Voice from International Students

Double Degree Program (from Partner Institutions)

Marta Pérez Pérez
Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering
Master's Double Degree Program

Partner Institution

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)

Period

September, 2018 ～ September, 2020

Why did I study abroad? And why Japan?

I think I am quite a talkative and social person so I have always been interested in meeting people with diverse cultures from different countries. I also like travelling and studying abroad implies the possibility of discovering and experiencing all the beautiful places the country you go to can offer.
Since I was little I have liked Japanese animation know as anime. By watching this series I started becoming interesting in the Japanese culture. In my second year of university I had the possibility of visiting the country as a tourist and I really liked it, I wanted to experience more. Then I learned about the partnership between my university and Doshisha University and I had to grab the chance of living in Japan!

How much does it cost to live in Japan?

For the rent it really depends on where you are living but around Kyotanabe campus you can have a nice room with a cheap rent. Me and my friends were paying less than 40,000¥ including all the fees for the electricity, internet, etc.
Eating out is also cheap! Inside campus you can have a really good meal from 600¥ and in restaurants in the cities for around 1,000¥.
Transport is quite expensive though as the prices increases with the distance you travel and there is no special passes or big discounts for students as in most of European countries.

How was studying at Doshisha University?

It was a really interesting experience. Sometimes I had hard moments in which the language was a barrier and I felt I could not communicate well enough to express my concerns to the teachers, or I wished I could speak better to be able to ask for my labmates’ help regarding my research. However, I learned how to solve and approach problems on my own and try to overcome that barrier.
I feel I really learned about the topic of my research (CVT) and specialized in it I also learned how to organize myself better in order to carry out all the experiments.
It is remarkable that the campus is amazing and there are a lot of facilities of free use for the student when they want to have a break as the Family Mart area, the hello hall (recommended for relaxing while listening people play the piano over there) or the Gym!

What surprised you the most at Doshisha?

I have to say I was really impressed by Doshisha’s Clover festival which is celebrated at the end of November.
It is a holiday week in honor to the day the university was created and is amazing. In both Kyotanabe campus and Imadegawa campus there are a lot of stands organized by the student clubs in which you can buy from food to little souvenirs there are also a lot of events and performances by more student clubs. For me the most remarkable ones are the dance performances by the Yosakoi club (traditional dance with impressive costumes) and the Hawaiian dance club Meahula Nohealani.

Daily Schedule in Japan