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留学日記を締めくくるにあたって
昨年5月以来、11ヵ月にわたりつづってきた武藤さんの留学日記も今回が最終回。
コラムの締めくくりは「留学で学んだこと」です。
留学は大勢の人々のおかげで成り立つこと、留学中は自分がちっぽけに感じられ、
寂しさも経験するが、それが成長につながること、時間はあっという間に経つこと、
日記の勧め、目的意識を持つこと…。
読者の皆さん、ご支援と励ましをありがとうございました。
Wrapping up
It's been almost a year since I started this column. Over 11 months I've talked about a lot of things: about my studies, about my relationships with other people, and so on. I did my best to describe what my life was like in Sydney, an almost impossible task as every day was filled with something fascinating and new.
Each week it was difficult to focus on just one topic, and now it's even more difficult to choose one memory from Sydney that meant the most to me. Why do I need to even choose? Well, it's one of the most frequent questions people ask me: "What was your best memory of Sydney?"
Another question I often get is what I learned from my study abroad experience. We're not talking academics here, but other important lessons, and, although I'm no expert on studying abroad, I think I can answer this question better.
"You can't do it on your own" is one of the most important things I learned from going to Sydney. If you want to have a successful study abroad experience, you have to let people help you, and you have to appreciate how valuable this kindness and support can be. I was helped and encouraged by many people while I was there: my parents, my Japanese friends, my Sydney friends, my teachers; and I couldn't have got through it without them.
Another thing: You have to be prepared to feel insignificant, awkward and, above all, lonely, especially toward the beginning of your stay. But you can't let those get you down. You can't just use those as an excuse for holing yourself up in your room. Often something positive can come of them. The strength it takes to overcome these things can help you grow.
"Time flies" is also a valuable lesson learned. At first it may seem like it's never going to end, but it will be over before you know it. Time is limited so you shouldn't waste a day. That's not to say that you should study every day, but you should be doing something new and challenging. For that, I recommend keeping a diary or a blog.
Having said that, my diary wasn't exactly the most brilliant piece of writing in the world. It was a notebook where I jotted down some ideas for articles in the ST: what I'd seen, who I'd met, what I'd felt, etc. Writing for the ST was a great way of reflecting on my life in Sydney.
Last but not least, I'd like to end with what my teacher said before I went to Australia. "I think it's risky to go abroad with only a vague idea of what you want to do." I couldn't agree more. I think occasionally I lost my way, and I think I could have had a clearer purpose when I left Japan, but at least now I know how important having that clear purpose is.
So thanks to everyone, thanks to the readers whose comments spurred me on, thanks too to the editors for their support, and thanks to everyone who saw me through my time in Sydney. Hope to see you around, mate.
★今回でこのコラムは終了します。ご愛読ありがとうございました。
- Wrapping up
- 締めくくり
- relationships
- 人間関係
- describe what my life was like in 〜
- 〜での生活がどのようなものだったかを書く
- almost impossible task
- ほとんど不可能な作業
- was filled with 〜
- 〜でいっぱいだった
- fascinating
- 素晴らしい
- focus on 〜
- 〜にしぼる
- choose 〜
- 〜を選ぶ
- meant the most to me
- 自分にとって一番意味があった
- one of the most frequent questions people ask me
- 自分が一番よく聞かれる質問の一つ
- learned from 〜
- 〜から学んだ
- study abroad experience
- 留学経験
- academics
- 学業
- lessons
- 貴重な経験
- (am)no expert on 〜
- 〜の専門家ではない
- You can't do it on your own
- 自分一人の力ではできない
- successful
- うまくいく
- let 〜 help you
- 〜に助けてもらう
- appreciate 〜
- 〜を理解する
- valuable
- 貴重な
- kindness
- 親切さ
- support
- 支え
- (was)encouraged by 〜
- 〜に励まされた
- parents
- 両親
- couldn't have got through it without 〜
- 〜なしではやり通せなかった
- be prepared to 〜
- 〜する覚悟をする
- insignificant
- ちっぽけな
- awkward
- 不器用な
- above all
- 何よりも
- lonely
- 寂しい
- especially
- 特に
- toward the beginning of 〜
- 〜の初めのうちは
- let 〜 get you down
- 〜で落ち込む
- excuse
- 言い訳
- holing yourself up
- 引きこもる
- positive
- 前向きな
- come of 〜
- 〜から生まれる
- strength
- 強み
- overcome 〜
- 〜に打ち勝つ
- Time flies
- 光陰矢のごとし
- At first
- 初めは
- be over
- 終わる
- before you know it
- あっという間に
- waste 〜
- 〜を無駄にする
- That's not to say that 〜
- 〜というわけではない
- recommend 〜
- 〜することをお勧めする
- diary
- 日記
- blog
- ブログ
- Having said that
- とはいうものの
- wasn't exactly 〜
- 必ずしも〜ではなかった
- brilliant
- 素晴らしい
- piece of writing
- 文章
- notebook
- 雑記帳
- jotted down 〜
- 〜を書き留めた
- articles
- 記事
- reflecting on 〜
- 〜を振り返る
- Last but not least
- 大切なことを言い忘れたが
- risky
- 危うい
- go abroad
- 海外に行く
- vague
- ぼんやりした
- I couldn't agree more.
- 自分もその意見に大賛成だ
- occasionally
- ときには
- lost my way
- 目的を見失った
- clearer purpose
- よりはっきした目的
- at least
- 少なくとも
- spurred me on
- 励まされた
- editors
- 編集者
- saw 〜 through 〜
- 〜の間〜を支えてくれた
- Hope to see you around, mate.
- 皆さんとまたお会いできるといいです