year of Graduation from TJC: 2019
Current Uni: Keio University
Current Major: Economics
Current year in Uni: 1
CCAs: Economics Honors Society, AIESEC
Other details (minors / accommodation): Dormitory
Background
Give a brief background about yourself and what you did in TJC!
I came from the JAE route, and took Physics, Math and Japanese at H2, and Chemistry at H1. Many people question why I’m taking economics now even though I didn’t study it in JC. I actually always had an interest in economics, but I figured I could score higher in H2 Japanese as my contrasting subject at A’levels.
Why did you choose to study overseas? Why did you choose Keio University?
My mother is Japanese, and I have always wanted to study at a university in Japan and experience living there. My mom is from a rural town in Gifu Prefecture, a 3.5 hour train ride away from Tokyo, so I’ve only been to Tokyo once in my life because I’d be going back to Gifu every time I’m in Japan. That is why I thought Tokyo would be a good city for university, given that it is familiar yet new at the same time. I chose Keio in particular because I was interested in the course I am in now, called PEARL, which is a Bachelor of Economics program. All the lessons are conducted in English, and in the first and second year, you are free to take classes outside of your faculty as electives so that you can explore other fields as well. You can start specialising in your choice of economic field in the third year. There is a mix of international and Japanese nationals in PEARL, but even most of the Japanese nationals have experience living overseas, or have even lived overseas their entire lives. Other universities such as Waseda University (Keio’s rival school) also offer similar courses, but I decided on Keio because of the famous alumni society called the Mita-kai that I will get to join once I graduate, which is known for its vast connections and networks.
Applications
What was the application process like?
Admission is decided based on SAT, ACT or IB score (I took the SAT), English proficiency test (I took TOEFL), testimonials from teachers, a self introduction paragraph, academic transcript and an essay of about 4000 words on why you wish to join Keio. There is no interview, and once you get in you can start the process of accepting the offer.
Provide a rough timeline of key events (admissions, application for accommodations, departure / moving in)!
There are three application rounds, the first one in October to December, second from January to February, the third from March to May. I got in during the first round, and after completing the acceptance process, there is nothing to do until the third round is over, unless you are applying for double degree programs with universities such as Sciences Po in France and University of Cologne in Germany. That happens in February to March. Application of school dormitories happened in July, with the results out two weeks later. All of the dorms are single rooms, but there was lots of competition for the better and newer rooms.
For the visa application, the university will handle most of the paperwork, by applying for a Certificate of Eligibility for you in Japan. Once they receive it, they will mail it to you and you can bring it to the embassy to apply for the visa, which will take a week to process and get.
I moved to Japan one week before the entrance ceremony, and I feel that was enough time to settle in. However, you can expect to stay at least half a day at the government office, submitting moving-in forms and applying for national health insurance. National health insurance is very useful here in Japan, for ¥1,600 (about $16) per month (it will go up if you have an income), the government covers 70% of your medical fee. This is not just limited to seeing a general practitioner, but also to seeing specialists such as dentists and dermatologists. Regular dental cleaning is covered by the insurance and when I went to see a dermatologist at a private clinic, the cost was about ¥2,000 (about $20) including medication.
First impressions
How did it feel the first week you were there?
It was exciting to finally be living in Japan for university, but after the excitement wore off, there was a lot of nervousness.
What were some of the surprises / shocks you experienced?
I can’t really think of something big that surprised or shocked me, just some minor things. Like how it can be even hotter than Singapore in the summer (it hit 38 degrees in the second week of July). Or how well dressed everyone was for even school. In Singapore, you’d see many people wearing shorts and a shirt with slippers, but you’d rarely see that in Japan. Another thing that shocked me was how most of the subway stations in Tokyo only had stairs. I guess TJ not having an elevator really trained me for Tokyo subway stations.
How did you make friends?
One of my friends is a coursemate who happened to be living in the same dorm as me. There was also a friend who I got to know through the Singapore Students Association in Japan (she’s the only other Singaporean in my course). Everyone was completely new to one another, especially with it being a small, very international course of about 100 people, everyone knows one another and it’s easy to talk to anyone.
What was the first week of school like?
School started with the entrance ceremony. Since it was for the September entry students, the ceremony was on a much smaller scale than the one in April, which is the general university entrance season in Japan.
The entrance ceremony and the orientation after that was held at the Mita campus, which is the main university campus.
For the faculty of economics, third year and fourth year classes are held at the Mita campus in Tokyo, while first and second year classes are held in the Hiyoshi campus in Yokohama.
Us exploring the Hiyoshi campus forest
Entrance to Hiyoshi campus on the first day of classes.
We were supposed to have orientation that week, but because of Covid, our orientation was cancelled. For the first week of lesson, it took some getting used to and finding our way around campus, but I managed to get used to campus life pretty quickly.
Experience
Is it lonely / scary being so far away from everything you’re familiar with in Singapore?
It was scary and worrying at first, but for me, the first few weeks were hectic and busy, I naturally got used to the life over here. Now, I even think I’d pick Japan over Singapore for my future.
How’s the community like there?
The school community is not that competitive as compared to Singapore, and I feel it helps to allow students to explore and try out other things. The Keio student population is quite big, but there are many different events like the Keio-Waseda games (particularly baseball) where the school comes together to cheer for Keio.
During the baseball So-Kei sen, the name for the Waseda Keio matches.
The annual Mita-sai, which is the school festival held in November every year, is also famous, with CCAs opening up food stands and showcasing their activities, as well as many other events. There are always famous Japanese celebrities invited to the Mita-sai.
As for the Singaporean community in Japan, I think it is quite close as the embassy here organises different receptions such as the new year reception. Also, when different ministers come to Japan for a work trip, they will organise receptions at 5-star hotels, with a free buffet. These events are really good opportunities for networking too.
