Teenage to Young Adult
American v. Japanese Schools
Mia continued her high school education at the American School but would have had a different experience applying to college if she had been in a traditional Japanese high school and wanted to continue her education in Japan. Mia expressed that the way that students apply to college is very different. In Japan and Asia, you take one exam to determine which colleges you can enter. Once you get into a college in Asia, you are set, and most people in Japan use their time in college to branch out and join clubs rather than study because they have already studied hard to get into college. Mia also described that Japanese colleges don’t consider high school activities and clubs like American colleges.
"It’s kind of the reverse in the US - you study hard for the SAT, but you study even harder once you get into college to make sure you can graduate."
Mia with some of the girls in her Sorority at Carnegie Mellon University
Graduation Day
Mia's American Education Experience
When Mia started her education at Carnegie Mellon University as an engineering major, she had never experienced the typical American college experience. More notably, she said, “the American college experience is like a cult.” The hype around football games, parties, frats/sororities, clubs, spring break, etc, are all concepts that don’t really exist in a Japanese college experience. Mia also described having to work more than a regular American college student because she was majoring in engineering. Still, even so, she was able to experience a lot of what people experience as a college student in the US. On another note, Mia said that she sometimes felt lonely, separated from her friends back in Japan and her parents. But upon reflection, Mia adds that she feels she has grown so much from being outside her comfort zone, in a different country, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
What is it like socially moving to college as an International student?
When asked this question, Mia said she was lucky to have an American father. Hence, she was able to adjust to college quickly compared to some of her other international friends. She also went to college with many international students, which helped her acclimate. Still, because there weren’t many Japanese international students, she expressed that this small population pushed her to make more of an effort to assimilate with American students. Mia joined a sorority, which helped her bridge cultural gaps when she first came to the US. Finally, she mentioned that by becoming a member of this sorority, she could blend her original communication style with her current approach, incorporating her improved understanding of American culture.