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
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
After getting my master degree from Faulty of computers and Artificall Intellgence - Cairo University . My dream to complete my post studies overseas so I applied for JICA- ABE and also fulbright . The rule in my job is , they must recommend the scholare so I didnt get the recommendation in the year 2022 and also I didnt get accepetence from fulbright . but in the 2023 I reapplied and I got accepetcnce from JICA and also accepetence from university in Gulf countries. but my dream was Japan so I choose to travel to Japan desit of it is Master scholarship and I already had master degree.
Initiative
During my two experiences of studying in foreign countries, in the UK and Japan, I had to adapt to the local life and get used to it quickly while I was studying. In terms of language, daily life and learning style. In fact, studying abroad is a very stressful experience in itself. Although familiarising myself with the local customs and ways of interacting with people and learning to use the school's facilities and help were not that difficult in themselves, adapting and solving problems at the same time within a limited period of time was a real new challenge for me. Compared to my first master's degree and my current study life, I have really improved a lot, being able to work independently and efficiently in multiple threads, organising my time and energy rationally, and facing challenges in many aspects at the same time.
Multitasking
How to deal with Japanese culture, including the way of learning method, especially communicating with the supervisor.
Resilience
I am currently pursuing my PhD, and throughout my research, I have faced numerous challenges, including many failed experiments. Living abroad and dealing with the pressures of research, along with concerns about the future, has often left me feeling frustrated. During these difficult times, I have been fortunate to have the unwavering support of my professor, assistant professor, and administrative staff. Their encouraging words and moral support have been invaluable, helping me navigate my research and motivating me to achieve my goals, making life in Japan much easier.
Initiative
I developed my teamwork skills during a project in Thailand in my second year (2023) as part of the CRPS program. This project required our team to immerse ourselves in a local community, identify pressing issues, and devise solutions. At the start, choosing a focus was challenging because each team member had different ideas. To address this, we held regular meetings to reach a consensus on a direction we all supported. The challenges intensified once we arrived in Thailand, specifically in the Klong Toey slum, where we conducted our survey. Collaborating effectively was essential for gathering and analyzing data, as well as presenting our findings. Though disagreements arose frequently, our shared commitment to helping the community kept us on track. Together, we proposed a solution to help the community address fire safety issues. This experience highlighted how essential teamwork is in achieving meaningful impact.
Teamwork
Since I'm an international student, I'm basically living alone in Japan with no family or relatives. The first 6 months after coming to Japan, I went through the adjustment phases which was challenging and sometimes exhausting both physically and mentally. I started to understand that self-assurance by understanding yourself is a very important part in facing problems in life. My interest in psychology basically helped me in reaching self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy
Living alone abroad gave me a lot of time to reflect on my passions, interests, and where I want to go next in life. It is through these reflections that I began to understand myself and the processes throughout my lifetime that made me who I am today.
Self-efficacy
I learned how to innovate and learn how to be empathetic because I am taking all of my classes through an international perspective rather than an American one. My classes are being taught by professors from all over the world, and I'm having conversations with people about different issues and events while hearing so many different perspectives.
Empathy