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

School Type

Clear selection

To understand everything related to my current academic affairs is very essential for my academic success. When I submitted my articles to some academic journal, they suggested me to do another methodology and theoretical view on my current research in order to create better research. I recognized their suggestion is very useful me.

Understanding

I need to understand my academic affairs that is changing over time. Now, I am doing some kind of research related to microeconomics. To analyze the microeconomics' affair, I need to have stronger understanding on not only my study area, such as local context, but also technical affairs. Nowadays, everything is changing very quickly, and following the old model or method is not enough to analyze and evaluate current modern affairs. I have to study/ learn a lot to get better and advanced knowledges and technical skills and to know better understanding on my study areas.

Understanding

Over the past year, I've grown in my ability to understand things scientifically through lab seminars at the Intelligence Computer Entertainment Laboratory under my professor. These weekly gatherings exposed me to diverse research topics and methodologies in computer science. I learned to analyze experimental designs critically, interpret data, and question assumptions. Discussions with fellow students and faculty sharpened my analytical skills. Presenting my work forced me to explain complex concepts and defend my approaches clearly. This regular practice of scientific thinking and communication has deeply enhanced my competency in this area.

Understanding

My interdisciplinary background has indeed gradually given me the ability to think scientifically, especially at the Master's level. As I learnt about different fields (politics and economics, humanities and the arts, social history, etc.), I realised that instead of trusting news and opinions from the news or the internet as I did when I was in my teens, I would think about the ideas that I was exposed to, or even once firmly believed, and weigh the pros and cons of them from both sides of the fence. Instead of being biased and making absolute judgements about things, I get comprehensive results from multiple perspectives and contexts, and consider how and why the information was combined.

Understanding

From my interactions with my friends, I realized that I'm more connected with people who likes to argue and debate ideas. Until now, my closest friends are the ones who are open minded and likes to argue about anything. We can argue about almost anything, from religion, philosophy, science, government policy, and even anime characters. Since we hate to lose debate, we always try to refine our logic and understanding so that we can win the next time we enter into a debate. I think our mutual traits as well as the high frequency of interactions allow us to think more objectively about many things and to look at things from multiple perspective.

Understanding

I faced a challenging yet transformative time of growth. The demanding coursework, combined with the pressure to conduct independent research, pushed me to my limits. Balancing academic responsibilities with personal well-being required resilience and adaptability. There were moments of doubt, especially when facing complex problems or receiving critical feedback. However, the supportive environment of my peers, mentors, and advisors was a strength. Collaborative discussions and encouragement helped me hone my skills and maintain my focus. Through this journey, I discovered the importance of self-discipline, time management, and believing in my ability to overcome challenges.

Self-efficacy

First, I did not know much about the research, and I was afraid that I would not do it well. When I started my Master's degree at Ritsumeikan University, I turned to have more self-efficacy because of RU's supportive learning environment. All professors are so exceptional and they also give support and detailed explanation when I am stuck. Thus, now I have more confidence and knowledge to do research better.

Self-efficacy

I acquire self-efficacy when I started my master degree at Ritsumeikan University, during my research I realized that although my professors would give me advice, their advise was not a direct guidance, but something that made me think more about me and how I could achieve put my thought in order and how to find different approaches. This skill help me develop myself and get to know more my capabilities in multiple perspectives.

Self-efficacy

To understand oneself is a very difficult thing to do. While it is important to reflect on one's behavior, it cannot be done too often, as rumination is damaging to mental health. Thus, it is important to have lived experiences, and spend a minority of the time reflecting. However, this time reflecting is crucial to understanding yourself. When I first came to Japan, I was 22 years old. I didn't know much about the country or life in general, but I said "yes" to almost every opportunity I had. Because I did this, I had a lot of content to reflect on. When living in a foreign country, you must push yourself. When you push yourself, you can learn a lot about who you are and your limits after reflecting on your experiences.

Self-efficacy