Us meeting with DPM Heng Swee Kiat.
There is also an association called the Singapore Students Association in Japan (SSAJ), which is a community of Singaporean students studying in Japan. They organize events such as picnics and outings, and offer assistance if ever required.
How’s the academics / curriculum like?
The course is a 4 year Bachelor’s degree program, with two semesters per year, the autumn semester being from September to January and the spring semester being from April to July. The grading criteria really depends on each professor, some professors might make attendance and weekly reports the final grade, while some professors might have midterm and final exams. For the first year, there are a few mandatory classes, but the rest are electives. In first and second year, you get to choose classes unrelated to economics as well. Some unrelated electives I took were psychology and physics. Classes are not split into lectures and tutorials, and generally everything is considered as a lecture, but if the class size is small it is essentially like a tutorial.
Us sleeping in the group study room of the library, where we are allowed to talk freely.
At Keio, regardless of the course, you have to take a foreign language, and it cannot be a language you have taken before. I’m taking German, and it is one of my favourite classes (though I can never get the articles right). The class has about 18 people, which is relatively small, so our professor conducts classes outside and treats us to ice cream if the weather is nice sometimes.
Our outdoor German class.
This professor even introduced us to a few websites with German companies in Japan hiring interns, and that is how I got an internship at BMW Financial Services, which I am doing part-time while schooling.
This is not just limited to Keio, but in Japan, year 3 is when everything gets hectic. You start job hunting, something called Shu-katsu (short form for Shuushoku Katsudou, or 就職活動). People apply to many different companies (I’ve got a senior who applied to 30), do one day internships, and try to secure a job that fits you. In third year, you will also have a chance to join a research seminar (ゼミ), lead by a professor. You can choose the professor based on his research and specialities, and you can connect and network with seniors inside the seminar and even with those who have already graduated.
How are CCAs like overseas?
CCAs are known as Circles here. But in Keio, there are circles, as well as what is called “Taiku-Kai”, which is for those who are very competitive in sports, and can even reach the level of representing Japan international games at times. CCAs here are conducted in Japanese, so not being able to speak the language might be a challenge. I’m in two circles, one is called the Economic Honour Society. The Society is split into five research groups, and mine is the trade research group. Our weekly activities include discussing international trade such as the TPP (usually each topic will last a month), and presenting our paper during the “Mita-ron” event held during the Mita-sai (the school festival). The Economic Honour Society as a whole also organised other events during the Mita-sai, and I was part of organising the discussion between a professor and media personality and researcher Ochiai Yoichi.
With the whole Society after the Mita-sai event.
Celebration dinner after the event.
After a meeting with the research group where we presented our research to the year 3 seniors.
Dinner with the seniors afterwards.
I’m also part of a circle called AIESEC. There are many AIESEC circles in Japan in different universities, and it’s registered as an NGO here. In fact, AIESEC first started in Canada, and they now have branches in different universities globally. It connects you with a different AIESEC branch overseas, and organises internship and volunteering opportunities in the country of your choice. I’m part of the outgoing exchange group, where we help to prepare and make sure that safety procedures are being followed for those travelling overseas, as well as connect with the host university to make sure the preparations on their side are going well too.
Picnic with the outgoing exchange group.
After the general meeting.
Is it safe? Are there strikes and protests?
While there are some crimes, I’d consider Tokyo to be very safe. I don’t feel scared walking alone at 12am around my neighbourhood (though it is considered to be quite safe), and that is a big plus. Of course, walking around Shibuya or such large areas alone late at night is not a good idea, but it is generally very safe. There aren’t any strikes or protests, so there isn’t any disruption of services because of that.
What are your weekly expenses like? How much do you spend on leisure and travel?
I usually eat breakfast and dinner in my dorm (meals are provided every Monday to Saturday and it is included in the monthly rent of about ¥83,000 (about $830), together with the electricity and utility bill), but around 2 times a week, I eat out for dinner instead. As for lunch, I usually have meals at the school cafeteria, restaurants around School which have reasonably priced lunch sets, and in my office cafe if I’m at my internship.
The cost here is cheaper, with tuition fees for National universities being about ¥820,000 (about $8,200) per year, as the tuition fee does not differ for international students. It is said that the cost of living here is expensive, but personally I think that it is around the same, if not cheaper, than Singapore, if you stay in a dorm where electricity and utility bills are included (that can become very high in Japan). The price of groceries are definitely cheaper than that of Singapore, and you can eat out very easily. One thing that can be costly is transportation.
Meals here are very reasonably priced, for lunch the average would be ¥800 (about $8) and for dinner it is around ¥1400 (about $14) on average.
This Katsu lunch set with free flow rice and miso soup cost ¥990.
For holidays, I travel back to my grandparents' place in Gifu quite often, which can cost ¥13,000 (about $130) one way.
I also go on day trips around Tokyo and outside of Tokyo with my friends, like when we went to Yokohama Chinatown:
And one of my favourite trips was a skiing trip to Karuizawa in Nagano prefecture, where we stayed in cottages in a resort:
Advice
Any advice that you would like to give to juniors who are interested in studying abroad?
Japan may be a less known option for studying abroad, but the study abroad experience is as good as anywhere else. If you are worried about the language barrier, I don’t think that’s an issue. I’ve got friends who came to Keio without knowing any Japanese, and through taking it as their foreign language, they started improving. According to them, google translate is useful in getting around in the beginning, and they slowly start to understand the language.
If you’re considering coming to Japan for university, I’d say you should go for it, and try out something new. It isn’t often that you’ll get to experience studying abroad, and Japan is not as far from Singapore compared to Europe or America.
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