Episode
The eight competencies developed at Ritsumeikan Academy.
We introduce how they are developed through daily experiences, along with diverse episodes.
*These episodes are based on responses actually submitted by students at every level of education—including elementary, junior high, and high school students, as well as university and graduate students—in the Quantitative Survey for Ritsumeikan Academy Competency Framework conducted in the 2024 academic year. Information that could identify individuals has been removed or modified before publication.
Competency
Episode
- Classes
- StudyAbroad
- ExtracurricularActivities
- ClubsAndSocieties
- StudyingOutsideOfClass
- Research
- SchoolEvents
- ExtracurricularLessons
- Community
- Family
- FriendsAndPeers
- TeachersAndMentors
- Goals
- Effort
- Achievement
- Growth
- Collaboration
- SeekingAdvice
- GivingUp
- Worries
- Happiness
- Anxiety
- Confidence
- Change
- EntranceExamsAndQualifications
- JobHuntingAndInternships
- PartTimeJobs
In APU there are a lot of group projects and group projects can either break or make friendships. I had to initiate the group to do things that they may seem not interested in. Giving constant reminders, initiate meetings, set a goal and set a schedule for the team. All these teamworks are tiring but it made me hone my leadership skills. I got the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone to initiate discussions and be a facilitator. I can safely say managing people is one of the hardest things to do. I had a really bad experience for my marketing class last semester where I had to talk on a lot of leadership roles when it is a group project where everyone is supposed to also take their own fair share of initiatives. However, in the end with much patience, continuous push the team managed to do well and I got an A plus as my grade. I am truly grateful for it.
Initiative
It was when I learned how to cope with stress and overwhelming feelings when I compared myself to my friends in the same major. It is a fact that I cannot always be as passionate as my friends but I realize that these kinds of things depend on personal preference. I still have tried my best so I have no regret after I failed or succeeded.
Resilience
Since I was a kid, I have always loved talking and playing with other people around me. Back in the days, I spent a lot of time hanging out with my friends and sharing daily events around me with them. We went to each other houses and played card together while talking about our days at school. I was considered as a smart kid back then, especially in English so my friends would come and ask me about English homework. I enjoyed sharing what I knew with them because I found I could be helpful to them. Another thing which I am really good at is giving pieces of advice for relationships. Many of my friends ask me for bits of advice regarding relationships with their loved ones or even disliked ones. I think it is because I am good at listening and I often give them ideas which they never think about. I also do not have much conflicts with anybody as if something goes wrong, I am always the one who say sorry and show attitudes to move toward a better things. I do not like fighting and quarelling against anybody and anythings. That might be because I am afraid to be hurted and hurt other people. My friends tell me I am easy to cry whenever I feel sad. I do not like but also not hate this part of me. Because I do not like the feeling to be hurted and sad so I always careful with words and actions in order not to hurt anyone. And thus that makes me good at talking and building relationships with others. I have always enjoyed playing and chatting with those around me, even as a little child. I used to hang out with my pals a lot and tell them about the things that happened in my life. We visited one other's homes and played cards while discussing our school days. Back then, I was thought to be a bright child, particularly in English, so my buddies would come to me with English homework questions. I discovered that I could be of assistance to them, therefore I appreciated sharing my knowledge with them. My ability to offer relationship counsel is another one of my strong points. A lot of my friends ask me for small pieces of advice about how to interact with their loved ones or even those they don't like. I believe it's because I listen well and frequently offer them options that they would never consider. Additionally, I don't have many disagreements with people since I'm the one who constantly apologizes and adopts a positive outlook in order to make things better. I don't enjoy arguing and fighting with people or things. This may be because I'm scared of getting hurt and hurting other people. According to my friends, I cry easily when I'm depressed. Although I dislike this aspect of myself, I also do not despise it. I always take care with my words and actions to avoid hurting anyone because I dislike the feeling of being unhappy and wounded. As a result, I'm skilled at interacting with people and establishing rapport.
Empathy
A lot of group work in my College led me to assume leadership positions because in all of my groups, no one wanted to do anything, so I ended up having to step up for myself to give my whole group a good grade.
Teamwork
Same as answer one. I have been more critical of myself and started taking notes and doing journals to keep track of what I have been doing the past few months, and have been trying to change my approaches.
Initiative
During my graduation research class in my University, I had to choose the problem I want to solve. In my case, I chose the problem in object detection, which belongs to the computer vision field. The problem I decided to tackle was extremely difficult, and required a lot of understanding in many concepts that I haven't had the opportunity to learn before. Due to the occasion, I've spent a lot of time in diving deep into the literature, and was able to develop the skill to understand thinks from scientific point of view.
Understanding
I was conscripted into the Korean military for 18 months. I am Korean American and an American citizen therefor I am not necessarily obligated to enlist. However, I chose to do so to overcome my personal limitations regarding adaptation and better myself as an overall individual. It was during service where I truly learned the rewards of trying your best. I was able to overcome my personal limitations and after discharge (with flying colors) I had some time to self reflect and figure out the base of my issues in life. With the skill sets and mentality I had obtained from the military, I am now doing much better in my academia and everyday life.
Resilience
I am currently in my final year of studies at Ritsumeikan, and I am doing job-hunting at the moment. I have applied to many companies, have not heard back from majority of them, and gotten rejected by those that I went for an interview with. Despite that, I never gave up and I am still continuing my job hunt as I am determined to stay in Japan. After each unsuccessful attempt in finding a job, I would always reflect on what I did, and how I can improve myself in my next interview opportunity. I am also working harder than ever, finding jobs on all platforms possible, and trying to network with new people, which is something that I have never done before in the past. Albeit still not having land a job yet, I can see that there is a gradual improvement in myself throughout these few months as I am becoming a stronger person while learning new things about myself and the world.
Resilience
Resilience is a critical competency that I have recognized as essential to develop during my studies. In the past, I would often feel overwhelmed when things didn’t go perfectly or when I faced setbacks in achieving my goals quickly. I tended to give up easily, feeling defeated by my imperfections. However, through reflection and experience, I have started to understand the importance of persistence and patience. I’ve learned that great things take time and effort, and it’s okay to make mistakes as part of the learning process. This realization has helped me bounce back from challenges, stay motivated, and continue working toward my goals despite obstacles.
Resilience