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
My junior encountered a problem: he didn’t know how to use microcontrollers. It reminded me of when I was starting out—I also didn’t know much about them and had no one to ask for help. Back then, I spent a lot of time learning on my own. Now that I can help others, I explained the most basic concepts to him and introduced some learning materials and useful websites. This helped him quickly get a grasp of microcontrollers. He was very grateful, and I felt happy that I could help him.
Empathy
I have always been scared to step out of my comfort zone, but words and advice has led me to gain confidence and to try new things.
Innovation
I have a goal to work in Japan after graduating from Ritsumeikan University, so I am doing my best to improve my Japanese skills. Since I enrolled in an English-based program, balancing my laboratory work with Japanese self-study has been quite challenging. Despite my busy schedule, I am making an effort to attend Japanese classes offered by the Graduate School of Life Sciences. As a doctoral student, it isn't easy to juggle research commitments with my Japanese learning. However, with the support of my lab mates and faculty staff, I believe that achieving my goal is possible. Last July, I challenged myself to take the JLPT test for N2 level; unfortunately, I did not pass. I was frustrated by the result because I missed passing by just 2 points. Everyone encouraged me to focus on the future and not dwell on past failures. So, I continued to seek more Japanese classes and eventually discovered a business Japanese course provided by Kyoto City. In this class, I encountered many new words that I had rarely heard before, along with valuable lessons in business manners. After joining this class, I resolved to take the JLPT test again in December 2024, though I am still waiting for the test results. In conclusion, no matter how many times I fail, I will keep striving to achieve my goal.
Resilience
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
Working on my dissertation with the help of my advisors.
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
I always discuss with my professor and cohorts.
Multitasking
During my PhD journey, I developed resilience through repeated rejections of my research papers for publication. Each rejection was disheartening, but I chose to view them as opportunities to grow. I carefully analyzed reviewers' feedback, sought guidance from my supervisor, and refined my work. One memorable instance involved a paper that was rejected twice. Instead of giving up, I revised it thoroughly and submitted it again, eventually achieving acceptance. This process taught me to persevere, adapt, and embrace challenges, transforming setbacks into stepping stones. These experiences strengthened my ability to recover from failures and continue striving for my goals.
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