Xizi Wang - Exchange Alumni Testimonial

What motivated you to apply for the DACKEP grant funding?

Funding for my exchange helped significantly in achieving things I wanted to do on exchange such as travelling to see friends and seeing concerts.

What was the highlight of your exchange?

Getting involved in local events, joining university life, meeting friends from prior to exchange, making local and international friends.

What challenges did you face during your exchange and how did you overcome them?

Language and cultural barriers. I overcame these by trying my best to communicate as I have a degree of proficiency in Japanese. This really helped me improve my conversational Japanese.

What motivated you to participate in an exchange program in Japan?

Improving language and cultural skills. The best way to improve conversationally in a language is to immerse yourself in an environment where everyone speaks the language.

Do you have one piece of advice you would tell other students thinking about going on exchange?

Put yourself out there, involve yourself in local events and student life.

What was your biggest takeaway from your experience?

Improving Japanese, making local and international friends. My biggest takeaway is how my worldview and perspectives changed as I interacted with so many people whose backgrounds are so different from me. I’m really thankful to widen my worldview through this exchange.

What new skills or knowledge did you gain from the experience?

Japanese language, karate (from student life), cultural knowledge (e.g. social and educational issues in Japan) from lectures.

What is something that would entice you to travel back to Japan?

To visit friends, watch concerts. Doing an exchange in Japan allowed me to make many friends and connect with life in Japan on a much more personal level. I will definitely look to travel back in the future.

How did participating in an exchange influence your personal growth?

Meeting people and friends on this exchange has been such an invaluable experience for me- Not just Japanese friends, but also international friends from countries such as Canada, America and France. They opened up so many new perspectives and helped to shape who I am today.

Did the financial support from the DACKEP grant funding impact your decision to apply or facilitate your ability to participate in the Exchange Program?

The financial support facilitated my ability to travel and see more things that I wanted to see in Japan. It contributed to making my experience in Japan unforgettable and I am very grateful for it.